A review by cypherfairy
Beyond the Deepwoods by Paul Stewart, Chris Riddell

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!