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Under the Green Hill
by
Laura L. Sullivan (Goodreads Author)
Rowan, Meg, Priscilla, and their little brother, James, are off to the English countryside to stay with relatives at the Rookery. The children are looking forward to exploring the ancient mansion and perhaps discovering a hidden secret or two. Little do they know this is a seventh summer. Every seventh summer, a fairy war is fought on the Green Hill—to the death—with a hum...more
Paperback, 336 pages
Published
September 27th 2011
by Square Fish
(first published October 26th 2010)
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When the Morgan children, Rowan, Meg, Silly and James, are shipped off to spend the summer in England with an elderly aunt they’ve never met, they aren’t exactly thrilled. But when they arrive at the Rookery, the castle fills their minds with thoughts of exploring and discovering secret passageways.
Those fantasies soon pale when they discover that their family is part of an ancient pact connecting them to the fairies who live under the green hill. When they realize that one of them must act as c...more
Those fantasies soon pale when they discover that their family is part of an ancient pact connecting them to the fairies who live under the green hill. When they realize that one of them must act as c...more
Mar 26, 2011
Robert Kent
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
middle-grade-ninja-reviews
Do you like fairies, Esteemed Reader? No? Is it because of that special documentary on the History Channel that revealed that there have been multiple reports throughout history of folks claiming to have experienced missing time and later recalling that they were abducted by “fairies” with big black eyes and all gray skin that flew around in a UFO? Well, I can’t say as how I blame you. If it’s on the History Channel, it must be true, and you are right to be afraid, Esteemed Reader.
Laura L. Sulli...more
Laura L. Sulli...more
I'm a bit partial to books about kids in unfamiliar old houses who stumble upon magical worlds. Extra points if that old house is in the English countryside. Extra, extra points if the kids get caught up in an epic war requiring brave heroics. There was never any doubt in my mind that I would love Under the Green Hill.
I want to be so very grown-up and objective and say that what I found so attractive in this book was its own sense of place in and reverence to the tradition of books about kids in...more
I want to be so very grown-up and objective and say that what I found so attractive in this book was its own sense of place in and reverence to the tradition of books about kids in...more
What a delicious book! I savored every page of it and was sorry when it ended. In her acknowledgements at the end of the book, the author Laura Sullivan thanks her agent for comparing her work to that of E. Nesbit and C.S. Lewis. The agent is wrong. This book EXCEEDS anything that Nesbit and Lewis ever wrote and I don't say that lightly.
Our story starts with two mossy stones in the English countryside coming to life. Thousands of miles away in America, two college professors prepare to send thei...more
Our story starts with two mossy stones in the English countryside coming to life. Thousands of miles away in America, two college professors prepare to send thei...more
Things I Liked:
This book had a really rich and detailed atmosphere. I loved how I was drawn into the mythology and the setting immediately - just as quickly as Rowan is sucked into the fairy war. The changeable and unearthly personalities of the fairies was really well done - most fairy stories talk about how they are so amoral, but this one really felt that way. Meg was a character that you love and that you might get annoyed with at the same time. I really enjoyed the writing too, which was qu...more
This book had a really rich and detailed atmosphere. I loved how I was drawn into the mythology and the setting immediately - just as quickly as Rowan is sucked into the fairy war. The changeable and unearthly personalities of the fairies was really well done - most fairy stories talk about how they are so amoral, but this one really felt that way. Meg was a character that you love and that you might get annoyed with at the same time. I really enjoyed the writing too, which was qu...more
The Morgan children, Rowan, Meg, Priscilla(Silly for short), and James are sent to live with relatives in England to escape the fever in the States. They are looking forward to exploring the house with many rooms and the countryside around them.
