The Hunt of the Unicorn

February 1, 2011
Unicorns and adolescent girls, generally considered a perfect pairing, are here filtered through what seems to be an adolescent male concept of what teen girls might like (unicorns, handsome boys, plus some gory bits). Pages of awkward exposition, via the hackneyed device of an ancestor's journal, launch a lackluster story. Once upon a time, Elayne's ancestor journeyed to and escaped from Goloth, Land of the Fabulous Beast; now, the modern NYC teen, whose cancer-ridden father has just had another setback, has been called by a unicorn in need to fulfill said ancestor's promise. Once in Goloth, Elayne spends her time imprisoned and/or responding inanely to hair-raising exploits (rescued from a dungeon, lifted wet and half-frozen to a boat, she worries about the fishy smell of the cloth she dries herself with). She also comes across as a bit dim: Despite the frequent mentions of unicorn horn as a cure for illness, she takes several hundred pages to realize it could save her father. Indeed, there is a disturbing thread of misogyny throughout; Elayne, Princess Amaryllis (whiny and overly fond of chocolate) and even female unicorn Heartsease all spend most of their time imprisoned and answering to the men (there are no other women), and while Elayne eventually foments revolution and overturns the evil ruler, she's mostly figurehead and aid to heroic unicorn Moonspill. Don't bother. (author's note) (Fantasy. 12-14)

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March 1, 2011
Grades 5-8 Elayne thought the most serious thing in her teen life was her fathers ongoing fight with leukemia. When she is pulled through an enchanted tapestry into Goloth, a world populated by a primitive culture and mythical beasts (chimeras, griffins, and such), she discovers she must honor a centuries-old commitment to what seems to be the last remaining unicorn and help him bring down a king. Told in a dreamy, romantic tone that will be immensely appealing to wistful middle-school girls, this novel begins by alternating Elaynes voice with that of her great-great-great- (and so on) grandmother, whose early narration of the family history feels artificial. After establishing the backstory, Humphreys takes readers on a series of adventures that maintain a creditable tension. A twist or two keeps readers on their toes through to the end, where the author provides an insight into the roots of the story. Give this to the preromance novel crowd, who read as much for emotion as for plot or character.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)