Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (HarperCollins)
Publication date: February 2010
ISBN: 978-0061882869
Source: Review copy provided by author
Willa and her daughter are returning to Plunkit after being gone twenty years. While Willa can't see or even remember the fairies, Zelly is just discovering their presence; in particular, the last young fairy Whistle Bright. The fairies have been leaving Plunkit, ever since the city began to expand, cutting down more trees, but Whistle is determined to stay where he is. Zelly makes a few friends, and decides she wants to remain in Plunkit, especially when she realizes she just might learn more about her father who disappeared when she was three. But, Willa is in a hurry to return to her life in the city. Can Zelly and Whistle Bright both get what they want if they help one another?
Things I Liked:
I liked the sweet, yet serious feel of the book. The story of Zelly managed to be both light and serious at the same time. Instead of being silly or fluffy, since it's about fairies, it managed to have a depth that I hadn't expected. I liked Zelly as well. She would sometimes initially have opinions of people or things that she didn't particularly like, but she didn't have a problem changing them when she learned she was wrong.
Sometimes I wondered which would be better: peace and quiet but no father in my life or a dad who wanted me but brought lots of stress. I wished I could have had something in between. p 15
Through layers of green branches, the sun speckled the pretty scene, and the air was filled with something sweet like tree sap or old blackberries, warm and dripping in the brambles. The beauty of this place floated in the atmosphere like humidity. Closing my eyes, I recorded the feeling and wondered how my mother had ever left. p 40
"I put all my worry and hope in a box, and I closed the lid."Things I Didn't Like:
Funny. She put her feelings in boxes, and I organized mine in drawers. p 133
While I enjoyed the depth and sweetness of the story, I wish there had been more about the fairies, since it didn't seem like they had much to do with the plot. It was more about what Zelly was experiencing, trying to come to terms with her unknown father and making new friends. I would like to read the first book about Zelly's mother to read more about the fairies. A good choice for tweens who like fairy stories.
Read-alikes:
Probably should read The Fairies of Nutfolk Wood, though it isn't necessary in order to follow this one
Fairy
books by Gail Carson LevineBOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
mrg-factor: none
v-factor: none
Overall rating: ***
What kind of fairy books did you like when you were younger?
Posted as part of Tween Tuesday, hosted by GreenBeanTeenQueen.
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