Down the Mysterly River is the children’s book debut of Bill Willingham, the creator of the #1 New York Times bestselling... read full description
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Feb 22, 2012
Thomas
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Feb 06, 2012
Kate
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Nov 09, 2011
Katie
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Review format taken from my Children's Literature class at College of Saint Mary.
Summary of Elements:
Down the Mysterly River by Bill Willingham is an outstanding piece of children's literature. The overall tone of the book is darker than many works for young readers but had a very thrilling aspect to it that kept me reading long after I ought to have gone to bed. The `heroes' quest' is the prominent motif in this book and used to great effect. As the author shows marvelously w More...
Summary of Elements:
Down the Mysterly River by Bill Willingham is an outstanding piece of children's literature. The overall tone of the book is darker than many works for young readers but had a very thrilling aspect to it that kept me reading long after I ought to have gone to bed. The `heroes' quest' is the prominent motif in this book and used to great effect. As the author shows marvelously w More...
Oct 21, 2011
Hilary
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When Max the Wolf finds himself in the middle of the woods one afternoon he has no idea how he got there or where he is. Since Max is a master at orienteering, he finds this strange. Even during all his boyscout trips, he never once can remember being lost. Then, even more peculiar, he stumbles upon a talking badger. He is sure he must be dreaming, at first, but the badger thinks that they have both died and are in the afterlife. The two set out together and are not on the road for long bef
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Oct 08, 2011
Shaun
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Fantasies for young readers are almost always a joy to read. I'm no sure what it is about such books. Maybe it's to do with the whimsical style -- of which Down the Mysterly River has plenty -- or the adventures -- ditto. Or maybe there's something else I haven't discovered yet. In any case, Willingham's children's fantasy, Down the Mysterly River, is an exciting adventure story with a wonderful mixture of fairy tale and detective mystery. Too bad I don't have kids to read this book to...
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Oct 05, 2011
Chris
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NOTE: This review was first published on my blog at The King of Elfland's 2nd Cousin on October 4, 2011. If you enjoy this review, please come check out the rest of the blog!
I've been a fan of Bill Willingham's writing for years. His work on Vertigo's Fables: Legends in Exile series? Hands-down the best comic book writing out there. I've particularly appreciated the structure he brings to his sequential storytelling: sweeping, complex plots that more closely resemble epic fantasy than More...
I've been a fan of Bill Willingham's writing for years. His work on Vertigo's Fables: Legends in Exile series? Hands-down the best comic book writing out there. I've particularly appreciated the structure he brings to his sequential storytelling: sweeping, complex plots that more closely resemble epic fantasy than More...
Aug 07, 2011
Diana
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Max the Wolf who is really not a wolf but a boy scout discovers himself in wilderness with no memory of how he got there. He remembers previous mysteries he solved but not the last things he was doing before losing his memory. The woods look like the Pacific northwest where he is from but different all the same. As a boy scout, he is prepared. He has in his pockets his tiny survival kit and his boy scout knife. Soon he meets Banderbrock, a fierce talking badger warrior. As they camp for the nigh
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Aug 05, 2011
TheBookSmugglers
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Originally Reviewed on The Book Smugglers: http://thebooksmugglers.com/2011/08/join...
REVIEW
First Impressions:
Ana: Bill Willingham is the writer of the comic book series Fables which has been going strong for years and although I have not read every single volume of the comics, I did read quite a few and enjoyed what I read a great lot. When I learned about Down The Mysterly River which is his first incursion into MG writing, it was all I could do not to drool More...
REVIEW
First Impressions:
Ana: Bill Willingham is the writer of the comic book series Fables which has been going strong for years and although I have not read every single volume of the comics, I did read quite a few and enjoyed what I read a great lot. When I learned about Down The Mysterly River which is his first incursion into MG writing, it was all I could do not to drool More...
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Jul 19, 2011
MaryBookSwarm
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Positive: Oh, such a fairy tale: A lost boy in a strange land who gathers a merry band of talking animals and battles evildoers on a search for answers and sanctuary. Hurrah! I will most definitely be book-talking this one to my students when the school year starts. I'm absolutely positive it'll be snatched up in a hot minute by anyone who's looking for the next Percy Jackson or Fablehaven.
Positive: The merry band. An adorably smart Boy Scout, Max is the leader in this strange land. More...
Positive: The merry band. An adorably smart Boy Scout, Max is the leader in this strange land. More...
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Sep 18, 2011
Andrew
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A talking badger, a talking bear, a vicious feral cat, and a boy scout who solves mysteries find themselves thrown together in a mysterious forest. Pursued by cloaked figures carrying blue swords that can rewrite reality itself, they desperately seek both sanctuary, and answers about the surprising truth of their situation.
Bill Willingham, best known for his comics work, gives us his first, and latest, prose novel. First, because he originally wrote it years ago and published it himsel More...
Bill Willingham, best known for his comics work, gives us his first, and latest, prose novel. First, because he originally wrote it years ago and published it himsel More...
