Jessica Day George
Bloomsbury, 2011
I love Jessica Day George's ability to create characters that I can't get enough of. Princess Celie, her sister Lilah and brother Rolf (Bran also has potential, but we don't really get to know him), and the dashing Pogue (the blacksmith's son) are characters I fell in love with. Celie & Co. live in Castle Glower: a mysterious castle that is 'alive', always building on and making renovations to itself. Particularly on Tuesdays. Castle Glower is opinionated, and will always make its feelings known - a fact which Celie's family understands and embraces, but that others, from outside the Castle, tend to think of as a fairy tale. But we all know there's truth in fairy tales, and when the King and Queen suddenly vanish during a routine trip, the Castle starts to share its deepest secrets with Princess Celie - its favorite person.
As Celie learns more and more about - and from - Castle Glower, she quickly realizes that there are a lot of things 'not right' about the whole situation. For one thing, the Castle has not changed her parents' room, convincing Celie and her siblings that perhaps the King and Queen really are alive. With much sneakiness and an amazing sense of humor, Celie, Lilah, Rolf, Pogue and the Castle wage a quiet war to retain their kingdom and their Castle. With twists and turns and unexpected allies, Celie & Co. fight until it appears all hope is lost. And then, in one last, stunning moment of courage, the Castle surprises everyone, and everything falls into place. It's a quick-reading story, with colorful characters and a plot that keeps you guessing. The ending was all I wanted it to be - except...it came too soon! I can't help but hope there's more adventures in store for Celie and the rest of the crew at Castle Glower.
Book provided by my local library.
Thanks for the review. I've been trying to get hold of this book for a while. :)
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