The Figure in the Shadows
Readers rate it 3.9 (9 on Hardcover)
164 pages · Released Aug 2, 2004 · Puffin
Content report card
The Figure in the Shadows parent’s guide: what’s inside
Violence
Language
Sexual content
LGBTQ+ themes
Substance use
What it offers
Educational value
A note for parents
This is a classic Bellairs mystery with mild supernatural horror and themes of accepting oneself. The story centers on a boy struggling with his weight who finds a magical amulet, but discovers its dark cost—touching on isolation and the dangers of shortcuts to happiness. While there are some genuinely eerie moments and mild peril, the book ultimately rewards kindness and self-acceptance over magical solutions.
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From the publisher
A painfully overweight sixth grade boy receives a magic amulet which brings him luck, but also terrifying side effects. A painfully overweight sixth grade boy receives a magic amulet which brings him luck, but also terrifying side effects.
Shelved under
- Juvenile Fiction
- Fantasy
- Young Adult
- Adventure
- Classics
- Magic
- Fiction
- Detective and mystery stories
- Fortune
- Magic, fiction
- Barnavelt, lewis (fictitious character), fiction
- Children's fiction
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ISBN 9780142402603 · Puffin