The Girl Who Drank the Moon, by Kelly Barnhill

The Girl Who Drank the Moon is my first Kelly Barnhill book and is guaranteed not to be my last. From the very beginning of this book to the very end I was completely captivated by the story.

Open the pages of The Girl Who Drank the Moon and dive into a fantasy and adventure story which is both unique in nature and also remarkably well-crafted. Barnhill is a beautiful writer of prose and I enjoyed the sentences which made up beautiful paragraphs and chapters and book. The story begins with the explanation that every year the people of the Protectorate leave the newest born baby from their village in the forest as an offering to "the witch." No one has ever seen the witch but they are well-familiar with her and the overhanging threat that she will do Something Awful if they do not sacrifice one of their young to her on an annual basis. At the very beginning of the tale, we are introduced to a woman being forced to give up her baby girl and who succumbs to sorrow and madness as a result. She is locked away in a tower in the local abbey where the sisters see to her care. Or do they?

In the forest lives a witch who never asked to become one. Her name is Xan and it is she who takes the babies which the Protectorate leaves in the forest. However, all is not what it might seem. Xan takes the babies without understanding why they have been left and she delivers them to loving homes in a village on the other side of the forest. However, one day she collects a baby girl who captures her heart. Xan names the baby Luna and accidentally feeds her with moonlight. In so doing, Luna herself is enmagicked with a magic so powerful that Xan is forced to hide Luna's magic from her until her thirteenth birthday. Xan hopes that in time and with age Luna will learn to better control her magic and use it responsibly. The Girl Who Drank the Moon follows Luna, Xan, the woman in the tower, and also a young father from the Protectorate who offers hope to a village shattered by sorrow at having lost so many babies to the unknown witch.

Kelly Barnhill has woven together a beautiful tale of magic. Her imagination seems to know no bounds. The reader is left to marvel at and enjoy this story of tragedy and hope. The best way I know to describe it is to say that it reads like ancient lore and legend. There's a timeless feel to it that makes you to think that you've heard this story somewhere before, although perhaps not quite in the same way. There's a uniqueness to the tale which is immensely satisfying as a reader. It's always a pleasure to be told a new story in a way that is not entirely predictable if for no other reason that the story is so well-told that the reader/listener is patient enough for things to unfold as they are meant to all in good time. Barnhill is a reader's dream and no, I don't feel like I'm being overly dramatic in saying so. However, I want to be cautious that I don't puff the story up so much that when you finally get around to reading it you'll wonder what all the fuss was about. Not that you'll want to wait a long time to get to this, because it's so fun and fanciful that you'll probably want to rush right off and grab a copy. If you enjoy it half as much as I did, that'll be plenty.

In terms of worldview, I would say that more conservative readers will not like The Girl Who Drank the Moon if they are skittish about magic and witches. However, this new title has nothing over Harry Potter or Narnia or Lord of the Rings. While there is no real distinction made between what is "white magic" versus what is "black magic", there is a clear distinction between good and evil. The right side wins, leaving no ambiguity or requesting of the reader to be sympathetic towards those in the wrong. It's a clear cut story full of delicious magic and imagination of the best sort.

This book is classified as Middle Grade Fiction which I think is entirely appropriate. I plan on handing it over to my ten-year-old to read next and I fully anticipate that he will enjoy it. The Girl Who Drank the Moon is a book I am happy to keep on our home bookshelves to be enjoyed by all when they are ready for it. I can imagine myself enjoying it again at some future date.

Many thanks to Kelly Barnhill for writing this story and to Algonquin Young Readers for publishing it. I was sent a copy for review purposes. I received no additional compensation and all opinions are 100% my very own.

Arch Enemy, by Frank Beddor

ArchEnemy is the third and final book in the Looking Glass Wars (and I'm glad). I read the first two books a few years back, (as mentioned), but wasn't motivated then to finish the story. In my recent re-reading of the series I felt like reading to the conclusion and, ultimately, I'm glad I did. We recently took a two week trip to South Korea and that's a mighty long plane ride. I was looking for books to take on the Kindle and decided to take the plunge and order this title to read on the flight.

ArchEnemy picks up where Seeing Redd takes off. A neighboring king has managed to suppress imagination in Wonderland, thus throwing a wrench in both Alyss and her wicked aunt Redd's schemes to maintain their queendom. Alyss and Redd are in a dead heat to see who will ultimately defeat the other. Throw in the turmoil with the neighboring kingdom and there are more epic battles to be had then ever before.

That's about as an exciting description as I can give this book.

ArchEnemy needed to be the last book in this series. Please don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved the first title, The Looking Glass Wars (linked to recent review) but the other two titles feel more like a grab towards an action movie to me and after awhile one gets tired of the endless nastiness and battle scenes. I get it already - Redd is a horrible person with the nasty ability to use black imagination to terrorize everyone in sight (and out of sight). Alyss is the struggling brave warrior princess who is learning to govern a queendom. The idea for the characters and the story are both very, very fun but it felt like the books were a progression of longer more intense battle scenes. That's just not my thing. While I'm glad to know how the story "ends" (as far as the trilogy goes) I'm feeling rather done by book three.

It's been a long time since I've read any fantasy or adventure books and  reading these was something I wanted to do. I feel like I've successfully scratched that itch and am ready to move onto a different genre for awhile. It's fun to dive into an alternative world now and again and read something more unique than my norm and for that reason I'm glad I read The Looking Glass Wars trilogy. By no means do I regret it, but its time to read something else. It's not likely I'm going to ever re-read the entire series of these books, but as I've mentioned, The Looking Glass Wars: Book 1 can stand alone and I can totally see myself pulling that one off the shelf at some point in the future. Frank Beddor had a very compelling, unique storyline to deliver and overall I'd say he delivered well. I'm just not as into battle scenes as he is and so I grew weary way before he did.

One extra little thought that I had when reading ArchEnemy was that it's very Steampunk. The descriptions of the character's wardrobes and weapons painted a very Steampunk feel in my mind and so if you have a Steampunk friend who likes to read, they might find this story extra compelling. Just a thought!

If you ever have a chance to read the first title, The Looking Glass Wars, I'd highly recommend it. The rest of the series is a "take-it-or-leave-it" in my opinion.

Other posts of interest:

• Review of The Looking Glass Wars: Book 1
• Review of Seeing Redd (Book 2)

The Search for the Delicious, by Natalie Babbitt

I think The Search for the Delicious, by Natalie Babbitt, is a book that can stand to be read continually throughout your whole life. Perhaps my children will have the chance to do so as we've started them out on this story young. I only discovered this book for myself back in 2012. I fell in love with it instantly, re-reading it again in 2013. Usually a quick re-read of a book makes me feel a little bit weary of it but not so with this title! Each time I read it, I like it more. I've been biding my time waiting until I thought the kids were old enough to catch some of the humor in the book before sharing it with them. I felt like the time might be right and so we spent the last few weeks reading it.

