lemurdance's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Apparently I read this one 10 years ago and hated it? But I have no recollection of either, so I'll chalk it up to reading it at the wrong time.
David, at age 12, has endured the death of his beloved mother, his father's remarriage and subsequent move to a new house, and now a new baby brother. After he begins to hear the whispers of books everywhere around him, he eventually finds himself drawn into another world--and must fight his way through an entire world of fairytales made real to get home.
With clear homage to both Narnia and Oz, Connolly also gives twisted fairy tales (for which I personally have a weakness) an excellent home in this fantasy world. Though not as dark as, say, Melissa Albert's Hazelwood series, there is plenty of death and corruption in these "true" versions of familiar tales. I'm excited to dive into the newly-released sequel soon!
David, at age 12, has endured the death of his beloved mother, his father's remarriage and subsequent move to a new house, and now a new baby brother. After he begins to hear the whispers of books everywhere around him, he eventually finds himself drawn into another world--and must fight his way through an entire world of fairytales made real to get home.
With clear homage to both Narnia and Oz, Connolly also gives twisted fairy tales (for which I personally have a weakness) an excellent home in this fantasy world. Though not as dark as, say, Melissa Albert's Hazelwood series, there is plenty of death and corruption in these "true" versions of familiar tales. I'm excited to dive into the newly-released sequel soon!
magpie98's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
bekahb101's review against another edition
3.0
This was a surprisingly dark coming of age fantasy steeped in fairy tales. Some of the story is very reminiscent of the original older tales like those written by the Brothers Grimm, but they are told and weaved together into a story that follows a grieving boy through confronting his fears. Often heartfelt and occasionally horrifying, it’s not among my favorite reads, but I’m very glad to have read it.
domproc's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
maireo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
azaliaayue's review against another edition
4.0
Sudah lama saya membaca novel ini, mungkin ketika di bangku SMP atau awal SMA. Namun sampai saat ini ingatan yang saya miliki tentang novel ini adalah kisah fantasi yang menyenangkan.
Saya mulai membaca kembali novel ini untuk merasakan sensasi menyenangkan yang tibul ketika mengingat isi cerita novel ini.
Saya mulai membaca kembali novel ini untuk merasakan sensasi menyenangkan yang tibul ketika mengingat isi cerita novel ini.
bkeniston's review against another edition
4.0
Dark, twisted, and lots of fun, this fairy tale for grown ups is beautifully written, with rich characters and a truly scary villain. This book is a perfect complement to Guillermo del Toro’s film Pan’s Labyrinth, released the same year. In that film, the elements of fantasy slowly creep into the story until you find the screen is saturated with them. In much the same way, this story begins simply with a boy mourning the loss of his mother but soon that boy climbs through a passage to another world and you find yourself immersed in the fantastic.
tiffyb's review against another edition
3.0
This book was HIGHLY recommended as “the best book you’ll ever read,” but I found myself sort of wishing I hadn’t started reading it. It went from 4 stars to 2.5 throughout the course of the book. But maybe it’s a great book, because, based on the length of this review, I felt pretty passionately about it
miki_44's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0