Starred review from May 16, 2016
Alice Alexis Queensmeadow does her best not to make waves, but she can’t help it: she’s almost entirely devoid of color in a world defined by it, and her “Surrender” is coming up, along with her 12th birthday. Everyone in Ferenwood “was born with a bit of magical talent,” and the Surrender is the time to show them off, receiving an important task in return. When Oliver Newbanks, a boy who once teased her because of her appearance, approaches her for help completing his task, she reluctantly agrees, but only because he says he knows where her missing father is. Oliver and Alice set off for Furthermore, where nothing is as it seems. Mafi’s (the Shatter Me trilogy) first middle grade novel is a lush, enchanting fantasy full of magic and mayhem, including paper foxes, people who live in eggshells, and magical maps. While Oliver and Alice start off at odds, their friendship, forged in adversity, is the best part of a fast-paced, funny, and richly imaginative story that embraces and celebrates individuality. Ages 9–12. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House.
October 31, 2016
In the land of Ferenwood, color is everything, and all the residents are brightly hued, except 12-year-old Alice Alexis Queensmeadow, who is devoid of color and feels like an outcast. To make matters worse, Alice’s father went missing three years ago, and she misses him terribly. When Oliver, a boy who made fun of Alice when she was younger, unexpectedly tells her he knows where her father is, she is skeptical but follows him to the land of Furthermore, where the rules of magic are entirely different, everything is illogical and topsy-turvy, and danger lurks around every corner. Voice actor Pinchot is a natural storyteller, and his reading of Mafi’s middle grade fantasy is utterly delightful: his voice is lively, engaging, and whimsical, especially when tossing off the many first-person conversational asides of the story’s unnamed narrator (“She needed Alice to find the ferenberries—I’ll explain why later”; “We are coming upon the last bit of our story now... and I’m feeling bittersweet about it.”) This imaginative tale is even more fun and magical in the voice of Pinchot. Ages 9–12. A Dutton hardcover.