The Search for the Delicious is a short book that tells of young Gaylen's adventures as the King's Messenger. Gaylen is sent out from the castle to poll the kingdom in order to find out how people would define the word 'delicious.' The Prime Minister has been writing a dictionary and when he presents his definition of the word the king disagrees with him and the queen disagrees with the king. No harmony can be found in the palace and so the locals must be polled. Will people say apples are the most delicious? Or corn? Wheat? Fish? Whatever item receives the most votes will be listed as the definition for the word.

This idea of polling the audience sounds good in theory but the problem is that no two people can seem to agree on what is delicious. With the help of a villain who convinces the people that the king means to cause trouble with this question, the land is filled with confusion and the threat of war looms over people's heads. There is hope of averting a war but it is going to take the help of some creatures that some believe only to be mythical: a woldweller, some dwarves, and a beautiful mermaid. As Gaylen makes his way around the countryside he is faced with a great many challenges, one of them is whether or not to believe in fairytales.

This story is pure genius. The first time I read The Search for the Delicious I didn't discern any deep meaning; it was pure entertainment and sheer delight. The second time I read it I clued into the importance of reading and understanding the purpose behind fairy tales. This time I ached only for my kids to appreciate the delicate, subtle humor of Babbitt. I'm afraid to report that she's so subtle with her humor that it went over their heads. Not that this was a loss because my kids were still left to enjoy the story for story sake which they did! (I, alone, snickered my way through beautifully crafted sentences.) In the end though, we all enjoyed it which was the point. My kids, ages 9, 7 and 5 all claimed to have enjoyed it very much. (The three year old sat silently by and grinned. But I don't think that means anything.)

It is precisely because this book is just so enjoyable that we will revisit it again in the future, many times over! I'm certainly not tired of reading it and can only still highly recommend it to you. Seek this one out! It's worth every minute of your time.

Related posts:

• 2012 first reaction to The Search for the Delicious
• 2013 review of The Search for the Delicious

Seeing Redd, by Frank Beddor

As mentioned last week, I dove headfirst into Seeing Redd, the sequel to The Looking Glass Wars (linked to thoughts), because it was so interesting and exciting that I wanted to keep the story going. I have read Seeing Redd before but it has been a few years. When I reviewed The Looking Glass Wars back in 2007 I pretty much only used exclamation points when talking about it. Seeing Redd was quite a different matter. I didn't care for it as much and I gave a pretty good set of reasons as to why. Fast forward to 2016 and all I remembered about the story was that I had some hesitations which caused me never to chase after the third book in the trilogy, ArchEnemy.

This time my reading of Seeing Redd was completely different. I think perhaps the reason I could relax more with was because I didn't expect much from it, while the first time I engaged with high expectations. This story picks up right where The Looking Glass Wars left off, with Redd throwing herself into earth, experiencing some time away from Wonderland in the world as we know it. She amasses an army of dark characters in our world, intending to take them back to Wonderland for the purpose of reclaiming the throne from her pesky niece, Alyss Heart. The entirety of this book focuses on Redd's attempt to reclaim the crown and Alyss re-intregration into a Wonderland world. Throw in a side plot with Hatter Madigan and there is plenty of action, mystery, and intrigue to keep the story afloat.

One of my original complaints about Seeing Redd was that it felt that Beddor was writing more in the interest of creating a screen play than he was in telling a unique story. I think that criticism still holds true. I also said that the book made me picture X-Men in my mind's eye as I was imagining what the characters looked and acted like and I found it somewhat amusing that the first reviewer Amazon lists lobs the same complaint in Beddor's direction. Apparently I am not alone in thinking that Beddor is more about the movie than the book. I did some online sleuthing to see if anything ever came of the movie idea and it would seem that while Beddor would have loved it, the success of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland probably means that The Looking Glass Wars will never make it to the big screen as the storyline shares some similarities. Beddor does still hope for a television series though and I suppose that's not too far fetched. Still, as a reader, I want to be told a story for the sheer enjoyment of story and not because someone is hoping to make it big in Hollywood. The pleasure is in the telling and the hearing first and it bothers me still that Beddor focuses so much on the visual aspect of his tale.

That aside, I did enjoy Seeing Redd this time around. I didn't care much for Redd's excursion in our world. She's just too sadistic and nasty and when you pair her up with "bad guys" as we might know them, I found her doubly creepy. She's bad enough in Wonderland but on earth she's terrifying to the extreme! Once she makes her way back into Wonderland I find things much more tolerable. Conservative readers should know she meets up with some nasty characters on earth who delight in killing people. Just like in The Looking Glass Wars, Beddor doesn't skimp on battle details although I didn't think there was anything grosser than the last book's decapitations. (Truly, this is a story better left on the page in my opinion. I wouldn't want to see it played out on the screen.) Do be prepared for violence but, again, it's on the level of The Lord of the Rings. If you can handle that, you can handle this.

Seeing Redd does have more mature elements in it which I mentioned in my 2007 review. There is nothing explicit in the least but there are romantic relationships which are beginning to bud and some which are being remembered. Due to that factor, I will absolutely delay handing this book over to my 9 year old. He can wait a few years. The great thing, as I've mentioned previously, is that The Looking Glass Wars really can stand alone as its own book. There's no absolute need to read on in the series if you don't want to or feel you aren't ready for it.

As for me, I'm bound and determined to get through the series this time. I feel a bit entrenched in it and so ordered ArchEnemy for my Kindle. We shall see how that pans out. I'll let you know!

Additional posts of interest:

• 2007 exclamations about The Looking Glass Wars
• 2007 review of Seeing Redd
• 2016 review of The Looking Glass Wars

The Looking Glass Wars, by Frank Beddor

It's been several years since I read The Looking Glass Wars, by Frank Beddor and when I read it I didn't have much to say about it other than I loved it. I've been eye-balling this book on my shelf for some months, wanting to pull it down and read it. I'm trying to keep February a relatively light and fluffy month for books and this book fit the bill. Not to say that it's light. Or fluffy either, really. But it's fun and that's the point!

The Looking Glass Wars is the first in a trilogy of books describing what "really" happened to Alice from Wonderland. As it turns out, Lewis Carroll had it all wrong! Alyss Heart is heir to the Wonderland throne but circumstances have caused her to seek refuge in our world for a time. The book opens with Alyss at age seven, living in a palace in Wonderland with her parents, the King and Queen. Their happiness is broken up by the reintroduction of the Queen's mother, Redd, who comes back to Wonderland to claim the throne she believes is rightfully her own. Alyss flees from her aunt, spending many years in exile before returning to Wonderland to re-establish her rule with the use of White Imagination. This is a story of good and evil (the roles being well established), adventure, intrigue, humor and fantastic battles with glass eyes and decks of cards. What you thought you knew about Wonderland will be challenged by the reading of this book.

I really enjoyed this read. I still love it and would still recommend it for engaging entertainment. (I zipped through it in two days.) It's imaginative and very, very fun.

One of my reasons for wanting to re-read it was to see if it might be appropriate for Bookworm1 (age 9) and ultimately, Jonathan and I deemed him ready for the book if he's interested in it. He's hit a point in his reading where he wants to read things that are more "exciting" and this book certainly is that! However, I'd offer some cautions about the book which I failed to mention before. I'll go about this with some Q and A's.

Question: Do you have any cautions about reading this book in general?

Answer: I have two cautions to offer the more conservative and/or easily disturbed reader. The first is that Redd is a very nasty villain. She doesn't scream, "OFF WITH HER HEAD!" unless she means to do it. She's vindictive, angry, and lends a certain "chill factor" to the book. She's low-down mean and nasty and you'll hate her appropriately. My next caution would be to Beddor's willingness to offer somewhat gory descriptions from time to time. This is an ever-so-slight spoiler but Alyss's mother, Queen Genevieve has her head cut off and Beddor describes the head going one way and the body another. There is also talk of blood during battle scenes. Jonathan and I both read these passages and counted them no worse than what you'll find in The Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. If you can handle the levels of action and gore in those books, then you'll handle this just fine.

Question: What age would you recommend this book to?

Answer: I wouldn't. Our eldest is 9 and is complaining that the books we give him are not exciting enough to hold his attention. We want him to love reading so we're upping the ante a bit and previewing books that fall in line with what he's asking for. He's currently reading The Fellowship of the Rings and loves it. His favorite series - the one he says is most exciting to him - is Harry Potter. We think he'll like The Looking Glass Wars. We would never let him watch an on-screen version of this or the other movie versions of the books mentioned. He doesn't like things to be too intense on a screen but he can handle things on the page. Originally I had thought not to give him this book until he was 11 or 12 but we're going to go for it now. I think each parent should decide for themselves when they think their child is ready for this read.

Question: What do you think of Frank Beddor's writing style?

Answer: Last time I read this book I remember thinking that he wrote this story in such detail as to turn it into a screen play with little difficulty. The humor is spot on for a movie and you can easily visualize what the characters look like at any point in time. He's almost overly descriptive and it feels very much like that's an effort to catch the attention of Hollywood. All the same, the story is quite thrilling and I smirked and smiled at all of the parts he wanted me to. He's a very engaging story teller, that's for sure!

Truly, I enjoyed this read to such an extent that I immediately pulled the sequel, Seeing Redd, off of my bookshelf to start reading. If memory serves, while I was enamored with The Looking Glass Wars, I didn't care for Seeing Redd nearly as much. I got tripped up on that one and never read the third book. We shall see what my updated thoughts are when I'm done reading the sequel. (I'm halfway through it at the present). The good news is that Looking Glass Wars really can stand alone as its own read so feel free to enjoy that one thoroughly if you think that you can!

Other posts of interest:

• 2016 Review of Seeing Redd
• 2016 Review of ArchEnemy

Entwined, by Heather Dixon

I re-read Heather Dixon's Entwined this past month. I hadn't read it since it was released back in 2011 (linked to my thoughts). I loved it and stuck it up on my bookshelf to be read at some point in the future. I was reading the story of The Twelve Dancing Princesses aloud to my daughter back in January and that's what reminded me of Dixon's retelling. I felt like the future was now and the book was meant to be re-read. I've refrained from reading my original thoughts on the book until I complete writing down my thoughts this go around.

As I say, Entwined is a retelling of the classic fairy tale, The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Dixon uses all of the original elements of the story in telling her own which I think makes it extra fun as you read things both familiar and new. The kingdom is thrown into mourning when the Queen dies which, for the princesses, means an abrupt end to their dancing. The princesses must navigate a world without their mother and with their father, the king, whom they barely know. They are frustrated and vexed by the limitations placed on them during mourning and find a way to continue dancing. Trow in some magic and an intriguing villain and you've got yourself a very engaging story.

This story slowly unfolds, releasing bits and pieces of information as you read along so I'll be careful not to offer any spoilers. Suffice it to say that this book is incredibly entertaining and just plain good fun. It's a story that is easy to get lost in. The characters are interesting and you are left guessing at how things are ultimately going to play out. My only complaint about this book is that Dixon is something of a weak writer. There are some eye-rolling moments but this being her debut novel I still think it stands up and shines despite some deficiencies. Her imagination is clearly is top notch working order and she keeps things moving at a nice clip. The book is clean, free from foul language, or from any "scenes" which makes this a book you can relax into. I really can't think of a single thing to offer as a warning against reading this book. The only word that keeps coming to mind in describing it is, "fun!"

I feel like I'm writing a "nothing" of a review. As mentioned, I wanted to be careful to write up my fresh thoughts before going back and reading my old review. I think my previous shared thoughts are much more comprehensive. If you want to know more specifics about the book, see what I had to say back in 2011. The only thing I would change in my position is in saying that the villain isn't as creepy as I once thought him to be. I had no such qualms with the book this time around, nor any trouble sleeping. The guy is still a little creepy but not so much that I'd issue a caution. As villains go, he's fairly tame.

Anyway, I was glad to take some time to re-read this title and I liked it so much I'm happy to slip it back on the bookshelf for a few years in order that I might pull it down and enjoy it again at some point. I still recommend it for a great reading time!

The Phoenix and the Carpet, by E. Nesbit

The books I seem to be getting through the quickest these days are the ones which I'm reading aloud to the kids. This is not something I mind, because I tend to read them books which I like as well! We recently finished reading The Phoenix and the Carpet which is the sequel to The Five Children and It (linked to my review of 2013). It took us awhile to get to book two in the series but it was well worth the wait. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

In The Phoenix and the Carpet we find ourselves again spending time with Robert, Anthea, Cyril, Jane, and their baby brother, "Lamb." This time their parents have purchased a new carpet for the nursery which, once rolled out, reveals an egg. They try to return the egg to the shop owner, believing it to be his, but are unsuccessful at doing so. The children's father grants permission for them to keep the egg which begins the adventure. The egg ends up being knocked into the fire and, as a result, a phoenix is born. Not only are the children amazed by a golden bird in their midst, but they are also quite happy to discover that this newly purchased carpet has certain magical properties; it can take them anywhere they wish to go and fulfill wishes.

