Fairy Tale (Stephen King)

A teenage boy helps a neighbor after a bad fall, and ends up discovering a secret world that very, very badly needs his help. I call this King's "Disney Princess" novel, since the main character's virtues are things like compassion, endurance, and a very special love for animals. King has a ton of fun playing with fairy tale references and tropes, but ultimately this story of grief and courage will hit you in the gut.