Teenage Candy Quackenbush has always dreamed of escaping the small town where she lives with her depressed mother and abusive, alcoholic father. That escape comes unexpectedly when she meets John Mischief and becomes the keeper of a key-the key that holds all hope for the future of Abarat, a group of islands in a parallel universe. New York Times best-selling author Clive Barker brings his unique vision to children's literature and creates a fantastical world that rivals Wonderland and Narnia.