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Summary
Summary
Darkness falls so quickly in Howland that the people there have no word for evening. One minute the sky is light, the next minute it is black. But darkness comes in other forms, too, and for thirteen-year-old Annie, the misery she endures in her Uncle's household makes the black of night seem almost soothing. When Annie escapes, her route takes her first to a dangerous mine where a precious stone is being stolen by an enemy of the king, and later to the king's own halls, where a figure from Annie's past makes a startling appearance. All the while, reported sightings of kinderstalk -- mysterious, wolf-like creatures that prowl Howland's dark forests--grow more frequent. Eloquent, suspenseful, and imbued with fairy-tale motifs found in The Brothers Grimm, this is a riveting coming-of-age story of a girl who must learn to trust her instincts if she's to lead the people she is destined to rule.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-7-Annie Trewitt, 12, lives with her aunt and uncle, who barely tolerate her existence. When she overhears a conversation about sending her away, she decides it is time to leave on her own. She braves the dark night and its terrors (no moon or stars in Howland, and kinderstalk roam the forest) and becomes entwined in a series of adventures, among them a turn at a mine where children toil until they drop. Escaping, she intends to tell the king that crates of ringstone are being smuggled away. At the palace, Annie finds her sister, long presumed dead, and even more intrigue. Darkwood is engaging in concept. However, the pacing is a bit uneven with some parts seeming drawn out and others racing by, leaving readers wondering what they may have missed. The protagonist is solidly drawn, but the minor characterizations are thin. Better picks for readers looking for a creepy fantasy adventure include Avi's The Book Without Words (Hyperion, 2005), Suzanne Collins's "The Underland Chronicles" (Scholastic), and Derek Landy's "Skulduggery Pleasant" books (HarperCollins).-Saleena L. Davidson, South Brunswick Public Library, Monmouth Junction, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Annie runs away from her miserable existence with her aunt and uncle. She embarks on a journey into the darkness of Howland, an alternate world in which magical creatures roam the woods and danger lurks everywhere. The imaginative story features solid writing, strong characters, and a richly layered plot. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
This unique tale shines with utterly believable strangeness. Annie lives with her aunt and uncle in an area where crops don't grow and people fear being snatched by the bestial kinderstalk in darkness. Night falls suddenly in this moonless land. Overhearing that her uncle's selling her to the Drop, where (she discovers later) miners hang by rope over a cliff to chisel precious ringstone out of the rock face, Annie runs away into the night. She has only the dress on her backwith secret pockets sewn into it by her beloved late sisterand two loyal, knowing cats. A garden, grossly vivid for wintertime, reeks of the same "tinny sweetness" as the docile miners. Through repeated captures and escapes, with fairy-tale motifs always present but never dominating, Annie slowly unravels the mysteries of her circumstances. Readers sometimes know more than Annie, sometimes less. Breen's finely tuned storytellingpithy description, quick and keen emotion, broad trust of readers' intelligenceoffers equal gratification whether readers spot clues and connections early or late. Both grounded and wondrous. (Fantasy. 9-13) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Annie lives under the care of her repulsive uncle and aunt. When she learns that they plan to send her to the infamous Drop, where children are lowered down a perilous cliff face to chip off bits of valuable ringstone, she flees despite her fear of the dreaded, wolflike Kinderstalk in the surrounding forest. In a series of heart-stopping adventures, Annie discovers that even in her grim, cruel, and perilous world, allies can appear where they are least expected. Her essential solitude is reinforced by her reluctance to share everything she knows with anyone, even those who seem wholly on her side. While secrets are revealed slowly in the novel, the action is fast-paced and the plot twists in surprising directions at times. Some of the story elements and characters are not entirely convincing, but the use of sensory details is quite good. This first novel offers an exciting adventure mixed with fantasy.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2009 Booklist