Reviews

Wow I FLEW through this book. I was already familiar with Beatty through the Seraphina books (a series that I should really finish on of these days), but I think this book had a bigger draw for me. Willa is such a captivating character, a capable, loyal, yet vulnerable character that manages to persevere enough in the toughest of times, no matter how banged up she gets. I loved the more emotional storytelling of this book, and really didn't expect it to get as dark as it did. The story's fast pace allows you to get more invested in the story, reminding me of those summer reads I could spend an entire afternoon reading and yet feel that no time had passed.

There were a few plot holes here and there that kept nagging at the back of my mind (

Spoiler

Like if Naillic was Cillian's twin brother, how come the rest of the clan didn't recognize him when he came back to be the paladan? Did he kill all the people that would have blown his over? Or threaten them into silence? I could see it, but some verification would have been nice

)

Still, I think this is such a worthwhile read for the middle grade crowd, particularly those who love a lot of action and character-building.

k_adams's review

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A

3.0

Willa of the Wood by Robert Beatty

Illustrator: N/A

Published in 2018

8-12 years old

Willa lives in the Great Smoky Mountains with her clan. They hate the humans as they destroy her home. Willa is one of the clan’s best thieves and constantly runs into the day-folk homes to steal things from the humans. She is constantly running into the day-folk and soon is torn between helping out the day-folk or her own clan to show them that not all the day-folk are the same. Eventually, she chooses her own judgment over her own clan. She gets to know their language and their day-to-day life.

Willa of the Wood would be a challenging book to read in the classroom. This book is long, so if it were to be used, read a chapter at a time, perhaps at snack time. Some kids may not find this book interesting, some may not be able to understand the language, as some words are more complex. I would recommend it for older students if this were to be used.

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