In The Phoenix and the Carpet we travel along with the four children as they ask the carpet to take them hither, thither and yon. Each chapter contains a separate adventure which usually begins to fall apart in some form or fashion, always leaving the children grateful for their "normal" and "boring" life without magic.  It would seem that adventures just aren't always what they are cracked up to be.

Near the end of the story, after having several misadventures with both the carpet and the bird, the children realize that its time to say goodbye to both. They are full of memories of good times and bad but for the sake of the family they need to send the Phoenix away and get rid of the carpet. All's well that end's well by the time the book comes to a close. The children are sad about the conclusion of their adventures, but happy about the lessons learned and memories made.

My kids have thoroughly enjoyed each Nesbit title that we have read. Immediately upon closing the pages of this one they asked if there was another title involving these same children. What great joy to be told that there is a third title in this series, The Story of the Amulet! Perhaps we should scoot along to it before two years passes this time, hmm?

Nesbit is such a great author. Her stories are decently complex, full of imagination and magic, and are just plain good fun. She also sprinkles a great deal of wit throughout the story which makes reading the book fun for both adults and kids. C.S. Lewis read her voraciously and it is rather safe to assume that her writings influenced his own. This might be in part why I'm drawn to Nesbit's stories just like I'm drawn to Lewis's. It might also be why my own children enjoy her tales. There is a similar delight between Nesbit and Lewis. I believe it safe to say that if you enjoy the one, you're more than likely to enjoy the other.

If you haven't yet read E. Nesbit, make a point to! We very much enjoy and highly recommend them to you!

North of Nowhere, by Liz Kessler {Giveaway}

I accepted North of Nowhere for review mostly because it was written by Liz Kessler who you might recognize as being the author of the Emily Windsnap series. I read The Tail of Emily Windsnap (linked to my review) back in 2008 and discussed it over at 5 Minutes for Books. (It is a post that is still discovered online by teen girls who leave comments letting me know how much they loved the Windsnap books!) I rather liked that one myself, with cautions and reservations. I did think Kessler told a good story though and that raised my interest for North of Nowhere.

In this new title, Liz Kessler explores some of the "what if?" questions of time travel. In certain respects, North of Nowhere reminds me a great deal of When You Reach Me (linked to review). If you like one, you are almost sure to like the other.

North of Nowhere opens with an introduction to the main character Amelia, or "Mia" for short. She is just about to begin her Spring Break when her mother announces to her that instead of spending time at the mall hanging out with her friends, she would be joining her mother on a visit to her grandparent who live in a podunk seaside town. Mia is angry about this change of plans until she is made aware of the reason behind it: her grandfather has mysteriously disappeared.

Mia and her mother make the trek to her grandmother's and the search continues for the whereabouts of Mia's grandfather. Bored, Mia wanders down to the shoreline and there finds an abandoned boat with a diary inside. She opens the diary and begins reading the secret thoughts of "D." Mia feels bad for reading "D's" diary and decides to be honest about her infraction and writes a quick confession inside the diary for D to find. The boat then disappears for the evening, reappearing the next morning with a note from "D" to Mia. An odd friendship is formed through the letters the girls write to each other within the pages of this diary.

I don't want to spoil the story at all and there is a risk of it if I continue on with much of a description of the plot line. There is mystery surrounding the identity of "D" and also Mia's grandfather. If you want to know this story, it is best to read it for yourself.

Unlike in The Tail of Emily Windsnap, I do not believe Kessler is making any attempts at any political arguments in this story. My only irritation with the book is in the character of Mia who is a bit of a whiny, self-centered teen. However, she does seem to recognize the fact that she has a duty and a responsibility to care for her family members and manages to rise to the occasion. I can't say that I was completely riveted by this book or that it'll go down as one of my favorites, but I will confess to being pleasantly diverted. Kessler has the ability to weave an interesting story and I appreciate that of her. As I say, if you liked When You Reach Me, you'll be interested in North of Nowhere.

Better news - Candlewick Press have offered to give away one copy of this title to one of you! Would you care to win? Simply leave a comment below including a valid e-mail address. This contest is open to U.S. Residents only and will be open through Monday, August 12.

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER, as selected by Random.org, is #1 - Amy at Hope is the Word!

Many thanks to Candlewick Press who sent a copy of the above title my direction in exchange for my honest review. Thanks also for offering an additional copy to one of my readers!

The Flint Heart, by Katherine & John Paterson

I was asked if I would like to read a copy of The Flint Heart and upon seeing the name of Katherine Paterson and understanding it to have fairy-tale qualities about it, I hastily said yes. I also understood this to be a retelling of an older story, originally published in 1910 and authored by Eden Phillpotts.

As to the original story I can say very little. I'm not turning up much information on Google and even Wikpedia fails to mention this particular title in its line-up of works by Phillpotts. (Really?! Wikipedia is incomplete!?)

All I can tell you is that The Flint Heart by Paterson is "freely abridged from Eden Phillpott's 1910 Fantasy." What the differences are, I cannot say.

This new version of the story has a modern moral and Paterson indicated in her New York Times interview that "the story may have a relevant political message." As an adult reader, I can certainly tell that she is trying to make a point about abuse of power. The name of one of the main characters is "Unity" and Unity is used in a rather dramatic way to implement peace which causes me to read for hidden meanings in Paterson's work instead of being able to just simply enjoy the story. You can definitely tell that she is trying to make a point about the way she wishes the world to be. As I believe myself to have a different worldview from the authors here, this could annoy me tremendously as I attempt to read the book.

On the flip side, the Patersons' ability to tell a story also helps me to ignore any underlying "subtle" messages and engage with the characters, fairies, and dangers which are associated with this tale. So, I could review this book as a political message, in which case I could very well end up not liking it. Or, I could review it as a diverting story, in which case I do like it and very much at that!

My tastes in stories are changing. Maybe it's because my children are getting older and understand more about the world around them and so I'm not trying to protect them from as many "scary things" as I was before. We're explaining more and avoiding less, if that makes sense. Also, the older my kids get the more I recognize the fact that good stories spur them on to performing their own acts of nobility, filling their imaginations and thoughts with the differences between good and evil. I think that's important. The Flint Heart is a darker fairy story. Your expectations and ideas about the story are set from the beginning with the following introduction:

"Many years ago, oh, let's say five thousand, more or less, there lived in the south of England, in what is called Dartmoor, tribes of people who had never thought to make anything out of metal, much less plastic. They had stone houses, stone spear tips, stone axes, and stone arrowheads. They raised the biggest stones in circles and lines and squares and all sorts of formations that nobody today quite understands the meaning of, and maybe they didn't either. If you are one of those people that think people in long-off days were much kinder and gentler than people are today, you are being far too romantic." (Chapter 1, Fum Makes the Charm)

The story focuses around a stone, a flint heart, which cases the person possessing it to be overwhelmed with a desire for power over all other creatures. The stone was forged five thousand years ago and caused a great deal of trouble over an ancient tribe but was buried with the possessor of the stone when he died. The stone, of course, resurfaces in time, and starts creating havoc once again. It is not until the stone is destroyed that true peace can return to the land.