What they discover is a land of fairies. Shortly after arriving they find themselves in the midst of preparations for the fairy war. Every 7th year the Midsummer War takes place. The Seelie Court and the Host meet under the Green Hill to do battle. They c...more
What they discover is a land of fairies. Shortly after arriving they find themselves in the midst of preparations for the fairy war. Every 7th year the Midsummer War takes place. The Seelie Court and the Host meet under the Green Hill to do battle. They c...more
Nov 15, 2010
Laura
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
young-adult,
first-read
Because of a mysterious illness sweeping through the United States, Rowan, Meg, Silly and James Morgan are sent to live with distant relatives in England that they have never met before. Joining them are two other children, Dickie and Finn. Once there, the children are given a lot of freedom to explore but also are told a few rules that the need to follow - most of them very odd such as not giving your name to strangers. Of course, as childen are going to do, they proceed to quickly break many o...more
Scripted with lovely prose, Under the Green Hill paints an imaginative and realistic picture of what life amongst fairy is like. Simply plotted the story focuses on a cadre of children who are inadvertently drawn into the middle of a fairy war. Filled with strange creatures and a few evilly intentioned humans the story follows these children as they arrive in England, through their investigation of their extended family’s home and it’s surrounding grounds, all the way up to the end of a war not...more
Jul 28, 2012
Juliana Haught
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
recommended-by-my-daughter
I loved this book! This was recommended to me by my daughter, who was 11 when she first read it. This is actual literature, so rare in today's new crop of children's and young adult books. The story could fall into the coming-of-age genre, and I really think boys and girls both could enjoy it. The author taps into classic mythology of the British Isles, with a new telling of ancient fairy ways, and of course how dealings with the fairies causes the humans mixed up with them to draw on their most...more
I was so excited to win this book as a first reads give away from Goodreads. It really does work to enter the drawings! When I started reading this book I had to laugh a little because the whole premise of getting the kids to England made me think "swine flu". I had kind of a hard time getting into this book, though. I kept thinking "Fablehaven" in my mind and Fablehaven is one of my favorite book series ever. Kids sent to live with relatives they didn't know well, isolated from the real world w...more
Dec 04, 2012
Ryan
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Brittany, Katherine
A nice surprise - I enjoyed it far more than I expected. The 'good people' weren't disney-fied, characters were more complex than expected, I really liked the story, and the ending was satisfyingly complete without being trite. I'm always impressed when an author knows where the end is. I could read it again and find something different, I think. This time, I liked the ash trees, and the idea that people don't do "now" well because the past and future are constantly pressuring them. Trees are ve...more
I discovered this book on one of the fantasy lists here on Goodreads. First of all, the fantastic cover caught my eye (which is simply ah-mazing by the way) and then after reading the synopsis I was completely intrigued.
Under the Green Hill starts out in a small town in New York but you quickly find yourself, along with the characters, whisked away to the magical countryside of England, near the (fictional?) town of Gladysmere, where the lore of fairies, brownies, leprechauns and other mystical...more
Under the Green Hill starts out in a small town in New York but you quickly find yourself, along with the characters, whisked away to the magical countryside of England, near the (fictional?) town of Gladysmere, where the lore of fairies, brownies, leprechauns and other mystical...more
In the face of a dangerous influenza outbreak in the U.S. Rowan, Meg, Silly (Priscilla), and James Morgan are shipped off, superfluously accompanied by their nemesis Finn Fachan, and meek, allergic Dickie Rhys, to spend the summer with estranged maternal relatives on a rambling English estate. The children promptly defy their guardians’ rules and find that exploring the estate, with its countless rooms full of ancient books and armor, and even a hidden door in a wardrobe, is yet nothing to explo...more
This book is a beautiful example of the duality in mythical lore; there cannot be light without darkness. Perfect book for young readers (I estimate grades 5-7), or adults that still enjoy the magic of well written children's literature. The author has set the story to allow for a series to follow (which I would love), but there is enough closure for this initial offering to stand alone. The main characters are well developed, and supporting characters stay in their places until drawn into the s...more
Dec 19, 2010
Alan
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
middle-school,
urban-fantasy
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 320 pages
Lexile: 1030L
Rowan, Meg, Silly and James are sent by their parents from America to England to stay with their Great Aunt Ash and Great Uncle Lysander (or perhaps Great Great) in England to keep them safe from an outbreak of influenza in the States. Little did they know the trouble they may be sending them into.
Their Aunt and Uncle it turns out live at a special place, the Rookery. The Rookery is located near the Green Hill, the home of the Seelie Court...more
Hardcover: 320 pages
Lexile: 1030L
Rowan, Meg, Silly and James are sent by their parents from America to England to stay with their Great Aunt Ash and Great Uncle Lysander (or perhaps Great Great) in England to keep them safe from an outbreak of influenza in the States. Little did they know the trouble they may be sending them into.
Their Aunt and Uncle it turns out live at a special place, the Rookery. The Rookery is located near the Green Hill, the home of the Seelie Court...more
In this book, six young Americans (the 4 Morgan siblings and 2 others) travel to a remote area of England for the summer to escape a serious illness plaguing the US. From the moment the Morgans arrive at the Rookery, the home of their great-aunt and great-uncle, they realize that the world is much bigger, broader and different than they ever dreamed, a world filled with fairies, brownies and all manner of other creatures. All four Morgans are quickly drawn into that world after Rowan, the eldest...more
From September 2010 SLJ:
Gr 5�8�When a life-claiming illness sweeps across the United States, college professors Tom and Glynnis Morgan send their children to England to stay with elderly relatives they have never met. Rowan, Meg, Priscilla, and James are accompanied by malicious Finn Fachan and timid Dickie Rhys, sons of other professors. When great-great-aunt Phyllida Ash gives her six guests a list of rules the first evening (stay out of the forest, never accept food from outside the Rookery,...more
Gr 5�8�When a life-claiming illness sweeps across the United States, college professors Tom and Glynnis Morgan send their children to England to stay with elderly relatives they have never met. Rowan, Meg, Priscilla, and James are accompanied by malicious Finn Fachan and timid Dickie Rhys, sons of other professors. When great-great-aunt Phyllida Ash gives her six guests a list of rules the first evening (stay out of the forest, never accept food from outside the Rookery,...more
I was a lucky winner of this book from Kathryn who put it up for the goodreads first reads program.
