Monday, February 26, 2018

WHICHWOOD By Tahereh Mafi / Book Review #Whichwood


By: Tahereh Mafi
Published by: Dutton Books
Released on: November 14th, 2017
Series: Furthermore #2
Ages: 10 & up 
Purchase from: Amazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads
Source: Purchased copy / copy from publisher to review
Rating: 4 Owlets - We Enjoyed It!

A new adventure about a girl who is fated to wash the bodies of the dead in this companion to Furthermore.

Our story begins on a frosty night…

Laylee can barely remember the happier times before her beloved mother died. Before her father, driven by grief, lost his wits (and his way). Before she was left as the sole remaining mordeshoor in the village of Whichwood, destined to spend her days washing the bodies of the dead and preparing their souls for the afterlife. It’s become easy to forget and easier still to ignore the way her hands are stiffening and turning silver, just like her hair, and her own ever-increasing loneliness and fear.

But soon, a pair of familiar strangers appears, and Laylee’s world is turned upside down as she rediscovers color, magic, and the healing power of friendship.


A fantastic adventure! Mafi has once again created a whimsical, enchanting that effortlessly invites readers in, and introduces them to an unforgettable world, and characters. The perfect companion to Furthermore, this magical story about friendship, and over coming hardships, is the kind of middle grade book I would have loved as a kid. As an adult, I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

With diverse characters, a dark and mesmerizing world, Whichwood had my attention from the moment I started it. This was a book I breezed through in one sitting, and wanted more of the story when I was finished. Even with it's darker undertones, which to me were much lighter than some of the middle grade books that sat on my school's library shelves when I was in middle grade, this book is one I can see a lot of readers connecting to. 

There's a longing that Laylee has as a character, that makes her relatable. Her quest, and her discovering the healing power that friendship has, makes her feel more like an in-depth, realistic character, than just a character you're reading on the pages of a book. Between her characters and her dazzling world building, Mafi has proven yet again why her books, both YA and MG have a place on my favorites shelves.

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 ~