Lord of the Rings anyone? Actually, Paterson stated that, in her opinion, Tolkein read the original version of the story. Whether or not that is true, I cannot discover. It's merely Paterson's opinion but the "freely abridged" version certainly has that flair.

This new version of The Flint Heart is very witty. I liked the style of writing and it caused me to snicker a time or two (or three or four) as I read along. Certain characters really appealed to me and I found them infinitely amusing. This might be why I am able to/am forcing myself to ignore the politics wrapped up in it because I was laughing my way through it. The Patersons managed to turn phrases in a way that tickled my funny bone. I like the idea of a fairy people ruling a kingdom of animals and strange creatures. I like reading about them fighting for freedom and control in an effort to maintain order. The children in this book are not objectionable characters and the story's need for them only adds to its appeal as an enchanting fairy tale.

There is a lot to like about this story and a nagging feeling that there is a lot to dislike as well. On the whole though, I'm going to say that I liked it on its face and find it refreshing in the sense of it having traditional qualities found in older fairy tales. All is not pretty. All is not perfect. People are killed and things are pretty messy at times. I would say that right wins in the end - which it does - but this is also the part that the Patersons muddy up a bit so you almost have to mentally define the end message for yourself. It's a very curious read for me in this way. I can give it a clarifying meaning of my own which causes me to find it acceptable. I guess that is the best way I can describe it to you.

Typically I wouldn't care for having to define a story's message for myself. In a way, this completely rankles me and makes me wary of the book. On the other hand, the Patersons are merely hinting at what they ultimately want to communicate. A bit of a quandary but I'm going to go ahead with an "I liked it."


I'm also pleased to say that Candlewick Press has offered to give a copy of The Flint Heart to one of my readers here at Reading to Know. Would you care to win a copy and check this story out for yourself? Simply leave a comment below along with a valid e-mail address so that I can contact you if you are selected as the winner. This contest is open to U.S. Residents only and will be open through Tuesday, October 25th.

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER, as selected by random.org, IS #5 - Jessica B.! Congrats, Jessica!

Also of interest is that this book is going to be turned into a movie. Because that's just what they do these days. You may want to read up before the movie makes its appearance.

If you'd like to get a head start on figuring this story out before it hits the screen, leave a comment below. I'd be curious for anyone else's thoughts on this one after you've had a chance to read it for yourself!

Thanks, Candlewick Press, for shooting a copy my way and for offering a copy to one of my readers.

Entwined, by Heather Dixon

Ok, I know that some of you complain that you can hardly follow this site because I make you want to read too many books. (HA!) Well, just grab your To Be Read list and leave your grumpy little sigh-filled note about Entwined, by Heather Dixon.

This novel by Dixon was advertised as follows: "this debut novel by Heather Dixon will thrill fans of Shannon Hale, Robin McKinley, and Edith Pattou." I am thoroughly entertained by Hale, I rather enjoy a good McKinley, and now I think I must look into Pattou (who I am not familiar with.) The advertisement was true. If you like either Hale or McKinley, get thee to a bookstore and snatch up this lovely little gem!

Entwined is the retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses and Dixon uses all of the elements of that story in this particular story. It's full of princesses, magic, dancing and has a happy ending so I was thoroughly satisfied. In short, I could not put this book down! (If I were on Facebook here I'd be clicking the "Like" button about a million times.)

Basic storyline is as follows:

We are immediately introduced to Azelea who is the main character. She is the eldest of the twelve princesses whose names travel down the alphabet and all have to do with gardening or flowers. The Queen mother dies and the king and princesses go into their required mourning period. One of the rules of mourning is that you are not allowed to dance which, of course, these princesses cannot abide giving up. They find a magical passageway inside the castle which introduces them to a Mr. Keeper who allows them to dance every single night to their heart's desire.

Naturally, the king discovers that his daughters are breaking mourning but they will not - and indeed cannot - tell him why, because they have "sworn on silver" that they will not tell them and in this partly magical land of Eathesbury, you cannot break a promise made on silver. There is great magic in silver, which is thought to be the purest medal in the land. The king then advertises about his dilemma, asking for help in discovering where the princesses are going each evening.

The girls thrill in dancing and are very grateful and enamoured with Mr. Keeper who allows them to come to his secret pavilion every single evening to dance the night away. However, he is not all that he first seems.

I'll offer no spoilers.

I will say that this book is heavy on imagination and good, clean, fairytale fun! There are certain rules in the kingdom about anyone even seeing the princess's bare ankles or their hair let loose. The king protects his daughters and their honor very well. The girls, however, have a hard time connecting with the king after their queen mother's death. There is a break in the family's relationship as they all respond to her death in different ways. It takes them awhile to figure out that each member of the family is hurting but they are expressing their hurt differently. This creates some rift between them which is pronounced throughout the book but all wrongs are righted in the end.

The biggest concern a person could have with this book is with Mr. Keeper who raises eyebrows. Actually, I thought his character so gloriously mysterious and creepy that I had a hard time going to sleep one night when I was trying to wrap this book up. I tense easily in reads and if you do, I recommend you putting this book down when it's still daylight outside. Even if you do know how the fairytale ends. Dixon really does a good job bringing her characters to life.

That's also one of my questions and complaints about the book though as well. Do you ever feel when you are reading a modern novel that you are reading the screen play of a movie? Modern authors seem to know the possibilities and very little is left strictly to the imagination. Her attention to detail and certain parts of the dialogue were perfect for film. While I wouldn't mind seeing this on film, I don't like thinking about the potential for that when I'm reading. It rather jars me from the storyline when I'm thinking, "And she's probably pegged Johnny Depp for this Mr. Keeper fellow because that would suit." Not saying she wrote intentionally for that purpose but it's written in such a way that I couldn't help but imagine such a thing and I dislike doing so when I'm in the middle of a fun story.

But, as I say, it's a terrifically fun story and I can't think of any reason not to recommend it - apart from the dark magic - to anyone. Even though the magic set me on edge a time or two, right wins and it was very clear that there was bad magic and good magic. Dixon distinguished between the two rightly, in my opinion, which allowed me to live in the story for a few days. Then, of course, I was sorry to leave it.

