Book Report: The Crowfield Curse by Pat Walsh

First, let me apologize for not having more recent titles, in case some of my readers are looking for new releases. I tend to pick up these books at the library and take what I can get...often a fun adventure where I never know where I'll end up!

This past trip to the Harris County Public Library landed me smack dab in 1347, in the midst of a snowy, dreary, secret-filled abbey and following close behind a 14-year-old boy named William Paynel and the hobgoblin, or hob, that he rescues from the jaws of a steel trap.

The book is beautifully written and sucked me in past my bedtime immediately for the past few nights. With the very small exception of using a few "modern" phrases from time to time (example: "it was a close shave"), the background, the characters, and the story did everything they were supposed to do and carried me far away.

Her characters are fascinating and straddle the line between good and evil to the point where you really don't know where they stand at a given time. (A bit like people we deal with on a daily basis, maybe?)

The mystery of the story centers on an angel buried somewhere in hallowed, haunted woods, a leper and his "servant" and an evil being set on death and destruction. Oh, and William and his little hob friend he calls "Brother Walter." (I thought that was adorable, by the way.)

I love happy accidents like this book delivered. Often, the books I hear lots of hype about, and that I set out and find on purpose, leave me a little let down. But when a cover calls to me from an obscure library shelf and I grab it, devour it, and can't stop thinking about it...well, what's better than that?

Beyond the storytelling and the characters she created, Ms. Walsh has a talent at developing a mood in her story. It's hard for me to put into words, but there was such a real, and at times oppressive, atmosphere that sucks you in and leaves you scared, shaken, or even a bit exhilarated.

I can't say enough good things about "The Crowfield Curse," and I think my only real complaint, the fact taht gives me true heartburn, is that I have to wait until my next payday to pick up the next installment of William's story, "The Crowfield Demon."The library copies are all checked out through the end of the month and I'm too impatient and/or greedy to wait!  Blah!

Happy reading and happy writing!

Megan

Book Report: The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman

Man, it's been a minute or two since I've been able to post any sort of update...so bear with me while I update my friends with the latest, and then I'll go straight into my latest book report.

At the beginning of the summer, my family and I up and sold all we owned to move from Alaska to Texas. The first week of June. In the third trimester of pregnancy #4. Yes, I'm sorta nuts like that. We started with absolutely NO furniture and a mere 500 pounds of household goods traveling by barge. So we sat on plain carpets quite a bit. Stared at each other a lot. Sweat often. You get the idea. Life has slowly been returning in the form of a television, some couches a good friend got us hooked up with. Heck, we even have a crock pot now. It's fancy-pants time around here!

The one thing I haven't gotten together yet is our beloved computer. I am staring at the computer desk in a box and I just don't want to assemble the darn thing. I HATE assembling cheap furniture! But...I had a request to read my Jasper/Jack in the Beanstalk manuscript last month and the agent is incredibly kind and understanding about our moving situation. So, um, really, I need to get my act together, unpack the computer, get it on a stand, and send out my beloved manuscript already!

So that's that. And that's us. I haven't really been able to write much at all because I'm busy chasing children, sweating my hiney off, and looking for new work in the area. Oh, and getting ready for baby #4. That, too.

But it's coming! The bug is biting and I can't help but need to get the story out.

And now, this week's Book Report.

Moving ususally means ending up a little broke. And that's where we found ourselves once the last box was unpacked. Thank goodness for the great local library system around here!

I found "The Grimm Legacy" by happenstance as I was chasing the 3-year-old through the stacks. I snatched it up as I sprinted past at a dead run.

By now you should understand my love of all things fairytale and mythology, so this seemed like a natural fit. And it was, for the most part.

I loved the premise. To save my junky paraphrasing skills, here's one from the book's web site:

What if fairy tale magic really existed?

Lonely at her new school, Elizabeth takes a job at the New York Circulating Material Repository, hoping to make new friends as well as pocket money. The Repository is no ordinary library. It lends out objects rather than books—everything from tea sets and hockey sticks to Marie Antoinette’s everyday wig.

It’s also home to the Grimm Collection, a secret room in the basement. That’s where the librarians lock away powerful items straight out of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales:  seven-league boots, a table that produces a feast at the blink of an eye, Snow White’s stepmother’s sinister mirror that talks in riddles and has a will of its own.

When the magical objects start to disappear, Elizabeth and her new friends embark on a dangerous quest to catch the thief before they’re accused of the crime themselves—or the thief captures them.

Full of potential, right? 

It was a quick read and the heroine, Elizabeth Rew, was admirable. Sort of  the 'everygirl' we all remember being at one point or another, yet that incredibly lucky 'everygirl' that gets to live out an adventure like the one Shulman wrote for her.

The objects were fascinating and I wish they'd played more of a role in the story. The characters, her fellow pages to be exact, were interesting enough, it's just that I felt the stage was a little crowded from time to time and didn't really give Elizabeth enough room to grow as a character herself.

But those are fairly minor grievances. If you like fairy tale lore, check out the book. If not for the "outta the ballpark" composition or storytelling, at least for the incredibly original premise the author devised. 

I haven't heard anything about sequels or prequels to "The Grimm Legacy," though I sure wouldn't mind seeing what the cast has been up to the past two years!

Happy reading and Happy writing!