Discontent with life after his father disappears, Jacob Reckless is all too ready to accept that another world exists on the other side of the mirror--the world that made fairy tales popular. In that world, Jacob creates a new life for himself. Life isn't perfect, but it's bearable. That is, until the day his brother Will follows him through the mirror and gets cursed. Can Jacob save his brother before it's too late?
What I Thought: Wow! This book was hard to put down. Perhaps not as beautifully written as Inkheart, nevertheless, Reckless is just as riveting. I love the idea of Mirror World. Fans of Michael Buckley's Sisters Grimm series and Polly Shulman's The Grimm Legacy will enjoy Reckless. The sprinkling of fairy tale legend and lore was fascinating. I really need to follow through on my resolution to read all of Grimm's Fairy Tales.
Jacob is a compelling hero. He has all the traits that appeal to female readers (me included)--loner, misunderstood, brooding, and can handle himself in a fight. The age of all the characters (20s) guarantees Reckless will have a wide readership.
The supporting characters are great. I particularly like Jacob's sidekick, Fox. I look forward to watching their relationship develop in future books.
Would Reckless be considered high or low fantasy? Normally, I can't read high fantasy. I recently tried to read Robin McKinley's Pegasus and just couldn't. If Reckless is high fantasy, I think I can read it because of all the fairy tale stuff. The book has a very 10th Kingdom feel to it.
A promising start to a new series. I'm so glad to see something other than the paranormal that abounds these days. Don't get me wrong, I read and enjoy just like the next reader, but Reckless is something different. Is it a coincidence that Jacob and Will share their first names with the Grimm Brothers?
(Little Brown & Co, 2010)
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