A must read, to be sure. You can thank me later. Heh.

Enter if You Dare!

How do I describe this? Morbid fascination and summertime fun/curiosity.

For some reason, I've always been intrigued by Ripley's Believe it or Not. I can remember, back when I was younger, wondering what it would be like to go through one of their famous museums. I remember the first (and so far the only!) Ripley's I was able to go to - the one in San Fransisco. (Somehow, I find that strangely fitting.)

Whenever a new Ripley's book comes out, I'm always curious. So in the spirit of summer fun and craziness - (fyi - this might be as crazy as I actually get) - I give you Ripley's Believe It or Not! Enter If You Dare!

There should probably be no reason for me to want to gross myself out by looking at a picture of a disfigured cat (who has now become a "therapy cat" to help people with disfigurements improve their confidence.) I most certainly don't want to know about pythons discovered in toilet bowls. (I've had a long term fear of sitting down unawares and there being a snake in the pot anyway. TMI? Perhaps. But this is a Ripley's review, after all!) But it is kinda cool to hear about the cat who catches the same bus and rides the same route every single day. (That would be Casper - the friendly cat? - in England.)

There's a funny horse who got her head stuck in a tree trunk. (She was freed with a chainsaw and is alive and healthy today, in case you were wondering.) And it's also cool to see the "tiny teen" - a 16 year old girl who is only 23.5 inches tall! Her actual size is included as a full-page fold out inside the book so you can see how far up your leg she actually comes in height. (She is about halfway up my thigh.)

I don't know why I like Ripley's really. There is no justifiable explanation. It's just the curiosity of the thing. DOES the turtle really have two heads?! DOES the kitten really have two faces?! DID American Airlines really save an estimated $40,000 in 1987 by removing one olive from each salad served to first-class passengers?! DID the first class passengers notice and did they suffer because of it!? Questions to ponder, my friends. Questions to ponder.

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Enter If You Dare! is a little more tame than the last Ripley's book I perused. Fascinating still. Especially since in this edition, I finally found out how Siamese twins Chang and Eng Bunker died. (So bizarre to think about!) Maybe that's why I like it. It's just bizarre. It's less serious than the news and more interesting than who Jennifer Anniston is currently with. You see strange and miraculous things from all over the globe. Interesting. It's just interesting.

And I suppose that's all I have to say. If you like Ripley's, then you'll be excited to know that the newest edition of oddities is out.

I will also tell you that although Ripley's had a booth at the Book Expo that featured the most tatooed woman in the world, and although Jennifer offered to go with me to meet her, I took a pass. (Looking at pictures in books is one thing . . .)

Thanks, Ripley's, for entertaining, grossing me out, and making me wonder yet again.

The Door in the Hedge

Once upon a time I had a friend who (strongly) recommended that I read the book Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley. Given the fact that the Disney classic by the same time is my FAVORITE Disney movie of all times, I agreed, though doubtful. Nevertheless, friendship drove me to it and for the love of friendship, I immediately turned around and foisted the book on everyone I knew. I even offered it to some people I didn't know, all in the effort of making sure the book got the attention that I felt it deserved.

From that moment on I have been an enormous fan of Robin McKinley. Nevermind the fact that the only other book I've read of hers is Spindle's End, I've remained a fan. I liked Spindle's End alright, but I love Beauty. I think of McKinley as a "treat read." When I read Spindle's End I remembered why I liked McKinley and vowed I'd read more. But for time. Time is always a factor and I just haven't gotten around to picking up anything else. Then a few weeks back I went to Powell's Bookstore up in Portland and I decided to splurge on another McKinley. This time I picked up The Door in the Hedge which is comprised of the following shorter stories:

1. The Stolen Princess
2. The Princess and the Frog
3. The Hunting of the Hind
4. The Twelve Dancing Princesses

For those of you who are (at the present moment) unaware of McKinley's style- she likes to take fairy tales and rewrite them. Furthermore, she's good at it! (I initially scoffed at the idea but now I'm quite convinced.)

As I read along and internally processed the above four stories, I was guessing as to which would be my favorite story and why. First I was going to tell you that, as was typical, the best story introduced the book so that the reader would be hooked, hoping to find the next three half as good. The first story about the Stolen Princesses was quite clever in the way she wove the character's lives together, although they spent the entire story apart (or in constant threat of being apart). Of course, anyone talking about Fairy Land these days is going to automatically fill me with warm and happy memories of Disneyland so I was pretty much sold on this story before it really began.

Next I was going to tell you that The Princess and the Frog is one of my favorite fairy tales of all times simply because I think it's amazing that any girl would ever consent to kiss a frog. Ever. (I quit touching frogs when I was four years old when I picked one up only to have it relieve itself on my hands. I didn't appreciate being dirty as a child. Of course, I wouldn't appreciate that very much as an adult either -- furthering my wonderment of this particular fairy tale.) McKinley puts her own twist on this tale with an evil prince and the frog eventually being thrown against a wall instead of being kissed, (that makes more sense anyway), but it's still good.

The Hunting of the Hind was probably my least favorite of the stories in the book. However, I appreciated the characters so much more than in the other tales that this story still ranks in my book. I think The Hunting of the Hind could have been more interesting if it were longer. This is one where I think McKinley would have done better to expand it and fill in the characters a little bit more than she did. However, who am I to complain? It's still a charming fairy tale, regardless.

Lastly we have The Twelve Dancing Princess which is another of my favorites. Only I'd forgotten all about it so it was kinda fun to revisit it! Personally, I thought this story, more so than all the others, holds the most true to its original telling/source. From what I remember, it really does follow along closely.

The question of the hour is: DOES McKinley tell a bad story? I'm starting to doubt it. She's an excellent story-teller. Period. She has a style and charm about the way she relates old stories. Much like Disney liked to "plus" up his ideas, going above and beyond what was expected of him in terms of animiation of public expectancy, McKinley does the same thing with her stories. She adds personality and detail to characters making them easier for the reading audience to identify with. She draws her readers in with humor and beautiful phrases that make you dream of castles and fairies while still keeping you firmly grounded. It's hard for me to put into words how intriguing she is and the only thing I can think to say is that she's just a really good storyteller. That's pretty much all there is to it. The words flow, as does the laughter and the hope. I enjoy her and, if you haven't yet had the pleasure of an introduction, let me do the honors.

Grimms' Fairy Tales vs. George MacDonald's Fairy Tales

This past week I picked up a copy of The Complete Fairy Tales of George MacDonald and set out to read it. I'm intrigued by MacDonald because he was inspiration to both Lewis & Tolkein and thus deserves to be explored. (However, I would say that he deserves it in his own right.) I've also had Grimms' Fairy Tales sitting on my shelf for about six months, waiting its turn. I decided to read them both in one week in order to compare the two.