Nov 02, 2011
Scott
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Though Down the Mysterly River is written primarily for middle-graders, the fact that it is scribed by Bill Willingham proved irresistible. You may know Willingham as the creator and author of the Vertigo series entitled Fables. He won me over long ago, and I don't mind admitting that I'll give anything he writes a chance.
Down the Mysterly River proved an enjoyable read, even for an old man such as me. It is the story of Max the Wolf, a twelve-year-old Boy Scout who awakens upon an oth More...
Down the Mysterly River proved an enjoyable read, even for an old man such as me. It is the story of Max the Wolf, a twelve-year-old Boy Scout who awakens upon an oth More...
Feb 05, 2012
Lisa
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Down the Mysterly River begins as a rousing tale of adventure, survival, and fantasy. The cast of characters features an erudite, older-than-his-years boy scout, a wise, battle-aged badger, a feisty and curmudgeonly tom cat, and an affable bear, all of whom can talk. The four meet when they rather inexplicably find themselves in a strange new world. Max, known as Max the Wolf among his scout friends, fears he has somehow managed to become lost while hiking until he almost stumbles over Bander
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Jan 08, 2012
Sara
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I loved this book for many different reasons. It began with a boy named Max the wolf, who really is not a wolf, and a badger named Banderbruck. They start having a conversation and they are both astounded that they could talk to each other in a new world that they somehow arrive in. They meet two other characters, a bear and a tom cat, and add them to their group. The story is about their adventure together and learning to understand the world that they are in. It is well written because as the
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Oct 02, 2011
Sarah
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Complete with lovely chapter header illustrations, "Down the Mysterly River" has the look and feel of a good old fashioned fairy-tale and it absolutely lives up to that first impression. Totally original, yet paying homage to classics like "The Wizard of Oz" and "The Incredible Journey", it has all the elements of a classic. With a boy lost in the forest, talking animals and an epic quest, there's loads of adventure. There are enough grizzly battles to satisfy tween
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Oct 14, 2011
Courtney
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Max the Wolf is a boy scout who suddenly realizes he has no idea how or when he wound up in the woods. He is forced to put his detective skills to good use when, on top of being lost, he meets several animals that can speak with him and each other. Max and his animal companions all have different theories of why they have found themselves in such confusion. It's a "mysterly", to quote McTavish the Monster (who is really a very curmudgeonly cat with interesting elocution skills). To
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Sep 13, 2011
Jessica at Book Sake
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Down the Mysterly River is a truly entertaining, adventure story. The characters have so much personality that it really makes it a fun read. That being said I did have a few issues with the book. The mystery of the Mysterly River was crystal clear from the get go. The book is a middle aged book, so that may explain the obviousness of the mystery.
Also the author has written a series of graphic novels called Fables. These books follow of the lives of fairy tale characters in modern New More...
Also the author has written a series of graphic novels called Fables. These books follow of the lives of fairy tale characters in modern New More...
Sep 28, 2011
Mary
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This is a charming novel for tween readers who love fantasy, adventure, and animals. Max is a diligent Boy Scout who is stunned to find himself lost in an unfamiliar wood. Adding to his confusion, he meets a badger, a farm cat and a bear who all talk and also can't figure out the why and the how of their situations.. The banter between Max and the animals is sharp and quite humorous. Soon Max and his new friends are on the run from the nasty Blue Cutters and their even nastier hound dogs. Max h
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Oct 14, 2011
Chris
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Down the Mysterly River has strong elements of both The Hobbit and the Narnia books but, at the same time, manages to be rather different than both of these YA fantasy classics. "YA" may even be too strong a characterization for this novel, in fact. The prose, while pleasant and well-written, seems actually to be geared toward readers in the 10-12 year old range. However, while the reading level is basic, the several instances of real violence (some unwillingly carried out by a 12 year
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Jul 20, 2011
Ramie
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Max "The Wolf" has two real loves: Boy Scouts and a good mystery. Both of these loves will be put to the test when he suddenly finds himself in a mysterious land full of woods where the animals not only speak but tell fantastic tales. This alone would make for big mystery since Max has no memory of how he got there, in fact many of his memories of his life before the mysterious woods seem a bit muddled. Oh, but then there's the group of people with blue swords who seem to want to cut h
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Aug 12, 2011
Cecelia
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Hi, my name is Cecelia, and I just fell in love with a book for 10 year-old boys. Hi, Cecelia. Wait, WHAT?! Yes, that's right. Bill Willingham's Down the Mysterly River has crazy powers of amazing. This book? Would have been my brothers' favorite thing on the planet when they were younger. I'm not even joking. It would have gone in the camouflage backpack right alongside the machete, walkie-talkies, and beef jerky. But it was published NOW, so I, city-dweller, older person and girl that I am, ha
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Jul 20, 2011
Bluerose's
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Max the Wolf, who is actually a 12-13 year old boy, not a wolf, wakes up in a strange world one day. He has no recollection of his immediate past and has no idea how he ended up where he's found himself. He quickly meets Banderbrock(a badger), McTavish(a cranky and very mean barncat), and Walden(a black bear who was a sheriff in the past). They learn that the "Blue Cutters" are after them to cut out parts of them that make them unique. Down the Mysterly River is about their journey to
