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The Green Man

3.54 of 5 stars 3.54 · rating details · 97 ratings · 44 reviews

Teenaged O – never call her Ophelia – is about to spend the summer with her aunt Emily. Emily is a poet and the owner of an antiquarian book store, The Green Man. A proud, independent woman, Emily’s been made frail by a heart attack. O will be a help to her. Just how crucial that help will be unfolds as O first tackles Emily’s badly neglected home, then the chaotic shop. B...more

Hardcover, 320 pages

Published April 10th 2012 by Tundra Books (first published January 10th 2012)

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Dec 23, 2012 Kellee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: magical-realism, ghost-story, poetry, ya-teen, fantasy, mental-health-depression, paranormal-supernatural

3.5 stars
5 stars for the writing
3 stars for the story
4 stars for the characters

I am not a big fan of magical realism, but this book balanced out my distaste with beautiful writing. The Green Man is a book devoted primarily to poetry and poets and takes place in a bookstore - it is very much a love story to the written word as well as a look into the mental health that goes along with being possessed with the need to write. Now this much wouldn't have been much of a story though it was fabulous t...more 3.5 stars
5 stars for the writing
3 stars for the story
4 stars for the characters

I am not a big fan of magical realism, but this book balanced out my distaste with beautiful writing. The Green Man is a book devoted primarily to poetry and poets and takes place in a bookstore - it is very much a love story to the written word as well as a look into the mental health that goes along with being possessed with the need to write. Now this much wouldn't have been much of a story though it was fabulous to read; to make it more of a story, there is a ghost story thrown in. That is what I was not so sure about. It is almost subtle enough that it never took over the book and didn't take away from what I think made this book special; however, it was just enough that it added a bit of plot twists in to make the story a bit more of a story (though I personally would have been okay with just the coming of age story).

Primarily the parts I truly loved about this book are just parts where the author is either A) Writing so lyrically and poetically that I wanted to reread it over and over or B) Writing about poetry, books, writing, etc. in a way that only someone who is a poet, reader or writer understands. There are plenty of mentor text moments for poetry, imagery, metaphors, etc. and these are really the moments I loved.

This book is going to find a very special place with a very special reader - one who is patient, smart and sees the importance in poetry and books that is very much necessary to enjoy this book.

Snatch of text: "Some people lead epic lives, long and full. Some lead lyric lives, short and too soon over. Her mother led a lyric life." (p. 37)

"Over time, a bookshop will take the shape of its owner. Emily had been at the Green Man so long that it had grown around her like a second skin. The books were her flesh; the words that flowed through them were the blood that ran through her veins. The poetry section was the beating heart of the collection." (p. 66)

"She learned that the Green Man had been adopted by medieval stonemasons and wood-carvers as their special symbol. They tucked the figure in out-of-the-way places in the vast cathedrals they built, as a sort of signature of their work. He was connected to what creativity meant for them. The vines that spilled from his mouth symbolized the outpouring of inspiration. He stood at the gateway between the two worlds, at the place where imagination passed into creation." (p. 91)
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Apr 13, 2012 Sara Thompson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

This book just goes to show you don’t have to be a great writer to write a great book. Some of the language was not what you would consider correct in terms of modern English teachers but it was still beautiful. Michael Bedard wove a story that was not only touching but funny and suspenseful. O has just been recruited to spend the summer with her aunt, Emily, while her father goes to Italy. Emily is an elderly woman, poet and bookstore owner with a bad heart. O is not thrilled to spend the summe...more

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Jan 18, 2012 Karen Yingling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ophelia, who prefers to be called “O”, is sent to live with her ailing aunt Emily for the summer while her father is in Italy. In a small English town, Emily runs a dusty old bookshop that is in as bad a condition as she is. The books are dusty and outdated, the shop in disrepair, and the business not bringing in enough money. O tries to get her aunt to eat more healthy food, stop smoking, and make small changes to the bookstore. During this all, she is plagued by horrible dreams of a demonic ma...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Tami rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: can-fiction, random-library-picks

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I picked up this book because I'm drawn to the Green Man myself especially at this time of the year when he is the god preparing to die and return to the earth waiting to be reborn again.

