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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
I loved it. Well written with beautiful illustration. I would have devoured this book when I was 13.
Couldn’t finish it, so no rating. Got through book club without having read it, so still counts.
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong writing but d r a g g e d on. Parts felt repetitive (we needed an inspiring speech before every battle. Yes, every one.) I love middle grade but could not see recommending it to my kids in this age group because it’s pacing is so slow and I think it would take a really specific child to really get into the story.
2.5 stars. It was mildly enjoyable. Felt more like a mash up of many different great fantasy novels, but lacked any loveable characters. It took me a while to figure out why I wasn't enjoying it as much as I thought I should and came up with two critical reasons:
1. Seriously lacking in character development. I was left feeling like these characters were nothing but cookie cut outs of typical fantasy characters. Halfway through I still didn't feel anything for any of them which in turn made me not care much about what was going on.
2. Dialogue was so stiff and just felt like this is what this "type" of character would say. This is a witch and a witch says this... There was nothing that felt personal about any of the interactions between the characters.
The premise sounds so wonderful, just think the execution could have used another revision.
The illustrations were really beautiful, made me want to rip a few out and frame them ( which I didn't do of course).
1. Seriously lacking in character development. I was left feeling like these characters were nothing but cookie cut outs of typical fantasy characters. Halfway through I still didn't feel anything for any of them which in turn made me not care much about what was going on.
2. Dialogue was so stiff and just felt like this is what this "type" of character would say. This is a witch and a witch says this... There was nothing that felt personal about any of the interactions between the characters.
The premise sounds so wonderful, just think the execution could have used another revision.
The illustrations were really beautiful, made me want to rip a few out and frame them ( which I didn't do of course).
I was first attracted to this book by its gorgeous cover featuring the art work of Carson Ellis. When I browsed through the book and saw that her wonderfully quirky illustrations were also sprinkled throughout the story, I knew right away that I wanted to read this book (as an added bonus, the book even includes color plates, just like some of the classic books from the 1930s and 40s). The author, Colin Meloy has written a great fantasy adventure filled with great characters. I loved Prue and Curtis, Septimus the rat, Iphigenia the Mystic, Brendan the Bandit King and even the warped villainess, the Dowager Governess Alexandra. Some reviewers have compared this to the Narnia books and I can see why they might make that comparison. Wildwood and its surrounding territories are populated by talking animals who have been divided by the ambitious takeover plans of the late governor's widow who has been exiled to the forests of Wildwood. Like the White Witch in Narnia, the Dowager Governess Alexandra has a devious plan and as the Witch does in Narnia, she first wins over the trust of one of the main characters, who is at first blinded to her evil nature. The one thing this book does not share with the Narnia tales is the heavy use of Christian symbolism that C.S. Lewis employed.
Some reviewers have complained about this book's length, citing the fact that the author Colin Meloy, who is the lead singer of the band "The Decemberists," has strayed from the succinct style of storytelling that he utilizes in the songs he writes for his band. To those complaints I would have to say - People, a book is not a song. It needs more characterization, setting and plot than a song which by its form, is closer to a poem. The musical notes and melody and/or rhythms behind the lyrics of a song can carry as much emotion as the lyrics themselves and a listener's imagination can fill in the details and interpret the lyrics in ways that may even be beyond the songwriter's original intentions. But trying to compare an epic book with a short musical song is like comparing apples to oranges. Each form has its own merits, but they're not the same thing.
Until I read this book, I was only familiar with the band, "The Decemberists" from its name. I have to admit that I had never listened to any of their music. But this book, with its imaginative storytelling, definitely made me want to check out some of their albums. This book left me looking forward to the rest of the Wildwood trilogy.
Some reviewers have complained about this book's length, citing the fact that the author Colin Meloy, who is the lead singer of the band "The Decemberists," has strayed from the succinct style of storytelling that he utilizes in the songs he writes for his band. To those complaints I would have to say - People, a book is not a song. It needs more characterization, setting and plot than a song which by its form, is closer to a poem. The musical notes and melody and/or rhythms behind the lyrics of a song can carry as much emotion as the lyrics themselves and a listener's imagination can fill in the details and interpret the lyrics in ways that may even be beyond the songwriter's original intentions. But trying to compare an epic book with a short musical song is like comparing apples to oranges. Each form has its own merits, but they're not the same thing.
Until I read this book, I was only familiar with the band, "The Decemberists" from its name. I have to admit that I had never listened to any of their music. But this book, with its imaginative storytelling, definitely made me want to check out some of their albums. This book left me looking forward to the rest of the Wildwood trilogy.
A fun book reminiscent of the Chronicles of Narnia based on Portland.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Enjoyed the book immensely. Unique plot and takes place close to home (Portland, Oregon - about a three-hour drive from me). The illustrations are excellent and done by the same person who illustrated the Mysterious Benedict Society books.
The only downside for me was the (SPOILER ALERT) child-sacrifice aspect. While I get what they were trying to do, it was still off-putting - much like Wormtail's spell in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which required Tom Riddle's bone, Harry's blood, and Wormtail's hand. That alone makes me hesitate to recommend it to younger children (elementary-junior high age).
The only downside for me was the (SPOILER ALERT) child-sacrifice aspect. While I get what they were trying to do, it was still off-putting - much like Wormtail's spell in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which required Tom Riddle's bone, Harry's blood, and Wormtail's hand. That alone makes me hesitate to recommend it to younger children (elementary-junior high age).