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A review by carroq
Malice in Ovenland: Vol. 1 by Micheline Hess
3.0
Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If the title didn't give it away, this is a play on Alice in Wonderland. Lily Brown is forced by her mother to do chores, which includes cleaning out the oven. She discovers a hole in the back of the oven and falls down a hole into a fantastic realm full of creatures that live by eating the grease and other bits that collect at the bottom of the oven.
Since Lily's mom decided to change their eating habits, these creatures have been starving. They capture Lily and put her on trial for the lack of food. She goes on a roaming adventure through this strange place. Ovenland and the creatures that populate it are the best part of this book. They are well crafted. I was amused by the whole structure of their society and how the impact this one family had on their lives.
Most of the characters are pretty flat though. This doesn't make them bad, but I do like to have characters that are a bit more dynamic. They are fitting for the audience, so there probably wouldn't be any complaints there. The art style didn't work for me either. I think a younger audience will like it, but it was too cartoony for me at times.
If the title didn't give it away, this is a play on Alice in Wonderland. Lily Brown is forced by her mother to do chores, which includes cleaning out the oven. She discovers a hole in the back of the oven and falls down a hole into a fantastic realm full of creatures that live by eating the grease and other bits that collect at the bottom of the oven.
Since Lily's mom decided to change their eating habits, these creatures have been starving. They capture Lily and put her on trial for the lack of food. She goes on a roaming adventure through this strange place. Ovenland and the creatures that populate it are the best part of this book. They are well crafted. I was amused by the whole structure of their society and how the impact this one family had on their lives.
Most of the characters are pretty flat though. This doesn't make them bad, but I do like to have characters that are a bit more dynamic. They are fitting for the audience, so there probably wouldn't be any complaints there. The art style didn't work for me either. I think a younger audience will like it, but it was too cartoony for me at times.