Samuel Blink and the Forbidden Forest

October 1, 2007
Gr 4-8-Crisp dialogue, fast-paced action, short chapters, and a wry narrative voice bring this tale to life. Sent to live with their aunt in Norway after their parents die in an accident, Samuel and Martha are warned about the forest, from which no one ever returns, but Martha strays in anyway. Samuel then faces several magical creatures in his perilous, yet amusing, efforts to rescue her. The creatures come from Scandanavian legend and include some fairly kind trolls; quite scary, dark-loving huldres; and an amusing Tomtegubb. All of them are under the power of an evil magician called the Changemaker, whom Samuel must ultimately defeat. The humor ranges from subtle tongue-in-cheek asides to quite funny "rude interruptions from the author." Yet, amid the comedy, the author skillfully maintains true suspense that builds to an exciting finale. An encounter with a "Truth Pixie," for instance, is mostly comical, except for the fact that the creature tries to make Samuel's head explode. All of the characters, human and otherwise, have strong voices and individual quirks that make them interesting and easy to keep track of through several simultaneous plot threads. The lessons that Samuel learns about courage and empathy over the course of his adventures come through clearly without seeming heavy-handed. This book should be popular with fantasy fans, and also makes a good choice for those new to the genre."Steven Engelfried, Multnomah County Library, OR"

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