Young people, big choices

The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse

By Brian Farrey

Age Range: 8 - 12 years

Grade Level: 3 - 7

Hardcover: 240 pages

Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers (April 19, 2016)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1616205059

ISBN-13: 978-1616205058

Approximate Lexile: 660

 

Publisher’s Blurb:

A princess and a peasant girl must embark on a dangerous quest to outwit a centuries-old warning foretelling the fall of the Monarchy in this thrilling modern fairytale.

 In the center of the verdant Monarchy lies Dreadwillow Carse, a black and desolate bog that the happy people of the land do their best to ignore. Little is known about it, except for one dire warning: If any monarch enters Dreadwillow Carse, then the Monarchy will fall. Twelve-year-old Princess Jeniah yearns to know what the marsh could possibly conceal that might topple her family’s thousand-year reign of peace and prosperity.

 Meanwhile, in the nearby town of Emberfell, where everyone lives with unending joy, a girl named Aon hides a sorrow she can never reveal. She knows that something in the carse--something that sings a haunting tune only Aon can hear--holds the cure for her sadness. Yet no matter how many times she tries to enter, the terror-inducing dreadwillow trees keep her away.

 After a chance meeting, Princess Jeniah and Aon hatch a plan to send Aon into the heart of the carse to unlock its darkest secret. But when Aon doesn’t return, a guilt-stricken Jeniah must enter the carse to try and rescue her friend--even if it means risking the entire Monarchy.

 

The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse weaves together classic fairy-tale elements--a princess, a forbidden land, and a dangerous quest--in a clever, fast-paced adventure that explores the importance of asking questions and the power of friendship.

 

My Thoughts:

 I have just come through a period where several of the books I was reading and reviewing had similar themes of magic, secrets, and discovery.

 The protagonist of this book is only 12, and I kept thinking she was 14. She acted much older than most 12-year-old girls I know, but then, most girls that age aren’t about to inherit a throne. Still, I appreciated Jeniah’s deep need to figure out what was truly going on, and she used the resources around her, not just relying on others to answer her questions. It is also nice to see a main character of color—the author mentions the deep color of her skin and her mother’s a couple of times. It isn’t integral to the plot in any way; they just happen to have dark skin.

 Even more than Jeniah, I appreciated Aon, who, of all the people she is surrounded with, feels sorrow and despair, and considers herself to be broken because of it. I think this speaks deeply to the way any of us may feel when we don’t live up to social “norms.”

 But, at its deepest (and at the risk of giving a little bit away), I think the fact that the people’s ability to feel sad is taken away from them is the biggest message of all. It goes to an important truth that, without pain, how can we appreciate joy? It also causes Jeniah to make a huge decision, one that generations of kings and queens before her were forced to make.

 This is a work of fantasy, filled with realistic characters with real problems and motivations. Secondary characters, particularly Laius, were well-drawn. The writing was descriptive without overdoing it, particularly when dealing with the carse. And—yay!—the book is well-edited, too.

 Possible Objectionable Material:

Minor disobedience. Frightening and spooky situations. No romance at all. A character’s father is taken away from her. Another parent is dying. Very mild violence.

 Who Might Like This Book:

Fantasy fans. The publisher’s age range is appropriate. Male characters in the book are minor and secondary, so getting boys interested could be rather a challenge, though there’s nothing really “girly” about the book.

 Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC.