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A review by shakespearesgirl
The Wish Giver: Three Tales of Coven Tree by Bill Brittain
4.0
I read this book years ago, back when I was in the fourth grade, and I remember being terrified and enthralled by it. Even the cover art seemed sinister to me, with the grinning face of Thaddeus Blinn taking front and center. It . . . doesn't hold up as scary, or even mildly sinister, but it was still engaging and well written.
Something about the writing style of this particular book reminded me of Robert Peck, although I don't know if that's a fair comparison as I haven't read any Robert Peck in quite some time. But the quaint rural setting, the colorful characters, and the adult narrator are all elements Peck has used before. I quite enjoyed the fable-esque feel to the stories, and the way everything resolved before the three main characters remembered Stew Meat and went to him for help. I thought that element of, "Well, we'll find a way to live with this, even if it's horrible" was a great touch, and a nice reminder to readers that sometimes the bad circumstance can't be avoided and you just have to make the best of things.
I'm definitely glad I read this book again, even if it's not exactly classic children's literature. I did love it a lot when I read it the first time, even if it did scare the pants off me, and it's nice to know I can pass it along to my own kids when and if I have any.
Something about the writing style of this particular book reminded me of Robert Peck, although I don't know if that's a fair comparison as I haven't read any Robert Peck in quite some time. But the quaint rural setting, the colorful characters, and the adult narrator are all elements Peck has used before. I quite enjoyed the fable-esque feel to the stories, and the way everything resolved before the three main characters remembered Stew Meat and went to him for help. I thought that element of, "Well, we'll find a way to live with this, even if it's horrible" was a great touch, and a nice reminder to readers that sometimes the bad circumstance can't be avoided and you just have to make the best of things.
I'm definitely glad I read this book again, even if it's not exactly classic children's literature. I did love it a lot when I read it the first time, even if it did scare the pants off me, and it's nice to know I can pass it along to my own kids when and if I have any.