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Dec 30, 2011
Fuzzy
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Down the Mysterly River is by Bill Willingham, who is best known for the Fables comic book series. If you're familiar with that series, it's not too much a surprise nor spoiler to reveal that DtMR explores the same sort of meta-fiction: the characters in this story are characters from other stories thrown together (albeit, here, not from folk tales but actually from imagined works of a fictitious author). Sometimes the meta-fiction thing can feel a bit done, but the characters are great. It's al
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Jul 14, 2011
Shawn
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Disclosure, I won this via GoodReads. Wow,just wow! I was like warm on the prospect of reading a YA book, but I've enjoyed Willingham's stuff since his days on the Elementals comic back in the 80's This book did an excellent job of drawing me in and making me want to see what happens next. It's about a boy named Max who finds himself in the woods and makes friend with a bear, a badger and my favorite character McTavish the Monster. None knows how they got there, but are soon pursued by a group c
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Jan 01, 2012
Mary
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I loved most of this book. The end is charming, but kind of a let down. Max is a sturdy Boy Scout from Renton, WA who is also a detective. Inexplicably he finds himself in a mysterious wood, and pairs up with first a talking badger, then a pugnacious cat, and finally an agreeable brown bear, as the four of them seek to escape a group referred to as 'blue cutters.' Max the human child is the brains of the team, the badger the fierce warrior, the cat a crabby troublemaking fighter, and the bear
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Sep 26, 2011
Eric
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Sometimes book labeling really frustrates me, and this is definitely one of those cases. Down the Mysterly River is listed as a children's book -- not even as a young adult book -- but it is so much deeper than, for example, a Lemony Snicket children's book. Although it's an easy read that can and should be enjoyed by children, it can be enjoyed on an entirely different level by adults (I can't say more without revealing the big mystery of the book). I'm glad I ignored the children's book lab
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Jul 19, 2011
April
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Originally reviewed here
Down The Mysterly River by Bill Willingham opens with intrepid boy detective Max ‘the Wolf’ awakening in the woods with no memory of how he got there. As he is in boy scout uniform, Max assumes he got lost on a scouting trip. He must reexamine this theory when he happens upon some talking animals in this middle grade fantasy novel.
Y’all I love animals that talk. Joining Max for his journey are three talking animals: Banderbrock the warrior badger, More...
Down The Mysterly River by Bill Willingham opens with intrepid boy detective Max ‘the Wolf’ awakening in the woods with no memory of how he got there. As he is in boy scout uniform, Max assumes he got lost on a scouting trip. He must reexamine this theory when he happens upon some talking animals in this middle grade fantasy novel.
Y’all I love animals that talk. Joining Max for his journey are three talking animals: Banderbrock the warrior badger, More...
Sep 12, 2011
Cait
rated it:
I quite liked this middle grade story from Bill Willingham. Max the Wolf (who is not so much a wolf as a 13 year old boy scout) suddenly find himself in a large forest, with no memory of how he arrived there. Indeed, he has no memories outside of those that involve mysteries he solved in the past. He quickly encounters a few companions in the form of talking animals (another clue he is someone strange) and they begin a journey to find out why they have arrived in this forest, at all times avoidi
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Feb 19, 2012
Jane
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Hardly has Max had a chance to wonder how he comes to be walking down a forest road with great gaps in his memory than he meets a similarly afflicted badger who introduces himself as Banderbrock. With a raffish cat named McTavish and Walden, a peaceable bear, joining along the way, that walk soon turns into a flight ahead of a large company of dedicated men and women armed with special swords that can surgically remove troublesome personal characteristics like independence and creativity. A uniq
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Feb 11, 2012
Lindsay (Everyday Is An Adventure)
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The first thing that struck me about this book was the cover - it is absolutely beautiful, and it clearly will catch readers' attention...it caught mine.
This book is fantasy to the max and I loved every minute of it. Max was a top notch character and I loved following him throughout this book. He would not have been half as entertaining without his two friends Walden and McTavish, who in my opinion add so much humor to this book that it is hard to put it down. I found myself laugh More...
This book is fantasy to the max and I loved every minute of it. Max was a top notch character and I loved following him throughout this book. He would not have been half as entertaining without his two friends Walden and McTavish, who in my opinion add so much humor to this book that it is hard to put it down. I found myself laugh More...
Oct 21, 2011
Adam
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ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SHELF-AWARENESS.COM
Bill Willingham's (the Fables series) storytelling here (a slightly different version of which was published by his Clockwork Storybook collective in 2001) is reminiscent of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Twelve-year-old Max the Wolf (who's not a wolf) is not carried into another world by a twister, as Dorothy was. Instead, he has no recollection of how he appeared in the Heroes Woods. A quintessential Boy Scout who doesn't panic about his amne More...
Bill Willingham's (the Fables series) storytelling here (a slightly different version of which was published by his Clockwork Storybook collective in 2001) is reminiscent of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Twelve-year-old Max the Wolf (who's not a wolf) is not carried into another world by a twister, as Dorothy was. Instead, he has no recollection of how he appeared in the Heroes Woods. A quintessential Boy Scout who doesn't panic about his amne More...