I have to say that I enjoyed Grimm's Fairy Tales over MacDonald's.

The brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm (horrid name, btw), took a fancy to fairy tales in 1803 upon meeting two (what I assume to be?) professors at the University of Marburg in Germany. They began to collect various ancient stories in an effort to to preserve All Things German. (Although many of the stories seem to be of French origin, coincidentally and/or ironically.) The total number of stories that exist seems to be somewhat in question but range from 200 to 211 fairy tales. The book that I read was the Illustrated Junior Ed. (pub. by Grosset & Dunlap) and contained 55 of the tales. The stories were published as children's stories but it seems people have taken exception to that branding all through the ages. The stories aren't exactly bedtime lullabyes meant to soothe and calm. Not by any stretch of your imagination! If you are thinking Disney, these tales are not it! However, there is a charm about each story that kept me hungry for the next and the next and the next, etc. They are grusome and indescreet at times, even though the Grimms sought to adapt them to be more palatable and better received by their reading public. Apparently they attempted to attribute morals to some of the stories, removed some of the more grotesque descriptions and removed certain insinuations from a few of the tales. At the same time, their descriptions of the punishment of some of the villians in the tales became more violent. Go figure! At any rate, the tales are delightful and I enjoyed all 55.

Of the ones that I read, I believe my favorite is Hansel and Gretel which I was somewhat surprised at, actually, being somewhat familiar with it but always thinking I would like Cinderella best. I found some of the tales very humorous, such as Frederick and Catherine (which reminded me of the modern day Amelia Bedelia) and The Clever Gretel which smacks of physical humor in the form of misunderstandings between the characters. Some of this "stuff" is laugh out loud funny. On the other hand, a lot of it is dark and trecherous. All the same, I'm glad they took the time to preserve these tales which, according to some sources, rank this book as a best-seller right behind the Bible and William Shakespeare!

MacDonald's tales (8 total) are longer and therefore less apt to hold the attention of little children or people like myself who favor their fairy tales in short, sweet form. MacDonald takes a long time to get to the point or the end of his tale. The introduction to the book is given by Roger Lancelyn Green and he warns the reader not to think too hard about the tales, but that MacDonald seem to be teaching things through them just the same. When the story "drags on" its hard not to start thinking about looking for the moral code that you are sure he is trying to espouse. I had to keep reminding myself to follow Green's instructions not to think too hard. I spent so much time doing that, that I think I missed the point of the fairy tales entirely due to the inner mental battle over whether to think or not think.

I most enjoyed the story of The Giant's Heart although it too is very descriptive in a disgusting way at times. (Perhaps I just like things too clean and neat?) Although I had a hard time working through The Shadows, I found that the most insightful and intriguing of the rest of them. I had read The Light Princess a long time ago and rather enjoyed it. I still like his Princess stories but they just didn't entertain me as much as the Grimm brothers did. Not that I always need to be entertained, mind you, but still. It helps.

The quality award most certainly goes to MacDonald although I'm going to confess I cannot elaborate as to why. Maybe it's just because I know Lewis clicked with him and so I know there is value to these stories. MacDonald would often read his stories aloud to students and I think of how weird it would be to sit and listen to some of the descriptions in his tales. Nevertheless, he is a noted "thinker" and doubtless spent more time thinking through the implications of his stories than did the Grimm brothers.

Both sets of fairy tales are a worthy read at any age. I don't believe anyone can honestly admit to have outgrown fairy tales. If they say so, I think they speak a lie. Fairy tales speak to the mind, to the heart and to the imagination. They can make and unmake people, depending on application. I think it would be interesting to explore fairy tales and their influence in today's society at some point. Certainly it would be intriguing. For now I'm content to delight myself with stories which continue to hold people's imaginations captive hundreds of years after having been invented and copied down. They are true treasures and I hope you'll take the time to read a few yourself!

Seeing Redd, by Frank Beddor

I've been waiting for this book. It arrived in the mail on Saturday and I promptly devoured it. I read The Looking Glass Wars earlier this year and thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought it was an imaginative twist on the original tale of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. I cannot recommend The Looking Glass Wars more highly. Seeing Redd? Not so much.

So here's my beef with Seeing Redd: it's cult-ish. By that I mean, The Looking Glass Wars was such a hit that Beddor created some graphic novels to tell the "before" story of Hatter. He is also writing a screen play. Which means that Seeing Redd is written more for the big screen than for the story. Or so it seems to me.

I'm feeling very anti-Hollywood these days and I really don't feel like the book is trying to appeal more to the screen than to me, the reader. I would say that a 14 year old could be handed a copy of The Looking Glass Wars and be able to thoroughly enjoy it. I would not be as free with Seeing Redd, as Beddor wanted to discuss more adult relationships. There isn't anything explicit at all. Don't get me wrong. But come on. The hint, the explanations, bringing in background relationships did not contribute to the story. His main focus seems to be the survival of Wonderland and Queen Alyss. His introduction of some premarital relations do not contribute. For me, they detract.

Also -- and this really ticked me off (don't worry this isn't a spoiler) the villain in this story seems to be a villain mostly because he's portrayed as a male chauvinist. It's like Beddor thought I'd hate the villain more because he made anti-feminist statements. What the . . . ?!?!?! Sorry but it didn't make me like or not like the villain anymore or any less. It was just an annoying side effect that had to be dealt with in order to hear about Wonderland. I'm really not impressed with Beddor and his half baked attempt to appeal to feminists (I mean the outright and very vocal ones). I like the story for the story. Stick to it, please, and I'm good.

I think it is still an imaginative story and setting. He definitely wins points for creativity. But he's loosing me by trying to blend the story in with pop culture and purposefully go about describing costumes to help out costume designers. (I'm thinking X-Men when reading and I dislike being made to think about X-Men costumes when reading. In fact, I'm quite peeved.)

I'd like to avoid spoilers in this post, especially given the fact that this is a trilogy. I'm still interested in reading Part III of this story but Beddor is quickly loosing me by writing for the fame instead of for the quality. Big thumbs up on his original idea, thumbs down on the direction he seems to be going. I will read the third book and I will watch the movie, however, my excitement is starting to wane.

The Looking Glass Wars, by Frank Beddor

Loved this book. I would say go BUY THIS BOOK. READ THIS BOOK. It was fantastic! Well told! Very fun and imaginative! I'm thrilled to note that it is the first part of a trilogy, the second being titled, Seeing Redd, and due out sometime in the can't-be-too-soon future!

