Delilah Versus the Ghastly Grim is a warm and heartfelt middle-grade novel about a brave girl with dangerous seizures, and her adventures in the Othersphere.
From the moment an unfamiliar creature starts asking her if she’s the promised traveler all the way to her encounters with the scary Ghastly Grim, Delilah must make sense of this world and its new rules. In the Othersphere, Delilah meets strange creatures as she tries to make her way home, and often has to use her bravery and quick wits to get out of confusing or dangerous situations.
The novel includes disability representation as part of Delilah’s character. Her seizures aren’t added as a limitation, but as another aspect of who she is. This is a developed character — she has her own interests and hobbies, plus an annoying brother, a crush, mean kids at school, etc., and her seizures are depicted as another part of her middle-school life.
The author, T.L.McCoy, was inspired by her real-life granddaughter’s experiences with Dravet Syndrome, which causes the same seizures as Delilah in the novel. McCoy discovered that children’s books including a character with a disability are rare. Only 3.4% of children’s books include a character with a disability, while the CDC estimates that about 26% of Americans live with a disability.
In addition to the obvious affection in this novel, the book’s pacing is quick and the zany characters are fun. Alternate worlds and magical realms are popular in middle-grades fiction, and for good reason. These worlds can introduce our protagonists to mystery, hidden rules, secret entrances, and strange creatures. When it’s done well, it’s a page-turning exploration story and even a hero’s journey! Readers will want to discover more about the inhabitants of the Othersphere, and see how Delilah will get home again.
This type of fiction is particularly relatable and fun for middle schoolers, who are beginning to define themselves as individuals and learning to face setbacks. These adventure stories often include protagonists who discover hidden strengths or unique traits when they’re tested by dangers and tricks of the magical world, which can relate to the reader’s own self-discovery. Here, Delilah discovers her strengths and makes friends, which will be important when she faces the Ghastly Grim, a dark enemy who’s much more dangerous than the jerk classmate who calls her a faker and attention-seeker.
Look, I’m just going to spoil the ending for you: Delilah doesn’t get a magical cure. It’s not that kind of fantasy novel. Instead, she goes back to our everyday world, which means balancing doctor’s appointments with school, but after her journey, she has all the knowledge and friendships of her magical adventure, too.