For readers who find wonder in the everyday and seek stories of unexpected heroes, this tale explores courage and community in the face of the unknown.
A parent might reach for this book when their child feels ordinary or is struggling to find their unique place in the world. This modern fairytale tells the story of a lonely apartment building superintendent, Cleveland Heep, who discovers a magical sea nymph named Story in the building's pool. He learns she is being hunted and must return to her home, a task she cannot complete without help. Together, the building's residents must decipher clues to discover their hidden roles and protect Story from a vicious monster. The book explores themes of community, self-discovery, and the courage it takes to believe in the extraordinary. It's a gentle but suspenseful fantasy for middle-grade readers who are ready for a story about finding purpose and the magic of working together.
A main character's family was killed in the past. This is mentioned briefly as his backstory.
Sensitive Topics
The primary sensitive topic is peril. The monster's presence creates a sustained sense of threat, and its attacks are frightening, though not graphic. The protagonist's backstory involves the murder of his family, which is the source of his profound grief and stutter. This is handled metaphorically and mentioned only briefly, without detail. The book's resolution is entirely hopeful, emphasizing healing and community.
Ideal Reader
An 8 to 11 year old who loves intricate fantasy worlds but prefers them in a contemporary setting. This is for the child who sees magic in the mundane, who enjoys solving puzzles, and who might feel a bit like an outsider yearning to discover their own special, hidden talent. It is a good fit for a reader who can handle a bit of a scare but needs a comforting, team-based resolution.
Parent Prep
Parents should preview the illustrations of the monster (the scrunt) and be prepared for scenes of peril, particularly the climactic confrontation. The brief mention of Cleveland's family being murdered is on page 11 ("Bad men had come into his house and hurt his family.") and could be a point for discussion, but it is not a central plot point and the book can be read cold. A parent observes their child feeling lonely, disconnected from peers, or expressing that they do not feel "special" or important. The child might be struggling to find their place in a group or feel like their unique interests are not valued by others.
Age Experience
A younger reader (8-9) will focus on the magic, the mystery of the narf, and the scariness of the monster. They'll enjoy the adventure and the tenants coming together. An older reader (10-12) will connect more with Cleveland's journey of healing from grief, the theme of finding one's purpose, and the idea that everyone, no matter how seemingly ordinary, has a vital role to play in a larger story.
What Makes It Special
Unlike epic fantasies set in distant lands, this book grounds its mythology in a completely ordinary, modern setting: a single apartment building. Its uniqueness lies in its proposition that a world-changing myth can unfold in our own backyard and that the heroes are not knights or wizards, but regular people who must find the extraordinary within themselves.
Read plot summary
Cleveland Heep, a stuttering, grief-stricken superintendent of an apartment building, discovers a "narf" (a sea nymph) named Story in the community pool. He learns she has emerged from the magical "Blue World" to inspire a future great leader who lives in the building. Cleveland and the building's eccentric tenants must unite to protect her from a wolf-like monster called a "scrunt" that preys on narfs. To succeed, they must decipher the rules of her story and discover their own prophesied roles: The Guardian, The Symbolist, The Guild, The Healer, and others, culminating in a tense standoff to ensure Story can be carried home safely by a giant eagle.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Cleveland Heep is The Healer, but he doesn't know it until the end. What do you think his real 'healing' power was? Was it a magical ability or something else?
2
Each person in the building had a special role to play, like The Symbolist or The Guardian. If you were a resident in that building, what role do you think you would have and why?
3
Story tells Cleveland that humans have 'forgotten how to listen.' What do you think she means by that? When is it important to stop and listen carefully?
4
The film critic, Mr. Farber, thinks he knows how the story will end based on other stories, but he gets it wrong. Why is it sometimes a bad idea to assume you know what will happen next?
