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A review by janaroos
Beyond the Deepwoods by Paul Stewart, Chris Riddell
5.0
The library close to my primary school had only two shelves of books for younger readers, and by the time I was eight or nine I had already worked my way through most of them. This wasn't a big problem, since I re-read a lot. Also we had a lot of books at home. Also we were members of another, larger library.
But I had only ever seen this book in that small library, and all I ever wanted to do was read it.
For some reason, the book came with an age-restriction printed on the back: not for readers under 10! Perhaps this was a large part of why I wanted to read it. Regardless, I was still young enough to take age restrictions very seriously, and I never tried to check this book out. I waited, for years. Every time we went to the library, I would check to see that it was still there. I waited until I was finally old enough to be allowed to read Beyond the Deepwoods.
I'm a great believer in low expectations--I prefer to be pleasantly surprised rather than surprisingly disappointed--but this book had been built up in my mind over years of anticipation. It couldn't possibly be as amazing, as intriguing, or as unsettling as I'd imagined it.
The rating obviously indicates where this is going.
Man, did it ever deliver. Beyond the Deepwoods is one of the most vivid stories from my childhood. The Deepwoods were scary and fascinating and like nothing I had read before, and my only slight disappointment with the book was. The illustrations were fantastic and are still imprinted on my mind. The termagants, the Blood Oak, the terrifying Gloamglozer; it was dark and brilliant and I still love it today.
I never read any of the sequels since our library only ever stocked the first book. Great thing about adulthood is rectifying all the horrible injustices of childhood book-deprivation.
But I had only ever seen this book in that small library, and all I ever wanted to do was read it.
For some reason, the book came with an age-restriction printed on the back: not for readers under 10! Perhaps this was a large part of why I wanted to read it. Regardless, I was still young enough to take age restrictions very seriously, and I never tried to check this book out. I waited, for years. Every time we went to the library, I would check to see that it was still there. I waited until I was finally old enough to be allowed to read Beyond the Deepwoods.
I'm a great believer in low expectations--I prefer to be pleasantly surprised rather than surprisingly disappointed--but this book had been built up in my mind over years of anticipation. It couldn't possibly be as amazing, as intriguing, or as unsettling as I'd imagined it.
The rating obviously indicates where this is going.
Man, did it ever deliver. Beyond the Deepwoods is one of the most vivid stories from my childhood. The Deepwoods were scary and fascinating and like nothing I had read before, and my only slight disappointment with the book was
Spoiler
the end, where Twig leaves the woods with his father, only because I wanted more scary and weird woods stories, dammitI never read any of the sequels since our library only ever stocked the first book. Great thing about adulthood is rectifying all the horrible injustices of childhood book-deprivation.