Janelle C. (jscrappy) reviewed on 1/24/2008 + 59 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 7

Connolly draws on familiar fairy tales to tell the story of a boy who travels to a far-off land to work through his grief and anger over his mother's death. As he fights for survival among strange creatures and evil beings, he also makes the journey from childhood to adulthood. The book reminded me of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," partly because it was set in the same era (World War II) and the same settings (a mysterious country house, a sinister fantasy land), and partly because the themes were similar: learning to cherish and understand the people who love you, learning to deal with death, learning how to become an adult. I enjoyed the story, but was never completely gripped by it.

The book has an extensive section at the end with an interview with the author, and then the author's analysis of the fairy tales and archetypes he drew on in writing the book. This adds a lot to the reading experience.

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