The theme of the Green Man and all the aspects that surround him are richly written into this book and woven into a beautifully worded tale. The ideas that really struck a chord with me were those around time, The Green Man acts as a gateway between opposing forces, death and rebirth, light and dark, past and f...more

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Jan 14, 2012 Anastasia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs

This review was originally posted at Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog on Jan. 13, 2012.

I hadn't realized that The Green Man is a sequel to another book when I requested it at NetGalley, but in retrospect I don't think it matters all that much. Apparently it's got some of the same characters from the first book in it, but the POV is mostly from a new character, so I don't feel too annoyed that I read this one first before reading the previous book.

O's aunt Emily is weird and probably crazy, but in the be...more This review was originally posted at Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog on Jan. 13, 2012.

I hadn't realized that The Green Man is a sequel to another book when I requested it at NetGalley, but in retrospect I don't think it matters all that much. Apparently it's got some of the same characters from the first book in it, but the POV is mostly from a new character, so I don't feel too annoyed that I read this one first before reading the previous book.

O's aunt Emily is weird and probably crazy, but in the best sort of way. She's a poet who owns a bookstore, and though O has reservations about spending the summer with Emily at The Green Man she wants to help her out after Emily's recent heart attack. What O finds at the bookshop and about aunt Emily's past, leads to a more exciting, magical, and poetry-filled summer than O ever expected.

What I liked best about The Green Man is that it's mainly about the importance of poetry, of poets, and how poets use poetry to navigate the world around them. There's a secondary plotline which is where the magical realism shows up, and to be honest that part of it felt less well-integrated into the story than everything else did. It builds up into a big-- and important-- thing by the end of the book, but the end is SO different from the beginning that they read like they belong to two different books.

I loved the first plotline. I like poetry, and I like bookstores, and I like weird people who spend their whole lives ensconced in poetry and books. The second plotline was neat, but I was less enamored of it than I was of the other. I suppose that would be where reading the first book would have come in handy: I'd have been more invested in the fantasy part of the plot more and I'd probably have liked the book more overall, too.

Still, despite the problems I had with the merging of the plotlines, The Green Man is an enjoyable book with a lot of stuff I adore in books. It's got poetry! And romance! And summers spent in bookstores! Small town stuff where the small town is a good thing rather than a bad thing! Magical realism thingies! And a protagonist who's smart and likable and just a little bit of a worrywart.(less)

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Jan 23, 2012 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-books

I wish I had known that this was a follow up book to another book. Maybe this book would have felt less rushed and fuller to me. There were so many things to like in the story - a beautiful old bookstore inhabited by the ghosts of old poets, a wonderful green leafy house in a wild ravine and poetry, poetry, poetry. But I didn't read the first book and there was so much more that could and should have been developed in this story. It was a magical read in many ways, but it was not the poem it cou...more

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Jan 28, 2012 Kayla Beck rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-release, netgalley, young-adult, middle-grade, paranormal, 2012-read

Review originally posted atKrazy Book Lady.

O Endicott travels to Caledon to spend the summer with her elderly aunt, Emily, after her father takes off to Italy for research. Emily owns the otherworldly Green Man bookshop, and lives in the apartment above it. O dabbles in poetry during her stay, but she questions her decision to write it because so many poets are insane. But are the queer things occurring around the bookshop really poet madness, or is there some kind of evil afoot?

I was about half...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Brett rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5!!! I really enjoyed this book. Not only does it celebrate poetry (always a good thing), it reminds me of the way children's/YA's fiction USED to be written: the book never talks down to its audience, it celebrates the joy of learning, and it will have readers running to the encyclopaedia/internet to research several topics: cabalism, mysticism, the poetry of Christopher Smart, etc. The book is part "Something Wicked This Way Comes" and part "Tom's Midnight Garden" (one of my all-time favouri...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Tara Hall rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Teens, Bookworms

Shelves: arcs, recommended-for-teens

I really enjoyed this book for its interesting characters and even better setting. Our young heroine, O, will be easy to relate to for any intelligent young person who has more friends in books than in kids her age. Emily, her eccentric aunt, is at once amusing and lovable. And The Green Man is exactly the kind of bookstore you imagine cool magical things might happen.

