The Leap is a fantasy novel by Jonathan Stroud first published in 2001. It centers around a girl whose best friend drowns in a mill pool.

Plot introduction

In her dreams, she follows her friend through death on a mystical journey. But can she catch up with him? And what would it mean if she could?

Plot summary

Charlie is devastated by the tragic accident at a disused mill pool involving her best friend, Max. Unable to come to terms with a death she is convinced was unnatural, Charlie embarks on an emotional journey in her dreams, where she can see Max just ahead of her on the road.

Soon her dreamworld becomes more important to her than anything else, and it ultimately follows her into the waking world. Her brother, James, grows increasingly concerned at her strange behaviour and repeatedly tries to bring her back to reality. The story ends with James saving Charlie from unwittingly taking her own life, and she finally realises what she was sleepwalking into.

The story weaves a fantasy into everyday life, but for the most part its confined to Charlies dreams (and later, her perception of the waking world). With only a few clues, the reader is kept guessing whether it’s all in Charlies imagination, or whether there’s a reality behind the dream. No simple answer is given, even at the end.

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