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The Thief of Always

A Fable

Clive Barker

Ages 13–17

Readers rate it 3.8 (6 on Hardcover)

210 pages · Released Jul 1, 2025

Content report card

The Thief of Always parent’s guide: what’s inside

Medium confidence

Sexual content

LGBTQ+ themes

Substance use

What it offers

A note for parents

This is a horror-fantasy by Clive Barker aimed at young adults, featuring a haunted house with dark magical forces and morally questionable supernatural beings. While not graphically violent, the atmosphere is deliberately unsettling and deals with themes of temptation, manipulation, and entrapment that are more mature than typical middle-grade fantasy. The story rewards courage and self-awareness, but younger readers may find the sustained dread and sinister tone overwhelming.

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From the publisher

“Menacing demons, wondrous miracles, sinister magic, and vivid characters make Thief a compulsive, lightning-paced tales that almost begs to be read aloud.”—Miami Herald One of horror master and international bestselling author Clive Barker’s classic early novels—the tale of a haunted house with many a dark secret, now... “Menacing demons, wondrous miracles, sinister magic, and vivid characters make Thief a compulsive, lightning-paced tales that almost begs to be read aloud.”—Miami Herald One of horror master and international bestselling author Clive Barker’s classic early novels—the tale of a haunted house with many a dark secret, now available as a Harper Perennial Olive Edition. Be careful what you wish for, it might just come true . . . Mr. Hood's Holiday House has stood for a thousand years, welcoming children into its embrace. It is a place of miracles where every whim may be satisfied. There is a price to be paid, of course, but young Harvey Swick, bored with his life and beguiled by Mr. Hood's wonders, does not consider the consequences. It is only when the house shows its darker face—when Harvey discovers the pitiful creatures that dwell in its shadows—that he comes to doubt Mr. Hood's generosity. But the house and its mysterious architect will not release Harvey without a battle. Mr. Hood has plans for his young guest, a boy whose soul burns brighter than any he has encountered in ten centuries. . . . A great read for spooky-season nights A perfect addition to any Halloween reading list

Shelved under

  • Fiction
  • Classics
  • Fantasy
  • Young Adult
  • Adventure
  • Science fiction

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ISBN 9780063469006 · HarperCollins

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