Lucy Darrington has no choice but to run away from boarding school. Her father, an expert on the supernatural, has been away for too long while doing research in Saarthe, a remote territory in the Pacific Northwest populated by towering redwoods, timber barons, and the Lupine people. But upon arriving, she learns her father is missing: Rumor has it he’s gone in search of dreamwood, a rare tree with magical properties that just might hold the cure for the blight that’s ravaging the forests of Saarthe. Determined to find her father (and possibly save Saarthe), Lucy and her vexingly stubborn friend Pete follow William Darrington’s trail to the deadly woods on Devil’s Thumb. As they encounter Lupine princesses, giant sea serpents, and all manner of terrifying creatures, Lucy hasn’t reckoned that the dreamwood itself might be the greatest threat of all.
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Look, I won't even deny that the cover of this is what made me pick it up. Heather Mackey's Dreamwood called to me. It lured me in with promises of danger and adventure. Books like this are my favorite, because they remind me why I fell in love with Fantasy as a child. I never fail to feel giddy at the prospect of entering a new world. Truth be told, I couldn't have resisted this book even if I'd actually tried.
Lucy Darrington is an interesting character. At the start of book, she appeared to be completely in control of her situation. Running away from boarding school is something that most young girls wouldn't dare to do, but Lucy isn't most girls. I loved her keen interest in the world around her, and the no-nonsense way that she approached every situation. For Lucy, it's all about the facts. That's how you get things done.
As for the story itself, I'll admit that it was a little slow at some points. However I do believe that that slower points were worth working through. Once Lucy and Pete entered The Devil's Thumb, and they were well on their way to finding Lucy's father, things picked up nicely. The part of me that had wanted to skip ahead was glad that I didn't, because the change in pace was exciting. I love when authors aren't afraid of the truth of adventures, despite the age they write for. There are deaths in this book. They aren't gory, and they aren't violent, but they're there nonetheless. The forest is an unforgiving place most times.
I was wavering between giving this three and four stars, but ultimately I think that I've settled on three. The ending to this just wrapped up too perfectly for my taste. While I completely understand this is aimed a much younger readers than myself, I still believe the ending was too formulaic. After everything that Lucy had been through, the happily ever after just seemed trite. Maybe when I was younger I would have loved it! Who knows? I was a reader of Grimm's Fairy Tales, so perhaps I'm just used to things being tied up a little less beautifully.
