Winterling

Fer, short for Jennifer, is unaware of her magical heritage and feels completely out of place when she enters a new realm upon inadvertently opening the Way between worlds. Erin Moon uses an even tone to portray Fer as a practical, normal girl, but all of the magical creatures have unique voices that match their natures in the other world. The Lady, an evil ruler, has a harsh, icy voice that sounds malevolent even when she makes the most mundane comments. Rook, a fairy who can shift into different animals, has a deep, gruff voice, much like the growl of the dog he often changes into. The wolf guards who pursue Fer on the orders of the Lady have mocking, slightly caustic tones. Moon's narration provides a bright spot in Prineas's sometimes inconsistent tale. E.N. (c) AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

June 1, 2012
Gr 5-7-It's almost spring, and all Fer wants is to be outside. However, all her grandmother wants is for her to be anywhere but outside. Fer doesn't know why until she runs away and accidentally opens a Way in the woods, through which comes a small boy (but he's really something else) and three very scary looking wolves. Little does Fer know that her life has just changed forever, as her adventures take her into a world of perpetual winter, where something is obviously very wrong. C.S. Lewis meets Lewis Carroll in Sarah Prineas's new take (HarperCollins, 2012) on old magic and alternate worlds, with enough originality to be interesting for fans of both. While the ending is somewhat predictable, the author doesn't take the most expected route to get there, and there are some surprises along the way. Erin Moon provides the narration, giving each character an appropriate and distinct voice.-"Michaela B. Schied, Indian River Middle School, Philadelphia, NY"

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