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telltalepage's review against another edition
5.0
Because of the cover, I knew what sort of story I was walking into and I was not disappointed. It was fun and vivid, with the graphics drawn by Chris Riddell bringing to life this intense world created for a children’s series. It had much more world-building than I expected, especially for 1) a kid’s series and 2) the first book in a kid’s series. I was only a quarter through when I realized it reminded me of a mixture of Lord of the Rings and The Spiderwick Chronicles.
The main character is adorable and lovable if not a bit gullible, but if he wasn’t, he wouldn’t get into the adventures that he gets into! The action is non-stop and, like I said, the graphics are amazing and really bring to life the story. Even as an adult, I had a fun time reading this and am happily waiting to read the rest of the series. My boyfriend has this series and told me it is *the series* that got him into reading when he was younger. Because of this I was obviously stoked to read it, and I am so glad that I did. I would recommend this to really anyone…an adult who wants to take a step back into their childhood and have some adventures, a young person who loves reading and fantasy, a young person who doesn’t like reading and needs a good series to push them over the edge…it really has it all. It’s got consequences for actions and choices, and a main character who is finding himself and never strays from his morals, and a slew of characters who will entertain with each page turn.
The main character is adorable and lovable if not a bit gullible, but if he wasn’t, he wouldn’t get into the adventures that he gets into! The action is non-stop and, like I said, the graphics are amazing and really bring to life the story. Even as an adult, I had a fun time reading this and am happily waiting to read the rest of the series. My boyfriend has this series and told me it is *the series* that got him into reading when he was younger. Because of this I was obviously stoked to read it, and I am so glad that I did. I would recommend this to really anyone…an adult who wants to take a step back into their childhood and have some adventures, a young person who loves reading and fantasy, a young person who doesn’t like reading and needs a good series to push them over the edge…it really has it all. It’s got consequences for actions and choices, and a main character who is finding himself and never strays from his morals, and a slew of characters who will entertain with each page turn.
thatgirlinblack's review
4.0
Well this is a fantasy that is a little different. No swordfights, Narnia talking animals, or LOTR elves. It's more like goblins, trolls, flying creatures... The hero is on a quest to find where he belongs.
Twig, the hero, is a human who doesn't fit in with his adopted troll family. He sets out on a journey through the forest and does the unthinkable—strays from the path. What follows is adventure after adventure. Or more like trouble after trouble. He meets all these fascinating and terrifying creatures; most end up being unfriendly, some are kind. It seems like he's always running or being caught or escaping. It's almost non-stop. Each time, he ends up being mysteriously rescued. It's different from what I expected because Twig first learns the consequences of following the lie and the destruction that results. After that, his salvation is even more dramatic and it's resolved very satisfactorily.
The book is extremely well written. I could see, hear, feel, and smell everything. The descriptions are masterful. The beautiful as well as the ugly, everything is shown so well. I really like forest settings, so that's an added bonus.
Twig, the hero, is a human who doesn't fit in with his adopted troll family. He sets out on a journey through the forest and does the unthinkable—strays from the path. What follows is adventure after adventure. Or more like trouble after trouble. He meets all these fascinating and terrifying creatures; most end up being unfriendly, some are kind. It seems like he's always running or being caught or escaping. It's almost non-stop. Each time, he ends up being mysteriously rescued.
Spoiler
I thought at first that it was someone good rescuing him, but that's not how it turned out.The book is extremely well written. I could see, hear, feel, and smell everything. The descriptions are masterful. The beautiful as well as the ugly, everything is shown so well. I really like forest settings, so that's an added bonus.
jade_ls_lee's review against another edition
4.0
Pārlasot saņēmu tieši to, ko gribēju + vēl mini traumu. Absolūti radoša fantāzija, dīvaini un baisi radījumi, dažbrīd pat murgaini notikumi. Beigu atklājums Zarēna klīšanai pat piešķir necerētu jēgu. Grāmata it kā ir vienkārša, bet tā papildus zvaigzne nudien tīri par creepy radījumiem. Vairāk šādus drosmīgus darbus bērnu literatūrā!
mariefrost's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
3.75
charlottehoitsma's review against another edition
5.0
Such a fantastic series. It was my favourite when I was a few years younger. Even though I'm older now, you can't really outgrow this series!
toebean5's review against another edition
2.0
I liked the illustrations, and I really liked the whole journey. The adventures were great and some of the characters were really cleverly constructed. But I just felt like the story was too disconnected and choppy. I needed more flow, more continuity.
cypherfairy's review against another edition
2.0
i hated this, easily one of the most depressing/harrowing books for children ive ever read. every single time the mc ran into a new creature i let out a groan and went "what NOW?". bro could never catch a break it was exhausting. the pacing was breakneck fast, with a billion things happening per page (and all of them awful!). something that greatly contributed to me disliking this book was how gross it was: slime, vomit, pus...it's all in here, and sometimes all in the same scene (the illustrations...). just not for me.
there was also a good amount of fatphobia, which is sadly common but always annoying to see in a book for children, and a truly bizarre portrayal of a matriarchal society (why do men love to paint those as evil, i wonder?)
anyway, i won't be reading the rest of the series!
there was also a good amount of fatphobia, which is sadly common but always annoying to see in a book for children, and a truly bizarre portrayal of a matriarchal society (why do men love to paint those as evil, i wonder?)
anyway, i won't be reading the rest of the series!
sunscour's review
4.0
A fun kids book about belonging, you meet so many characters and the world is so dangerous. The pictures are fantastic.
kwims's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
clonedgoodness's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This is such an interesting and evocative setting. You have a river tumbling endlessly into a fog-filled abyss, rocks that can be lighter than air when the right temperature, forest trolls who live in terror of stepping outside the path. The story itself is fine, a fairly straightforward young boy in search of his real family/destiny, although with some surprisingly dark and visceral moments on occasion.