attentionspan0's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
oneangrylibrarian's review
5.0
I loved this book. While I preferred the first book a bit more, this one sets up nicely for the third title in the series. J. A. White does an amazing job creating a real and strange world. I didn't want the journey to end. Luckily, it isn't over just yet. Can't wait for the next one!
treehuggeranonymous's review
4.0
I've really enjoyed this story so far. For something that's supposed to be a children's book, this has some quite complex themes around good and evil.
fatcathappy's review
4.0
The story just keeps getting better with every book. Creepy and fun for all ages. Really sucks you in.
abigailbat's review
5.0
OMG SO GOOD!!
Okay, so this book totally does not stand alone - make sure you have read the first Thickety book. And you'll want to have The Whispering Trees close by because the first one ends on a GIGANTIC CLIFFHANGER and then this second book plunges you right back into the middle of the action and pretty much does not let up.
This is just such a richly imagined fantasy world, dripping with magic and an epic battle between good and evil. The plot twists and turns and you're never completely sure who you can trust (at least I wasn't!). This is a great one for fans of scary books because there truly are some horrific scenes. I really loved the characters, too.
Also, this book is like eleven million pages long BUT because the trim size is pretty small, the pages actually go by really quickly. And did I mention the nonstop action? This book got me through a long wait at the doctor's office and then again at the post office. Huzzah!
I highly recommend this series to tweens who enjoy fantasy adventure with a big dose of witchcraft. I'd hand it to fans of The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier for its atmospheric creepiness.
Okay, so this book totally does not stand alone - make sure you have read the first Thickety book. And you'll want to have The Whispering Trees close by because the first one ends on a GIGANTIC CLIFFHANGER and then this second book plunges you right back into the middle of the action and pretty much does not let up.
This is just such a richly imagined fantasy world, dripping with magic and an epic battle between good and evil. The plot twists and turns and you're never completely sure who you can trust (at least I wasn't!). This is a great one for fans of scary books because there truly are some horrific scenes. I really loved the characters, too.
Also, this book is like eleven million pages long BUT because the trim size is pretty small, the pages actually go by really quickly. And did I mention the nonstop action? This book got me through a long wait at the doctor's office and then again at the post office. Huzzah!
I highly recommend this series to tweens who enjoy fantasy adventure with a big dose of witchcraft. I'd hand it to fans of The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier for its atmospheric creepiness.
sean67's review
3.0
Second book in the Thickety series is quite easy to read, but its really not that exciting, for this reader. There are some moments but overall it is pretty average, and forgettable. Maybe it is just not my cup of tea, I keep persisting with this genre, even though sometimes (read more often than not) it is a struggle.
arrr's review
3.0
It's a fine story. I'm not exactly sure why I didn't love it. I don't really understand the protagonist. Maybe it's the caretaker role she has with her brother that makes me uncomfortable. Maybe I'm over witch persecution stories. Maybe the memory catch for animal bridging magic puts me off. Weird issues of consent there. The kids are put in dangerous circumstances outside their control, and they take away other's control to survive. And maybe are mass murder apologists. Yes I know it was the book... But the enabling bothers me. They're are better methods for harm reduction, especially if you're writing for kids. I think that's it then. It's a fine adventure a lot of people will enjoy. Just too many moments I felt off.
ncrabb's review against another edition
I’m running way behind on my reviews. I should have written this one last week.
In this second book in the series, Kara Westfall struggles with her brother to find a way out of the evil forest into which they escaped in the first book. The world building here is fantastic. You follow Kara through a series of adventures and difficulties, all of which will keep you reading to the end and will ensure that you get the next book in the series.
Not only is the world building excellent, but the author thoughtfully takes on issues of value to his youthful audience. Kara and her brother deal with a witch who, in the prime of her life, deliberately took the lives of numerous children. Yet when Kara meets her, the old woman seems genuinely to want to help. Can Kara trust her? Are there characteristics that people exhibit that will allow you to legitimately trust them more readily?
Even if fantasy isn’t your thing, (and it pretty much isn’t mine), you can read this and appreciate the author’s ability both to tell a remarkable story and to create a world unlike any you’ve ever visited in a book.
In this second book in the series, Kara Westfall struggles with her brother to find a way out of the evil forest into which they escaped in the first book. The world building here is fantastic. You follow Kara through a series of adventures and difficulties, all of which will keep you reading to the end and will ensure that you get the next book in the series.
Not only is the world building excellent, but the author thoughtfully takes on issues of value to his youthful audience. Kara and her brother deal with a witch who, in the prime of her life, deliberately took the lives of numerous children. Yet when Kara meets her, the old woman seems genuinely to want to help. Can Kara trust her? Are there characteristics that people exhibit that will allow you to legitimately trust them more readily?
Even if fantasy isn’t your thing, (and it pretty much isn’t mine), you can read this and appreciate the author’s ability both to tell a remarkable story and to create a world unlike any you’ve ever visited in a book.
northernatlas's review
3.0
I’m still confused by the lore of this world.
Grimoires are:
- inherently evil, magical items
- made from fairy trees
- corrupt the girls and women (witches) who find them
Why. Why would that be the case? Is this overall just a moral story warning against overindulgence of power? The overall message (and tone of said message) really eludes me.
These books are well-written and developed, and the plot is always well-paced. I’m just suspicious about the overall message. Will the third book reveal that Kara is no longer a witch and that’s just dandy (a la Tuck Everlasting’s Moral Message of not messing up god’s plans for his creatures)? Or will she regain her powers in order to defeat the new villain? And WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO GRIMOIRES, I just don’t get how this is a thing. Send help.
Grimoires are:
- inherently evil, magical items
- made from fairy trees
- corrupt the girls and women (witches) who find them
Why. Why would that be the case? Is this overall just a moral story warning against overindulgence of power? The overall message (and tone of said message) really eludes me.
These books are well-written and developed, and the plot is always well-paced. I’m just suspicious about the overall message. Will the third book reveal that Kara is no longer a witch and that’s just dandy (a la Tuck Everlasting’s Moral Message of not messing up god’s plans for his creatures)? Or will she regain her powers in order to defeat the new villain? And WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO GRIMOIRES, I just don’t get how this is a thing. Send help.