But aside from these things, which make it worth reading certainly, the rest seems to fall short. There are so many interesting...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

A magical and poetic tale in which Ophelia "O" Endicott goes to stay with her Aunt Emily for the summer and help out in Emily's book shop, The Green Man. It is a magical place, but with an underlying sinister quality. That's actually a good description of the book itself, as well.
Emily and O are both fascinating characters with flaws and struggles as well as endearing qualities. The world of poetry is almost a third main character itself, in that it greatly influences the tale and acts upon our...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Hilary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, tri-review, speculative-fiction, young-adult

In 1987, Bedard published “A Darker Magic,” the prequel to “The Green Man.” In many ways, “The Green Man,” is a reuse of the original novel’s plot. However, “The Green Man,” shows Bedard’s growth as a writer, with a more polished approach, more complicated characters, and more engaging prose enhanced with poetry. It is not necessary to have read the earlier novel to enjoy the new one, but reading both provides an opportunity for comparison and contrast and a chance to see how both heroine’s live...more In 1987, Bedard published “A Darker Magic,” the prequel to “The Green Man.” In many ways, “The Green Man,” is a reuse of the original novel’s plot. However, “The Green Man,” shows Bedard’s growth as a writer, with a more polished approach, more complicated characters, and more engaging prose enhanced with poetry. It is not necessary to have read the earlier novel to enjoy the new one, but reading both provides an opportunity for comparison and contrast and a chance to see how both heroine’s lives were destined to overlap.

Ophelia (who prefers to be called “O”) plans to spend the summer with her eccentric Aunt Emily, poet and owner of The Green Man bookstore. Upon her arrival, it is clear to O that Aunt Emily needs help. Emily is rundown and vague and the shop is in decline. O gradually takes over many of the duties at the bookstore, slowly organizing the stock and revitalizing the displays. She cooks, encouraging Emily to follow a more sensible, healthy diet and give up smoking. O ventures out into the English town, meeting more (memorable) characters and accompanying her aunt to estate sales, where Emily hopes to someday hit pay dirt.

Emily is plagued by bad dreams, ill health, and the fear that something terrible will occur on August 8, the anniversary of a childhood trauma. She becomes convinced that O will suffer the same fate as the children who attended a fateful magic show in her youth, and then died. Still, when a local architect’s last relative invites Emily to bid on a rare collection of magic books, Emily is convinced that it will be The Green Man’s salvation. As events unfold, it becomes clear the opportunity could also be the shop’s undoing.

Bedard weaves poetry, and the importance of poetry, throughout the plot. O is a blossoming poet. Emily is an established poet whose shop was once a haven for poets. Poetry brings O together with a mysterious young man (also a poet). Together, O and Emily resurrect a poets’ critique and support group. And the shop is haunted by the ghosts of old poets.

More time might have been devoted to descriptions of The Green Man (it could qualify as a character of its own in this novel). It would have been interesting to more thoroughly explore O’s poetic growth and know more about Emily’s poetry. However, the atmospheric, slightly cinematic approach will appeal to many readers. Fans of magical realism will want to read this book.

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May 27, 2012 Esmeralda rated it 4 of 5 stars

When her father temporarily moves to Italy, O is sent to live with her reclusive aunt Emily--so that O can take care of her aunt after a heart attack, and Emily can take care of O. In her eccentric way, Emily encourages O to get in touch with her inner poet, and O helps out by cleaning up her aunt's dusty used book shop. However, there is a deeper evil that is creeping in to town...The Green Man was a very interesting specimen since it defies genres. In some ways, it's a psychological mystery, i...more

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Jan 03, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, netgalley, poetry, fantasy-and-sci-fi, horror, ebook

This was an ARC from Netgalley.
I did not know much about the Green Man mythology, although I had seen his image before in art. However, the story sounded interesting, so I figured I would give it a try. The book did not disappoint. It had a very intriguing storyline that grabbed my interest early on and did not let it go until the book's conclusion.

The story is about O, a teenage girl who goes to spend the summer with her reclusive Aunt Emily. Her aunt is a poet who owns the Green Man bookstor...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Ryan rated it 3 of 5 stars

What I liked was the gentle rhythm of the summer that O visited her Aunt Emily. They both needed the other, but in different ways. Emily was eccentric, older, and had let her shop become dusty and distant. O was new to poetry and uncertain about her voice. O made sure the shop was cleaned up, made sure Emily ate something decent, tried to make sure Emily quit smoking. Emily provided space and privacy for O to write, access and introduction to other poets - through books and in person.

