Take a photo of a barcode or cover
catherine_the_greatest 's review for:
Wildwood
by Colin Meloy
I found the first few chapters to be very off-putting. The main character, Prue, who is only 11 or 12, comes off as an insufferable hipster and a rather irresponsible babysitter for her infant brother (not that her equally insufferable, hipster parents seem to notice or care). Also, Meloy is prone to wordiness and over-synonymization (which isn't a real word, but if it was Meloy would probably use it). Once the crows kidnap said baby brother and Prue goes off to find him, the story picks up pace.
In the book's version of Portland, all of Forest Park and south to Washington Park, is known as The Impassable Wilderness. (I found it particularly amusing that the Pittock mansion was the government building for South Wood.) What the Outsiders (folks like you and me...and the insufferable hipsters) call I.W. is known as Wildwood to the inhabitants, who include humans and talking animals, most of whom seem to be stuck in about the mid-19th century in terms of technology (although there are many inconsistencies to this general rule). Of course, the various factions (including a corrupt/inefficient human government, a coalition of birds, a recently organized army of coyotes, a pack of Gaelic bandits, and a multispecies hippie commune) are battling in various ways, and Prue and her classmate/stalker Curtis find themselves thrown into the midst of the conflict.
Overall, Wildwood is an interesting story, although it recycles many of the conventions from other books of the same genre. The Dowager Governess and Curtis reminded me of Narnia's White Witch and Edmund, for example. The characters aren't very well developed, so it's hard to sympathize with them at times. Some middle grade students might be turned off by the pacing and vocabulary.
As this is the first book in a trilogy, I suppose there are meant to be some loose ends left. The one I would really like to see wrapped up is However, since the second installation is just as long as this one, described as much darker, and ends in a cliff-hanger, I don't think I'll be reading it any time soon...if ever.
Update: Listened to the 15 hour (!!!!) audiobook (mostly on two car trips to Portland), excellently narrated by Amanda Plummer, with my husband & kiddos. The hubs really liked it. (He's kind of an insufferable hipster like that.) 12 y.o. loved it and wants to listen to the rest of the series. 10 y.o. agreed with my opinion that it borrows a lot from other fantasy books and that the pacing is inconsistent ("Some parts were really boring and the battle scenes were repetitive"). I'm going to upgrade my rating to 4, because half my family liked it so much and because listening to it was more enjoyable.
In the book's version of Portland, all of Forest Park and south to Washington Park, is known as The Impassable Wilderness. (I found it particularly amusing that the Pittock mansion was the government building for South Wood.) What the Outsiders (folks like you and me...and the insufferable hipsters) call I.W. is known as Wildwood to the inhabitants, who include humans and talking animals, most of whom seem to be stuck in about the mid-19th century in terms of technology (although there are many inconsistencies to this general rule). Of course, the various factions (including a corrupt/inefficient human government, a coalition of birds, a recently organized army of coyotes, a pack of Gaelic bandits, and a multispecies hippie commune) are battling in various ways, and Prue and her classmate/stalker Curtis find themselves thrown into the midst of the conflict.
Overall, Wildwood is an interesting story, although it recycles many of the conventions from other books of the same genre. The Dowager Governess and Curtis reminded me of Narnia's White Witch and Edmund, for example. The characters aren't very well developed, so it's hard to sympathize with them at times. Some middle grade students might be turned off by the pacing and vocabulary.
As this is the first book in a trilogy, I suppose there are meant to be some loose ends left. The one I would really like to see wrapped up is
Spoiler
how Curtis is a "half-breed." This is mentioned in passing and vaguely explained away as him having "odd relatives," which didn't satisfy me.Update: Listened to the 15 hour (!!!!) audiobook (mostly on two car trips to Portland), excellently narrated by Amanda Plummer, with my husband & kiddos. The hubs really liked it. (He's kind of an insufferable hipster like that.) 12 y.o. loved it and wants to listen to the rest of the series. 10 y.o. agreed with my opinion that it borrows a lot from other fantasy books and that the pacing is inconsistent ("Some parts were really boring and the battle scenes were repetitive"). I'm going to upgrade my rating to 4, because half my family liked it so much and because listening to it was more enjoyable.