The Phantom of the Opera

This Puffin Classics adaptation brings Gaston Leroux's iconic tale to a younger audience. It follows Christine Daaé, a young soprano at the Paris Opera House, who is secretly mentored by a mysterious, disfigured musical genius known only as the Phantom. As Christine's talent blossoms, she reconnects with her childhood sweetheart, Raoul, sparking a fierce and dangerous jealousy in the Phantom. The story explores themes of love, obsession, beauty, and monstrosity, set against the opulent yet eerie backdrop of the opera house. Parents should be aware of the gothic atmosphere, themes of obsession, and some instances of peril and death, making it suitable for mature late elementary to middle school readers.

Christine is brought up by her itinerant musician father, whose death she mourns endlessly. She achieves a singing position in the Paris Opera line, where a mysterious voice teaches her to unleash her musical potential. The voice belongs to Erik, a deformed musical genius who lives in the opera house. As Christine's singing career takes off, her childhood friend Raoul begins to court her, and he and Erik fight jealously for Christine's hand. [1]: http://litl