Friday, October 8, 2010

Reckless by Cornelia Funke


Reckless is the story of Jacob Reckless, his brother Will and a fairy tale land that exists beyond a mirror Jacob finds in their missing father's study. Though it takes place in the land of fairy tales, it is not Disney’s fairy land.  This land is dark, harking back to the original fairy tales which were NOT all about lightness and happy endings.

Jacob discovers the land beyond the mirror in his father’s study when he just twelve.  At this time his father has been missing for a year.  Jacob spends many years traveling this world getting caught up the dangerous and adventurous excitement.  He does not share this secret world with his mother or his younger brother.  However, in a “reckless” moment he makes a mistake that allows his brother l to follow him into this dark world.  Shortly after arriving Will is injured by a stone creature known as a Goyl.  And now, unless Jacob can find a way to break the curse, his brother will be taken over by stone and become a Man-Goyle.  To complicate matters, not just any stone is taking over Will’s body – but the rare jade.  There is a legend about a Jade Goyle and its importance to the Goyle king.   Could Will be this legend? 

Funke lives up to her well earned reputation as a riveting and engaging writer.  Once again, as she did in Inkheart, Funke has created a complex world full of legends and myth, many of which will be familiar to fans of the Brothers Grimm.  She reaches out and grabs the reader’s imagination from page one and holds onto it until long after the last page is turned.  Dark and brooding with a liberal sprinkling of imagination and adventure this promises to be a popular series.  Oh and yes, there is a mystery as well. Just where is Jacob’s and Will’s father? And what is his connection to the world in the mirror?

I highly recommend this book for those looking for more traditional and less Disney-esque fairy stories.  The publisher has listed this book for ages 9-12. I would recommend it for ages 12 and up.

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