Friday, August 19, 2011

Book Review: Wildwood, The Wildwood Chronicles Book #1


Illustrated by: Carson Ellis
To Be Released on: August 30th, 2011
Source: ARC from publisher to review
Ages: 8 & up
5 stars- This Is A Must Read

Prue McKeel's life is ordinary. At least until her brother is abducted by a murder of crows and taken to the Impassable Wilderness, a dense, tangled forest on the edge of Portland. No one's ever gone in—or at least returned to tell of it.

So begins an adventure that will take Prue and her friend Curtis deep into the Impassable Wilderness. There they uncover a secret world in the midst of violent upheaval—a world full of warring creatures, peaceable mystics, and powerful figures with the darkest intentions. And what begins as a rescue mission becomes something much greater, as the two friends find themselves entwined in a struggle for the very freedom of this wilderness. A wilderness the locals call Wildwood.

Colin Meloy's Wildwood is a spellbinding, enticing story that creatively blends together the "what if" with magic, fantasy and an unforgettable adventure. Colin is a masterful story teller who will whisk readers away with his enchanting story, and incredible world.

If I already wasn't sold on the premise of this book, and the beautiful artwork on the cover, the setting would have had me. Being from the Northwest, I have a huge soft spot for books set there and I loved this setting. I liked how Colin created a magical world set in the middle of the woods. Growing by near some woods, I often wondered what really lies in the middle of the woods and Wildwood's magical adventure finally gave me my answer. A lot of things happen. There's a whole world full of myths, danger, adventure, secrets, and magic.

I've never felt compelled to compare another story with The Chronicles of Narnia, like I have with Wildwood. Both stories have that same classic fantasy feel, talking creatures, adventure, good vs evil battle and rooted into the story's rich plot, a wonderful message. Both stories have a rich story line, strong well written characters who along their journey discover more about themselves, and a fascinating, secret world that lies hidden within our own modern day one. Along with Colin's mesmerizing story telling are breathtakingly beautiful illustrations that match the story perfectly from well know artist Carson Ellis. These illustrations alone are completely captivating.

Wildwood is a thrilling new fairytale that has the same charm and appeal of the classic fairytales I grew up with. This is absolutely one of my most favorite MG reads for 2011! It's a story that can be read as a family, individually or in a classroom, as there are so many elements that can be openly discussed. Wildwood is a book I highly recommend picking up. I'm eagerly awaiting to read more of this series.

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Visit their website: Wildwood Chronicles, their Blog, on Facebook. You can also read the first 4 chapters here!
I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~