Reviews

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

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brisingr's review against another edition

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PLEASE STOP WRITING ABOUT ROMANIA LIKE YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT OUR LANGUAGE, GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY, CULTURE!!!!

addieisreading's review against another edition

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4.0

“If a man has to say trust me, Gogu conveyed, it's a sure sign you cannot. Trust him, that is. Trust is a thing you know without words.”

This mesmerizing mix of fairytales tells the story of the sisters Jena, Tatiana, Paula, Iulia and Stella. Living in a castle in Transilvania during the late 1500s, they discover a secret passage to the Other Kingdom, a realm of magical creatures including fairies, goblins, vampires, sylphs, and many others.

Jena, the main protagonist, is the second oldest of the five sisters. Since they lost their mother, and she lost her most prized childhood friend (now being accompanied only by her talking frog, Gogu), the fifteen-year-old girl turned into an extremely responsible (sometimes boring and controlling) teen mom. Tatiana, the eldest daughter, is a hopeless romantic with a heart and good intentions who acts first and thinks second. The thirteen-year-old Iulia, with her passion for gowns and balls and interacting with people in general is more of a socialite than her sisters, while Paula (with only twelve years) is the most curious, imaginative and focused one, always looking for smart ways to solve problems. Last, but not least, the little five-year-old Stela, the cutest younger sister.

When I started this reading, I knew absolutely nothing about this book except that there were a few references to the tale of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. What I didn't know, was that this book would be a perfect mix of Little Women and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The fact that Jena talks to a frog and her sister don't find it weird is quite funny, but later on it makes sense because it's an age in which people still believe in witches, brownies, boogie-men and other myths. The whole atmosphere of the book is whimsical and creepy at the same time, as if the woods could be just as lovely as dangerous (which is fair enough considering the myths about the fair folk, vampires and witches, the main magical creatures the book presents in the spotlight). I felt like a child once again, all excited to know what would happen to the characters and whether they'd have their happy ending or not—best feeling EVER, at least for me, who didn't feel that for ages, practically. I'll reread it someday, certainly.

kathydavie's review against another edition

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5.0

First in the Wildwood fantasy series for Young Adult readers.

My Take
This is a lovely fairytale of a merchant family in Transylvania that had my hackles raised. How dare Cezar bully the girls, their servants, the villagers? How could no one see what was happening? How could they tolerate this? And Queen Ileana? I was appalled at her reaction to the girls' warnings and yet her response made sense.

This tale's events began when Costi, Cezar, and Jena were playing a game in the woods some years ago and each wanted a major role to play. It's Costi's dream that comes fatally true after a rescue attempt.

Life must progress and to take action against someone's threats can create even larger problems. The kinds of problems Cezar was creating.

I loved the results of the traditional kiss of transformation; it was rather difficult not to see it coming if one pays attention to Jena's dialogs with Gogu. And how very useful that turned out to be for Jena, having a witness to most of her life.

Excellent, excellent story that was extremely difficult to put down.

The Story
Their father ill, he must evacuate to a warmer city if he is to have a chance at the life, the cold of their home threatening to take it.

Inheriting, Cezar begins to exert his power over his uncle Teodor's family. Finally, someone would take control over their unorthodox education and the indulgences granted them by their father . . .indulgences that were beyond what was proper. This was Cezar's chance to force the girls to learn proper behavior as he took over their lives.

Taking the account books from Jena, lodging complaints against Paula's tutor so that the church removed Father Sandu from his post, removing the merchandise stored at Piscul Dracului. Cezar also had his eye on Jena and taking away her pet frog, Gogu. Jena he wanted for himself. The frog. Well, the frog was not a proper pet for a girl/woman. Even worse, Cezar wanted to destroy the Other World hating it for taking his brother, Costi, away from him.

The girls are angry, furious, and powerless against Cezar. Their messages to their father don't seem to be getting through to him — it is Cezar's messengers taking their letters after all.

They can only warn Ileana and her people of Cezar's plans. And those plans and the rest of Cezar's tyranny are only a part of Jena's worries for Tati has fallen in love with Sorrow. Terrified of Sorrow and his influence on her sister, Jena struggles to learn more of Sorrow's role with these blood-sucking creatures.

The Characters
Teodor, a merchant, is a tolerant man who indulges his five daughters — Tatiana "Tati", Jenica "Jena", Paula, Iulia, and Stela in education and speaking their minds with Jena helping her father with his business by keeping the accounts. Gogu is a frog found almost dead in the forest. Father Sandu is Paula's tutor. Piscul Dracului is the name of their home.

Costi, the eldest and brother to Cezar, are the girls' cousins. Nicolae is their father, the girls' uncle (who dies in a hunting accident, leaving Cezar to inherit).

Ileana, queen of the Wildwood, grants the girls a favor for life. Sorrow is a member of the Night People's court.

The Cover and Title
The cover is very Patricia McKillip with its jeweled tones depicting the dancing in the Wildwood and its lacquered effect giving the whole a fairytale feel.

The title is but one of the girls' indulgences, Wildwood Dancing.

notturna's review against another edition

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4.0

While it is not a "favourite" I would gladly display Wildwood Dancing on my shelves rather then keeping tucked away in a draw like some disinteresting books.
Wildwood Dancing is a pretty decent read and while some aspects of the story can be deduced somewhat easily, the author does a good job of twisting the paths in between so one could not necessarily describe it as 'predictable'.

I wouldn't have guessed it, but I liked that Marillier has kept the bulk of the story firmly planted in the human world. It's easy to be tempted into throwing one's characters fully into a new, magical world, but these characters stay anchored to where they come from; where they belong. Moreover, I'm pleased that we follow the path of the Second Sister, and not the First. Those who have read it may understand!

If you're after an easy but intriguing read, I'd definitely recommend this one.

annashiv's review against another edition

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5.0

One of the best books I have ever read. When the plot was slow, the writing kept me reading. I read half of it in one day which is unusual for me. It is a fantastic story without any nonsense. Everything has an explanation and the characters are fantastic. You will absolutely love the frog. Trust me. I suggest everyone read this book. I may even read it a second time someday (which I never do).

houxli's review against another edition

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emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

I would kill for Gogu.
This book made me squirm with the slow degrading of the sisters' autonomy. The matter of fact, socially enforced, isolation and deprivation of resources (for their class and responsibilities) makes this an anxious read. The Other World and the dawning of adulthood are paralleled as Jena navigates through new rules that everyone else seems to know but she just has to intuit. Failure in either realm means ruin for not just herself but her family.
It's a smart book.