Meggy Swan and Into the Woods

Alchemy and Meggy Swan by Karen Cushman (ARC)

When Meggy’s alchemist father calls her to Elizabethan London, her mother is more than happy to send the young teenager to the man who abandoned them before Meggy’s birth. Unfortunately, once she arrives, her father cannot hide is displeasure in the fact she is not a boy – and that she is lame. Meggy is aghast with the crowded, dirty city, and struggles with finding her place in life and with the realization that she doesn’t have to do it alone.

Cushman’s delightful writing style brings her stories to life. Meggy is full of moxie, and her wit and intelligence shin through the tale. Cushman doesn’t shy away from the less desirable aspects of Elizabethan London, which adds authenticity to the story. This is a wonderful work of historical fiction.

*This review is of the Advanced Reader Copy I was sent by the publisher. The book will be published later this spring.


Into the woods by Lyn Gardner

Abandoned by their father after their mother dies, sisters Aurora, Storm and Anything Eden are near orphans. The three girls live alone in their family’s home, near ominous woodlands. When the evil Dr DeWilde tries to steal the musical pipe that their mother gave Storm on her deathbed the three children run into the woods – and land themselves in a series of amazing and frightening adventures.

This tale is expertly woven, with fragments of several well known fairy tales making appearances throughout. Readers will be engrossed with three sisters and their adventures. This is a perfect book for those interested in classic and fractured fairy and tales.