There was...more

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Feb 10, 2012 Koren rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, mystery

I received this book as a giveaway at the OLA Super Conference and I wasn't sure what to think of it. As I began reading, I thought that this was a coming of age story with O coming to better know herself through her poetry and her relationship with her aunt. While this was partially the case, there was a whole other element to this story with the mysterious evil magician.
I didn't realize this was a sequel, and wish I had read the first one before beginning this one. I don't usually read YA fic...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Rachel rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

Okay, this is a tough one. (Note: This is a sequel, which is something you can't really find out by reading the cover of the book.)

The book starts out as a fairly standard, albeit a touch flowery, young adult coming-of-age novel. Somewhere in the middle the supernatural creeps in, and it ends painfully abruptly and with a great deal of magical influence.

The overwhelming message of the book isn't "believe in yourself" or "word hard for the greater good" or anything uplifting like that. The messag...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, 2012, fairy-tale, supernatural

Originally published at Epic (Chocolate) Fantasy.

Bite-Sized Review
If this book had been longer and more fleshed out, I think it could have been great. As it was, I quite liked it, particularly the lovely writing style.

King-Sized Review
When her father travels to Italy for research one summer, fifteen-year-old O, short for Ophelia, spends the time with her Aunt Emily, who owns a secondhand bookstore called "The Green Man." O, a budding poet, enjoys helping her aunt in the store, but when odd thing...more Originally published at Epic (Chocolate) Fantasy.

Bite-Sized Review
If this book had been longer and more fleshed out, I think it could have been great. As it was, I quite liked it, particularly the lovely writing style.

King-Sized Review
When her father travels to Italy for research one summer, fifteen-year-old O, short for Ophelia, spends the time with her Aunt Emily, who owns a secondhand bookstore called "The Green Man." O, a budding poet, enjoys helping her aunt in the store, but when odd things start to happen, Emily realizes that her past is coming back to haunt her and O as well.

I loved the poetic style of this story. With two poets as main characters, it could hardly be otherwise, but reading parts of this book was like having words wrapped around my head so that the rest of the world disappeared. The writing was beautiful and my favorite part of the book.

The setting was another high positive. Most of the story takes place among books, which is always something to be happy about. I wish there had been a bit more about the bookstore itself – I wanted to see more of the ghosts of poets past, and have a better picture of the store. I would have liked to know more about the story of the green man as well. If the book, which was rather short, had been a bit (or a lot) longer, the setting could have been more developed.

One aspect for which I actually appreciated the under-development was the magic. There is magic in this book, but it is mysterious and dangerous, the opposite of the magic of words that Emily and O possess. The mystery surrounding the magic in this story – even the question of whether or not it really existed – added suspense and gave the book a wonderfully ethereal quality that's missing from most of this genre. Of course, the writing contributed to this aspect as well, but the uncertainty of the magic, of what's really happening in to O and Emily, really makes it a better story.

However, Emily and O themselves didn't feel entirely real either, which was not a positive. As much as I loved the writing and the setting, the characters didn't live up to the same standard. They weren't bad, they just didn't come alive the way other parts of the story did. Again, with a longer book this could have been much better. As it was, O and Emily weren't much more than faint outlines of characters without much personality. I've seen much worse characters, but there was plenty of room for improvement. And even at the end I knew next to nothing about O's love interest, and while the mystery was definitely part of his appeal, it would have been nice to know his real name, at the very least.

But overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's a quick read and definitely worthwhile for fans of a more mysterious sort of magic with a light touch of romance.
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Apr 28, 2012 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've always been intrigued by The Green Man. Most of the images I've seen of him were of a laughing smiling man, inviting you to share in his mirth. But The Green Man book store is buried, In books (absolutely no pun intended), in layers of dust, memories, ghosts of better days and of the poets of the past. When O's father goes to Italy to research his book on Ezra Pound he sends her to stay with her aunt. At one point it seems like she might have had a choice to go with him or go to her aunt's...more I've always been intrigued by The Green Man. Most of the images I've seen of him were of a laughing smiling man, inviting you to share in his mirth. But The Green Man book store is buried, In books (absolutely no pun intended), in layers of dust, memories, ghosts of better days and of the poets of the past. When O's father goes to Italy to research his book on Ezra Pound he sends her to stay with her aunt. At one point it seems like she might have had a choice to go with him or go to her aunt's, Italy would have seemed to be the logical choice for a girl in her teens, but spending the summer in a bookstore isn't terrible either. However, O. is not expecting the mess of a life she finds when she gets to her aunt's house and store. Emily, as her aunt insists on being called, is preoccupied with something and the store and house is in complete neglect as is Emily's health. O. forces her to stop smoking as she can't stand it and Emily has just suffered a recent heart attack. And as the summer progresses, O. slowly transforms The Green Man from the past, into the present, keeping the ghosts of the poets alive, but removing the clutter and dust of years of stasis.

Eccentric is what I'd call Emily. She's a poet, spent her life traveling around writing poetry never settling down until she found the Green Man. She walks around the ghostly figure of the poet Mallarme on the stairs that lead up to the apartment above the store. O. is startled at first, of course there is no one there, but she pretends and goes along with it. Her aunt also has no computer and piles and piles of boxes of books waiting to be shelved on the dusty shelves. O. notes as she goes to fix something to eat, "The fridge sat in the corner of the room, humming to itself and trying to look busy." (Kindle ARC) I pictured this rounded cartoonish refrigerator kind of buzzing with excitement hoping to be noticed. And it works because O. takes over the cooking and fills the shelves of the pantry and the refrigerator. No longer does she allow Emily coffee and cigarettes for breakfast.

The story is told sometimes for Emily's point of view and sometimes O.'s, but no matter who is doing the telling, it is clear that things are changing. They are becoming more alike. Something is up, something sinister, not like a murder or a robber, but something darker that's playing tricks on both of their minds and O. is realizing that she is a poet, that in order to be, she must write. The paranormal aspects of this novel were somewhat confusing at first because Emily is in her seventies and you don't know if it's the ramblings of an old woman's memories or if it's something believable. But it lends a feeling of creepiness to the latter part of the book. It also joins Emily and O. in a bond as more than relatives, they have experienced more than that and they are poets, together. The Green Man is aptly named as "the doorway between imagination and creation." (Kindle ARC)

This novel is very clean with a light air of romance, but more mystery to that too. It is perfect for anyone that loves stories about The Green Man, about poetry, about coming or age stories, stories about the three stages of life, about supernatural/bizarre stories. So, pretty much anyone would love this story. I thought the writing was subtle in what it was saying, and poetic, but not cryptic. Anyone with any interest in poetry would miss out if they didn't read this one. Just to note, it is not, I repeat, not written in verse. Just well written. Soft phrasing. Gentle nudges at what it's hinting at beneath the words. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I'll be picking up my own hardbound copy of this one.

Thank you to the publisher Tundra Books for the ARC via NetGalley. This in no way affected my review of the novel and no monetary compensation was received for my review.

Heather(less)

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Jan 18, 2012 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-mt-bookpile

"The Green Man" is a bookstore, owned by Emily, a 70-year-old poet; O, her teenage niece has been sent to spend the summer with her while O's father travels to Italy to research Ezra Pound. The store is dilapidated, with an almost Hoarder-esque interior and O sets out to clean and organize. She realizes that there's something odd about the store: she sees people that aren't really there, hears noises and smells roses where there are none.

Interspersed with O's story is the tale of a night at a ma...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Anna (Gatsby's Girl) rated it 4 of 5 stars

O (never Ophelia) is feeling kind of on the fence about staying with her Aunt Emily for the summer, while her Father researches his book about Ezra Pound in Italy. Once she sees her Aunt's bookshop, The Green Man she feels a sense of purpose. She also comes to feel fairly close to Emily as time goes by, sharing a love of poetry with her. Aunt Emily hasn't written poetry or had readings at the shop since her heart attack but O wants to change that. Emily has a dark secret that has plagued her sin...more

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May 16, 2012 Cindy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, early-reviewers, poetry, teen, fantasy-teen

Themes: secrets, magic, books/stories, poetry

This one was an ER book I got through Library Thing. It had a definite supernatural theme going through it, with ghosts, evil magicians, secret identities and so on. But it also revolves around a bookstore and features two women, one younger, one older. I did like this one, and didn't really foresee who the Big Bad Guy was, but it had a little too much going on. A little confusing at the very end. But it was pretty good.

