Beyond the Deepwoods by Paul; Riddell Stewart

Young Twig lives in the Deepwoods, among the Woodtrolls, but he isn't one of them. In a brave attempt to find out where he belongs, Twig wanders into the mysterious, dangerous world beyond the Deepwoods. He meets a collection of odd companions, such as his wise guardian, the Caterbird; the Slaughterers, a peaceful race who butcher animals for their livelihood; and the vicious, bile-swilling Rotsucker. Always watching out for the horrible Gloamglozer, whose presence haunts the thoughts of all the inhabitants of The Edge, Twig steadfastly pursues his quest until he discovers his roots, not among the trees, but in the skies. . . .From the Hardcover edition.

After the ninth or tenth time Twig was almost killed I thought that was all this book was going to be about - Twig's next struggle to NOT die - and for the most part that's really what it was, the poor boy had been almost eaten, bludgeoned, drowned, digested and a number of other things more then I can count, and by the time I finished chapter 11 I had to wonder what was the point of all this? Was this book just a series of events or was there a reason for all of it?

There was, believe me and because there is an underlying plot and not just a series of adventures strung together I love this book. read more

My 11 year old loved this and the other two in this trilogy about Twig. I obviously don't read enough YA because I'm largely impatient with it (more to follow when I finish reading it), but the illustrations help a lot.

I'd never heard of the Edge Chronicles before, but I found this in a secondhand bookstore while on vacation and I was so taken with the illustrations that I bought it.

I thoroughly enjoyed it, and the thought and care that's gone into the world building of the Deepwoods is rich and clever. The illustrations are as detailed as the print quality will allow, and are expressive and exciting. The writing is very descriptive and lively, and it's a real treat to read something so imaginative, and then also have en equally engaging depiction right next to it. It makes for a very fun reading experience, and kind of made me wish that more adult genre fiction had rich illustrations as well. I love using my imagination on my own steam, but it's quite delightful sometimes to have that immersive visual experience as well.

The story has a meandering, episodic kind of vibe to it, similar I would say to Alice in Wonderland, where you're constantly meeting new characters and exploring new places. It meant that we never really spent enough time with anyone other than Twig long enough to become attached to them, but there's never a dull moment, and the pace keeps everything moving forward at a clip. I can definitely understand how that would appeal to middle-grade readers — and adults looking for a fun and imaginative read.

The story is obviously intended as one part of a larger story, but it ends very satisfyingly. It sets up a good foundation for more adventures without making you feel like you've read a teaser rather than a complete book. I don't feel pressure to immediately launch myself into the next one, which is nice since I'm not much of a series-reader. That said, I would quite happily continue the series if I happen to pick them up.