Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by thesonorista
Whichwood by Tahereh Mafi
3.0
Please keep in mind I write my reviews from the perspective of an adult, but I genuinely enjoy reading YA, Teen and Middle School books. Whichwood is a companion novel to Furthermore, and while there are some of the same characters, you don't have to read Furthermore first.
This is the first Tahereh Mafi I've read (I know, don't @ me) and I'm completely enchanted by her powers of description. Her language is lush and lyrical but still focused. She describes as snow storm: "Infant snow drifted down in gentle whorls, flakes as large as pancakes glinting silver as they fell. Shaggy trees wore white leaves and moonlight glimmered across a glassy lake. The night was soft and all was slow and snow had hushed the earth into a deep, sound slumber and oh, winter was fast approaching." I don't know about you, but that makes me want to cuddle up in front of a fireplace with a hot cocoa. And this description extends beyond the physical to the emotions of our characters. And Bronson Pinchot reading the audiobook is a perfect match, with the voice of the narrator low and soothing.
Mafi's setting is a chaotic kaleidoscope of strange magics with a Persian flair. Our heroine, Laylee, is a mordeshoor--a job title which comes from Iran--a washer of the dead. Being 13 and abandoned by her father, and undervalued by the citizens of Whichwood, she is overcome by bodies and under-supplied with funds for food or firewood. Laylee and her friends visit the city for Yalda, where Mafi's description of food and magical pomegranate seeds falling from the sky like rubies is a magic of its own kind.
The main theme of Whichwood is "the power of friendship" (and yes, it feels like it should be in quotes like that). And this is where I feel like the book could have used some additional work. Mafi adds artificial hurdles and some repetitive bits to show how low Laylee is and how her friends are committed to helping her. Even though this book is aimed at the middle school audience, I feel like this may be a bit oversimplified for even that age group. If you have an advanced elementary reader, this may be a perfect book to share with them. It has some kinda creepy bits, to keep them interested but not enough to cause nightmares. Overall a cute read.
This is the first Tahereh Mafi I've read (I know, don't @ me) and I'm completely enchanted by her powers of description. Her language is lush and lyrical but still focused. She describes as snow storm: "Infant snow drifted down in gentle whorls, flakes as large as pancakes glinting silver as they fell. Shaggy trees wore white leaves and moonlight glimmered across a glassy lake. The night was soft and all was slow and snow had hushed the earth into a deep, sound slumber and oh, winter was fast approaching." I don't know about you, but that makes me want to cuddle up in front of a fireplace with a hot cocoa. And this description extends beyond the physical to the emotions of our characters. And Bronson Pinchot reading the audiobook is a perfect match, with the voice of the narrator low and soothing.
Mafi's setting is a chaotic kaleidoscope of strange magics with a Persian flair. Our heroine, Laylee, is a mordeshoor--a job title which comes from Iran--a washer of the dead. Being 13 and abandoned by her father, and undervalued by the citizens of Whichwood, she is overcome by bodies and under-supplied with funds for food or firewood. Laylee and her friends visit the city for Yalda, where Mafi's description of food and magical pomegranate seeds falling from the sky like rubies is a magic of its own kind.
The main theme of Whichwood is "the power of friendship" (and yes, it feels like it should be in quotes like that). And this is where I feel like the book could have used some additional work. Mafi adds artificial hurdles and some repetitive bits to show how low Laylee is and how her friends are committed to helping her. Even though this book is aimed at the middle school audience, I feel like this may be a bit oversimplified for even that age group. If you have an advanced elementary reader, this may be a perfect book to share with them. It has some kinda creepy bits, to keep them interested but not enough to cause nightmares. Overall a cute read.