A review by onceuponacarm
The Dark Hills Divide by Patrick Carman

4.0

The Land of Elyon consists of cities connected by roads, all surrounded by walls built to keep out the evil forces of the Dark Hills. Alexa has always lived within these walls, but her curiosity drives her to try to peer over the wall to what is out there. She stumbles upon a mysterious passageway leading from the library to the forest outside the walls where she encounters a tiny man named Yipes. Yipes puts her through tests to determine if she is the one who can help defeat a terrible band of criminals planning to attack the city of Bridewell; Alexa passes each test, acquiring the ability to communicate with animals along the way. She discovers that someone living within Bridewell is actually the leader of the convicts that plan to take over her city, and it is up to her to discover who the traitor is and to protect her city from the attack.