This is a twist on the classic Alice in Wonderland tale. In Beddor's version, Princess Alyss escapes from Wonderland being chased out by her evil aunt, Redd. Alyss escapes through a puddle into England where, as circumstances play out, she meets up with Lewis Carroll to whom she shares her tale of woe. However, to her horror, she discovers that Carroll twisted the story into something untrue. Unable to make anyone believe that she really is a princess, Alyss decides she has to live "a normal life" as best as she can under the circumstances. That is until Wonderland creeps in to England and takes her back with it where she battles to regain the Queendome.

I loved this book! Loved it! Loved it! A pity that the release of book two isn't set until October, 2007. GAA!

This month's book challenge: 5 down, 5 to go!

Lewis's Space Triology & Beyond

This month I've purposed to read 10 books that I own and have purchased in the last few months but haven't read. I'm a book fanatic, really. I buy and buy and buy. I also read and read and read. But often not at the same speed. At the end of this month our library is having its annual book sale. In order to get my husband to agree to let me buy MORE books, I agreed to read 10 which I already own. I'm 3 in, with 7 to go!

Last year I read the first two books in Lewis's Space Trilogy. I kept starting the final book in the series, That Hideous Strength, but never managed to actually finish it. But now I have! It was, as the first two were, quite brilliant. Lewis stated that he does not set out to write moral stories. If morals creep in, they do! However, he did not write for that purpose. He did, however, write about whatever he was thinking about at the time, as most of us are inclined to do. For example, if you are thinking a lot about redecorating your living room, you naturally view everything in light of the colors and decor of choice. Lewis pondered topics, discussed and shared them with friends, and many of those topics landed in his stories. I think That Hideous Strength is an excellent example of the way Lewis's mind worked. His stories were birthed through pictures he saw in his head which then grown on paper. Along the way they picked up and carried various themes. That Hideous Strength takes a satiric look at the Nazis (N.I.C.E.), morality, marriage, not to mention spiritual warfare. It is, if you will forgive me, an onion of a story in which there are multiple layers of ideas. Lewis was indeed a masterful and artful story teller.

I think the thing I value and appreciate the very most about Lewis (and his work) is that he was a great thinker who didn't cross the line. Bear with me here. Many great thinkers of our day somehow, some way and at some point cross the line of intellectual integrity and correct thought into the realms of either a. intellectual snobbery or b. heresy. Having been raised somewhat in a "high church" I've seen this time and time again. You take a Thinker, as Lewis was, and they float away with their thoughts. Wisdom takes a back seat to pride -- and theology drifts off into la la land where no mortal man can truly exist in good conscious without the everlasting fear of hell and damnation. Lewis walked the line between reason and ridiculous very well. His thoughts are deep -- and all together on target. His characters are believable because Lewis understood the human nature that existed underneath exhibited behaviors. Lewis was solid without being scary. Some men take a great thought and twist it into something with which they love to terrify the masses with. Not Lewis. He held steady while dispensing truth. That is a rare man. A true gem. Therefore most any story that he has written (if not all) are truly enjoyable. You can connect with many characters because reality is breathed into them without fluff and nonsense attached. It is artistry. It is beautiful. It is believable.

Following on the heels of That Hideous Strength, I read The Dark Tower and Other Stories, also by Lewis. Upon Lewis's death, his secretary visited the house that Lewis shared with his brother. His brother was in the process of feeding a fire with all of Lewis's unpublished manuscripts. This fire is said to have burned for three days. The brother allowed Lewis's secretary to take various writings and diaries. (I CRINGE to think of what was burned!!! GAAA!) Among the manuscripts the story, "The Dark Tower" was found. It is assumed that this was another story of Ransom and meant to follow on the tails of Perlandra. The Dark Tower was not a completed manuscript. Pages are missing and the story left unfinished. But for a Lewis fan, any part of a story is good -- missing or not. Most of the stories in this book are either short or unfinished. To anyone interested in finding out the end of a tale, this book could drive you positively crazy. But for anyone who loves an author so much they'll read anything written by that author, this book is a treasure and a groaner both! Very much worth the time!

Spindle's End by Robin McKinley

I recently read McKinley's Beauty and thoroughly enjoyed it. Spindle's End is a retelling of the story of Sleeping Beauty. Again, I typically don't like Stories Re-Told but McKinley seems to have a way about her that I quite enjoy. Growing up little girls are told of the lovely fair maidens who are rescued by the handsome prince. Please do not misinterpret- I think those stories are charming and well-told. They are perfect in their place. McKinley just challenges the place.

I was trying to figure out what it is about McKinley that I find so appealing. Perhaps it is that while most girls dream of growing up to be that rescued princess, we all, in part, doubt that we will be. McKinley's heriones are more "true to life" shall we say? I would also speculate that she leans towards modern day feminism which is attractive to females although not all together a good thing. McKindley's princesses are incredibly de-Disney-fied, no ringlets, chicks with attitudes females. Particularly her "Sleeping Beauty" (who sleeps for a period less than about 5 minutes, I'd say). There's more macho in the princess than silk and lace.

This comes as a refreshment on the one hand, and on the other, it does give one pause. There's something elegant and mystical that is missing in McKinley's work that a girl just HAS to miss. Knights on white horses are dreams ingrained within the female race -- even though some women seem to howl in protest at the mere thought. We were created wanting to be rescued -- as well as wanting to take over. McKindley allows her princess to take over. It's an improper balance.

Still, there is humor in Spindle's End and magical delight. It's not "La Belle au Bois dormant" but there is a handsome prince, lots of fairies, enchantment and the inevitable ball. The villian isn't quite as scary as the Disney cartoon makes her out to be, but that's perhaps because she's in black & white ink and the imagination can stave off the horns on the cartoon version's head for more palatable reading. (I was always terrified of that cartoon witch.)

I debated over whether or not McKinley is really doing us any favors with these modern day retellings. The romance and magic fades when the Princess (who chooses to go by the name "Rosie") runs around with hair cropped, in men's clothing and insists on being dirty. It doesn't really fit the mind's mold of "princess." Pushing out the male characters to lesser roles of lesser nobility and honor does tend to hurt the story in the long run. However, her characteres, for the modern day American woman, are more personable and enjoyable. It's much easier to believe one can be like Rosie as not. And perhaps that's where McKinley is useful. In today's day and age where women struggle with so many insecurities, its fun to get lost in a book that leaves you feeling like anything is possible and you too really CAN be a princess. It beats wishing for a pointy hat with silk dangling off the end of it. Although there is a time and place for silk as well. On the whole, I'd have to recommend Spindle's End and McKlinley's work in general. For the original idea.