This was a cute Narnia-esque story – a sort of updated and non-religious version that might appeal more to younger people these days. It features a very clever pre-teen girl as the main character, and it is a lot of fun to see how she operates in the magical world of Wildwood.
The book has illustrations that are especially well-done, and together with the text they really tie together the whole package.
While I am probably not the target reader, I did manage to catch a few political allegories and I think younger readers should get the message as well. Kind of a timely book, really.
As in Narnia there is a big battle at the end between good and evil, but it felt very little like there was much risk. The battle itself was filled with an oddly large amount of brutality – something that hadn’t really been around until the very end of the book so it felt a little out of place. There was also a strange vibe between the girl and her parents in the midpoint of the story – but I guess things were patched up at the end.
Overall it was a cute read, but I do not think I will continue on with the series.
Next I am reading Whistler by Ann Patchet.
