Scan barcode
hulahoopes's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
bookgirl4ever's review
3.0
"With a deft hand, acclaimed author Kelly Barnhill takes classic fairy tale elements--speaking stones, a friendly wolf, and a spoiled young king--and weaves them into a richly detailed narrative that explores good and evil, love and hate, magic, and the power of friendship." A fun read, but lost its magic halfway through the book because it was fairly predictable.
Middle school.
Middle school.
tiamushka's review
5.0
Very magical little book. I completely enjoyed the enchanting backstories of the characters and magical stones hiding in the woods. The author has a wonderful way with words and has a powerful imagination.
librariandest's review
3.0
This book has an amazing opening chapter. So gripping and intense. But ultimately I felt the book was too long and I got really tired of Barnhill italicizing individual words to show emphasis. If something matters, we should be able to tell it matters without you having to say it matters. If a writer does this sparingly, it's fine, but I think Barnhill overdid it, like it was a little bit of a crutch.
enteka's review
4.5
Ramble, rather than a review.
I grew to love Ned and Aìne. Their growths were amazing, and their friendship even more so. I'd read a sequel on them if there were one. The descriptions of magic, of the past, of the characters, even, were very well-written. The way the magic spoke to Ned, and how Ned held to his beliefs, although he was often unsure of what he should do. It was a unique take on magic, too, I think, so I liked that as well. I'm a little biased towards books that write about the sea, so the start and how it led back to the ending, I liked it a lot. Ned and Aìne's friendship... I think it ended very satisfyingly.
All in all, a nice tale about the power friendship and family, with magic interwoven in it.
I grew to love Ned and Aìne. Their growths were amazing, and their friendship even more so. I'd read a sequel on them if there were one. The descriptions of magic, of the past, of the characters, even, were very well-written. The way the magic spoke to Ned, and how Ned held to his beliefs, although he was often unsure of what he should do. It was a unique take on magic, too, I think, so I liked that as well. I'm a little biased towards books that write about the sea, so the start and how it led back to the ending, I liked it a lot. Ned and Aìne's friendship... I think it ended very satisfyingly.
All in all, a nice tale about the power friendship and family, with magic interwoven in it.
stacyrenee's review
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Middle grade
Fantasy
Sad but hopeful.
Fantasy
Sad but hopeful.
cthulhussy's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0