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May 15, 2012 Jane Glen rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love Michael Bedard. I notice that a number of people felt they had missed out by not having read A Darker Magic first. I have (several times) and I honestly don't believe it is necessary to read it first. In fact, it might almost be more intriguing to read it after. I would call The Green Man more of a companion novel rather than a sequel. Bedard's style is unique. I have never read a fantasy/suspense novel quite like his. This novel is no exception. Although billed as young adult, this Canad...more

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Jun 01, 2012 Patricia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-fiction-mythology, teen-fiction-mystery, teen-fiction-paranormal

I am fascinated by the "Green Man" mythology so I couldn't pass up this title! Add a dusty old mysterious bookstore, an ailing elderly aunt & a restless/bored teen girl, then some poetry & open mic nights, & you have a story that I enjoyed immensely. Well-written & with an open ending that hints at a sequel. Just read that this is not the first title in this storyline- will have to hunt that one down now!

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Sep 16, 2012 Sonja rated it 3 of 5 stars

This gentle book first introduces a slightly unlikely teen - a girl named O who is content to be sent to spend the summer alone with her 70-year-old aunt tending a dusty bookshop in a quiet town. Gradually, it becomes clear there is more going on than just intergenerational book selling - something a bit mysterious, a bit paranormal, and perhaps driven by a dark magic that defies understanding.

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Jul 23, 2012 Brianda Barrera rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-fun

I wasn't really sure what this book was about at the beginning. It wasn't obvious which I guess can be a good thing. Overall though, I liked it. I enjoyed the mystery and the suspense. I liked the relationship between the niece and aunt. It was cute, the whole battle between good and evil. I wouldn't say the ending is very abrupt, though it does leave some things to be said. Like whatever happened to Rimbaud? Are we just supposed to accept that we know nothing about him? Meh. I digress.

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Apr 28, 2012 Angie rated it 5 of 5 stars

this is a story about a family of poets, and the wording of the book is also quiet beautifully poetic itself. lovely, and so refreshing after the stilted book i finished right before i started it. the more i read the easier it is for me to see how books are good or bad, well written or poorly, shabbily done. Thanks Mr Bedard for a pretty cool story!

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Apr 16, 2012 Pam Torres rated it 3 of 5 stars

Original Review on soimfifty.blogspot.com

O, not Ophelia and quirky Emily are great characters and I enjoyed watching their relationship grow. When I picked this up I hadn't ever heard of the author or the fact that his prior debut fiction was the first in the series, but I didn't feel like anything was missing. The mystery permeated each page right from the first and weaved it's vines around tightly pulling me along until the very end. The subtle overtones of the Green Man mythology of death, re...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Tammy Cordeiro (devadasi7) rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is probably more like a 2 1/2 stars.....but it does pick up and get better if you stick with it.

My full review is on my blog: Into the Mystic

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Jun 28, 2012 Laurie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children

Thoughtful, suspenseful (dark magic), heavy poetry focus, full character development. Recommend for (mostly girls) 11 - 15.
Setting of Caledon is actually located in the greater Toronto area (our author lives in Toronto)--some reviews thought it was an English town.

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Feb 19, 2012 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received The Green Man through the Goodreads Firstreads giveaway. I'm surprised that this falls under the category of YA literature, not because the subject matter is inappropriate, but mainly because the book is about so much more than just the thoughts and feelings of 15 year old Ophelia (a.k.a. O). In actuality, she's not the only main character of this novel; her aunt, Emily, a 70 year old woman, is featured just as much, and we're privy to her thoughts as frequently as those of her niece....more

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About Michael Bedard

Michael Bedard was born and raised in Toronto. His novels include Stained Glass, A Darker Magic, Painted Devil, and Redwork, which received the Governor General’s Literary Award and the Canadian Library Association’s Book of the Year Award for Children. He has also written several acclaimed picture books, including The Clay Ladies, which received the Toronto IODE Book Award. His biography, William...more

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BBCode	[url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11408298-the-green-man?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1321985580l/11408298.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11408298-the-green-man?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Green Man by Michael Bedard[/url]

The Green Man

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