This book was fantastic! I'm a big fan of the fairy folklore, and all of those older European legend, so it goes with no doubt that I enjoyed reading about it in this story. Though it's middle grade literature, and the cover looks rather juvenile, I think that older readers would like this book too because the actual storyline is very fun and adventurous.
The characters were all well written,and I f...more
This book was fantastic! I'm a big fan of the fairy folklore, and all of those older European legend, so it goes with no doubt that I enjoyed reading about it in this story. Though it's middle grade literature, and the cover looks rather juvenile, I think that older readers would like this book too because the actual storyline is very fun and adventurous.
The characters were all well written,and I f...more
I recieved this book from the first reads giveaway. I absolutly loved the story. The book is written eloquently and intelligently. I feel like I have gained a greater knowlegde of vocabulary from it. From page one it challenged me to not just simply read but comtemplate and understand the story. It keeps you trying to guess what will happen next and often, I at least, got it wrong (which is a good thing). I really fell in love with not just the characters but the ideas and beliefs the characters...more
I won this from first reads and it took me a week to read it but only because I had to go to work. The first day I read over half the book. I loved it, it's a wonderful story with great charactors and a surprise ending that was not expected. I dont want to give away too much because I know family members will read this too. It started out fast, had wonderful discriptions of places and things I now wish I could see. I loved the house they stayed at, the Rookery. Interesting name and definately a...more
This is a good fantasy in which the author has cobbled together lots of different fairy lore to include as part of the action in the book. Bits of Tamlane show up, as well as the folktale about the fellow who uses a yellow ribbon to mark the place where the pot of gold is buried, only to return and find yellow ribbons on every bush. Different legendary creatures show up, such as the Seelie Court, the Unseelie Court, Jenny Greenteeth, the Nuckelavee, brownies, shape-shifters and many others.
I see great potential in this series. Atmospheric with dramatic conflict but no sense of hopelessness that runs rampant in many of today's tales. Language useage was fun and fairly challenging, except for the overuse of the word "bellicose". Not quite convinced that a storyline like this with a 14 year old heroine is actually juvenile fiction, but hey. True, Beltane didn't get quite the description it could have in a YA book. ;-)
I wanted to like this book more than I did, because I certainly liked much of the premise. It just seemed to drag at times, and the four children (shades of Narnia?) spoke much more eloquently than Americans their age might. The plot was intriguing and I liked much of the description, but I don't think I'll be reading the second book in the series.
Jun 22, 2011
Lori
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
children-s-literature
I won this book here on goodreads and I'm very happy I did. It is written for young adults and therefore not something I would normally pick up. However, Ms. Sullivan had written a story that is far more enjoyable to read than many books written for adults. I was planning on giving it away once I'd read it, but I think it's found a permanent place on my bookshelves.
If you ever liked The Secret Garden, you'll like this book as well :)
Getting into fantasy books is generally difficult for me to begin with; the first couple chapters were a little slow (but I suspect that this is what I think about every fantasy/sci-fi book I start reading).
After that it was like the wind! The characters were all very distinct in personality, the pacing was good, the ambiance of the writing was warm and magnetic.
Definitely worth the read - I'm just waiting for the sequel!
Getting into fantasy books is generally difficult for me to begin with; the first couple chapters were a little slow (but I suspect that this is what I think about every fantasy/sci-fi book I start reading).
After that it was like the wind! The characters were all very distinct in personality, the pacing was good, the ambiance of the writing was warm and magnetic.
Definitely worth the read - I'm just waiting for the sequel!
This book had promise, but the characters were not as well developed as they could have been. The story was very similar to Fablehaven....kids come to visit relatives for the summer and discover a magical forest full of fairies.
This was good -- the plot reminded me of Fablehaven. It was written in a very old fashioned way, yet the setting was current day, which was kinda cool. I'd be interested enough to read the next one!
Meg is sent to England with her siblings to escape a fever sweeping through the US. Once in England, she meets her great-great aunt and discovers a world of faeries. She and her siblings are drawn into a faerie war that takes place every seven years on Midsummer's day.
I enjoyed the faeries and Meg as she discovers her affinity for them even before she begins to understand them.
I enjoyed the faeries and Meg as she discovers her affinity for them even before she begins to understand them.
This is like a teen version of War For the Oaks, with a little bit of Thomas the Rhymer and Tam Lin thrown in there for good measure. Really quite good.
Wonderful book for Narnia fans (it even refers to Narnia in the book). If you are tired of Narnia, this one's probably not for you. A mid-grade read.
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| Under the Green Hill | 1 | 5 | Jul 07, 2010 06:15am |
Dec 05, 2012 07:15am