Jiin Kim (Credit: Matthew Hong)

Peter, the protagonist of Lore Isle, the debut middle grade novel from Newfoundland writer Jiin Kim, does not have an easy  life. He and his mother, who suffers from anxiety and the persistent delusion that Peter’s twin brother was stolen at birth, live with Peter’s grandfather, one of a long line of proud Newfoundland hunters. “Peter,” he says at one point, “you’re descended from generations of hunters. My grandpa, your great-great-grandpa Connors, held the record for killing wolves.” Peter is charged with much of the care of his mother, and he is resistant to the pressure from his grandfather to join in the family tradition. Instead, Peter is obsessed with the Newfoundland wolf, a unique species hunted to extinction.

Everything changes when Peter’s grandfather dies. The house is willed to Peter’s mother and her two sisters, and Peter’s aunts plan to sell the property as soon as possible. Peter is desperate to save the family home, and is recruited by the mysterious Mr. Doyle – who he meets at his grandfather’s funeral – for a fantastic quest for riches in Lore Isle, a mythic land of magic and mysteries, horrors and heartaches. If Peter succeeds, he’s promised enough gold to pay off the rapacious aunts. With the use of a button and a portal (in a pond), Peter makes the journey to Lore Isle.

As a fantasy adventure, Lore Isle makes for a compelling read, with plot twists and surprises to spare. The island itself is populated by creatures from fairy lore, including fairies themselves and leprechauns (not as described in folklore), as well as mummers, the misshapen, fabric-draped, hooded stuff of nightmares drawn from the traditions of Newfoundland. Peter, naturally enough, comes into his own on Lore Isle, developing, strengthening, and learning about sacrifice and values in spite of everything that is going on around him. (There is a delightful thread of cynicism around Mr. Doyle and what he has promised Peter that tears apart the cliche of the magical mentor figure.)

That page-turning quality, however, creates something of a wobble for Lore Isle: many of the events seem to happen too quickly, too vaguely. Situations and conflicts develop and are resolved almost before they have a chance to fully register for the reader; there is a sense that  the narrative is unfolding autonomously, rather than as a result of Peter’s actions and decisions. It’s a minor criticism, and not likely to be a significant issue for the intended readership (ages 10–14), but it’s bound to limit the appeal of the book for older readers.