Twistrose Key- Guest Post from our old friend Mandi
By Tone Almhiell
Overall, I really liked this book. The main character, Lin, was very easy to like. I always know a book is good when I want to know what happens badly enough that I don't want to stop reading, and this book did a great job of making me not want to put it down. I loved the idea behind the world of Sylver, and I think it will resonate with the audience for which it's intended. I know I would have loved the idea that the pets that I loved were still living in a secret world.A striking middle-grade debut in the tradition of The Chronicles of Narnia and The Golden Compass
When a mysterious parcel arrives at her family’s new home, eleven-year-old Lin Rosenquist has a curious feeling she’s meant to discover what’s inside.
Much to Lin’s surprise, the ornate key contained in the parcel unlocks a spellbinding world called Sylver, hidden behind the cellar door. Sylver is an enchanting land of eternal winter, inhabited by animals that shared a special connection with children in the real world, either as beloved pets or tamed wild animals. In death, they are delivered to Sylver, where they take on a curiously human-like form and still watch over the children they cherish. While Lin is overjoyed to be reunited with her beloved pet, Rufus, she soon learns that the magic of the Petlings and Wilders is failing, and snow trolls want to claim Sylver for themselves. Lin must discover a way to stop them and save this enchanted world.
Full of charm, suspense, and heartfelt emotion, this memorable classic in the making will leave readers breathless.
One issue I had with the book was that I felt like I was missing something for a long time. I was very confused for awhile about whether or not their troll hunting game was real. I thought that there should have been more information explaining how the hidden world worked, and how it connected to the "real" world.
I also really felt like Lin could have learned something or changed in some way, and I really didn't feel like that happened. I wanted to know what made her special, why she was chosen to be the Twistrose.
Again, overall, I really did enjoy reading this book. It was well-written, the plot flowed very well, and there was plenty of action to keep me interested.
