Under Wildwood by Colin Meloy-ADVISABLE

Meloy, Colin, Under Wildwood. HarperCollins, 2012. Pgs. 559.

Language: G, Violence: PG, Mature Content: G

Life outside of the Wildwood, a magical land near Portlan, has had no appeal for Prue since she rescued her brother from the evil Dowager Governess. When she is attacked by a trio of shapeshifters, she finds herself saved not only by some herons, but also drawn back into the world of Wildwood. There, she is reunited with her friends, Curtis, a bandit-in-training, and Septimus, the rat. Above ground in the Industrial Wastes of Wildwood, Curtis’ grieving parents put their two daughters in an orphanage in order to go search for Curtis. A Dickensian institution where the orphans are forced to build machine parts for a machine that will make the impassable wilderness passable. Discovery of this finding drives the trio into the deep undergrounds of Wildwood where a dastardly plot, regarding the machine the orphans are working on, not only endangers the trio, but also all of Wildwood. Can Curtis, Septimus, and Prue save themselves and Wildwood?

With well-blended literary references, well-developed, likable characters, and an intense plot, readers will have a hard time putting this book and will enjoy the ride of reading it. 

EL, MS. ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Services Librarian, WHI Public Library