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153rd out of 270 books
—
746 voters
Darkwood
Darkness falls so quickly in Howland that the people there have no word for evening. One minute the sky is light, the next minute it is black. But darkness comes in other forms, too, and for thirteen-year-old Annie, the misery she endures in her Uncle’s household makes the black of night seem almost soothing. When Annie escapes, her route takes her first to a dangerous min...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
May 12th 2009
by Bloomsbury USA Childrens
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A sort-of selkie tale, set in one of those Countries Gone Bad (evil miners, silly king), orphans, dark woods, and a bunch of other fairy tale tropes combined into one interesting book.
The action sequences were a bit confusing - almost as though they weren't really plotted out on a map but just thrown in as "gee, this sounds good". And the ending left me equally confused: was the prophecy finished? What actually happened to Gibbet? I'm not sure the confusion was meant...
Two things I loved: the ch...more
The action sequences were a bit confusing - almost as though they weren't really plotted out on a map but just thrown in as "gee, this sounds good". And the ending left me equally confused: was the prophecy finished? What actually happened to Gibbet? I'm not sure the confusion was meant...
Two things I loved: the ch...more
In Howland, darkness falls so quick that people there have no word for evening. It's not the darkness that they fear, it's the kinderstalk, creatures that roam the forest killing those that enter it.
Annie is a more adventures twelve year old that lives under her aunt and uncle's care since her parents died. After her sister's death, all she is able to do is just survive there. Until one night she escapes before she is basically sold off. Out on her escape and the journey she now faces, she find...more
Annie is a more adventures twelve year old that lives under her aunt and uncle's care since her parents died. After her sister's death, all she is able to do is just survive there. Until one night she escapes before she is basically sold off. Out on her escape and the journey she now faces, she find...more
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Darkwood is one of those novels that leaves you thinking WOW! There is so much going on in this intriguing debut novel that I am still trying to get my head wrapped around it. The story has an interesting premise featuring a land that suddenly gets dark for no explanation, an orphan trying to survive, and 2 adorable cats. I really enjoyed Annie as a character; however, I felt like the cats were the actual stars of the book.
In addition, I have to give kudos to Breen for the major twist of the nov...more
In addition, I have to give kudos to Breen for the major twist of the nov...more
This book was rather interesting but didn’t really excite my mind like I had hoped it would. I think the title is what really drew me in because I like a mystery and a great fiction, and this definitely had both of those elements. I love how the author gave subtle hints through out the book, but never really tells what will happen and it has a really in your face feel about the entire story line. The thrill and suspension throughout the book wouldn’t let me lay the book down for more then five m...more
read full review at Deseret News
Children are often afraid of things that go bump in the night. It's usually a phase they grow out of and monsters under the bed are no longer something to fear.
But in "Darkwood" author M.E. Breen imagines a world where everyone — including the adults — are afraid of the dark and the mysterious creatures that move within it.
The cover and title of "Darkwood" suggest a dark novel, which in part is true, but also found within its pages is a young heroine. Annie's stre...more
Children are often afraid of things that go bump in the night. It's usually a phase they grow out of and monsters under the bed are no longer something to fear.
But in "Darkwood" author M.E. Breen imagines a world where everyone — including the adults — are afraid of the dark and the mysterious creatures that move within it.
The cover and title of "Darkwood" suggest a dark novel, which in part is true, but also found within its pages is a young heroine. Annie's stre...more
Excellent protagonist
When Annie sees her uncle accept payment from a man who wants to steal her away, she runs to the last place she thinks he'll follow – Darkwood. Alone in the dark with the creatures of the forest – the Kinderstalk, Annie struggles to find her way. She travels east, looking to leave Dour County forever. But just on the edge of the county line the starving girl stops at a peculiar farm. Though no food grows in Dour County, a wide assortment of beautiful vegetables grow at the f...more
When Annie sees her uncle accept payment from a man who wants to steal her away, she runs to the last place she thinks he'll follow – Darkwood. Alone in the dark with the creatures of the forest – the Kinderstalk, Annie struggles to find her way. She travels east, looking to leave Dour County forever. But just on the edge of the county line the starving girl stops at a peculiar farm. Though no food grows in Dour County, a wide assortment of beautiful vegetables grow at the f...more
I was really surprised to find this book in the juvenile section but the age of the main character and the complete lack of a romance angle for her in this book probably put it there rather than the young adult section. The main character, Annie, is a child. We never learn her age but I’d put her probably at 10, possibly at 11 years of age. There are several years between Annie and her older sister, Page, but we are never told the exact age difference.
The location and scene changes in this story...more
The location and scene changes in this story...more
The title and cover of this book immediately caught my eye at the library. And after reading the summary I was even more intrigued. This is definitely a more unique fantasy than I've read in awhile. I thought it was a very good read for youth and adults alike.
The author wastes no time in immersing the reader in action and curiosity. At times the story seemed slightly disjointed but I think the author intended it to be, so that we felt more like Annie does as she herself comes abruptly into new...more
The author wastes no time in immersing the reader in action and curiosity. At times the story seemed slightly disjointed but I think the author intended it to be, so that we felt more like Annie does as she herself comes abruptly into new...more
Thirteen-year-old Annie lives a bleak life in her Uncle's household, until the day she escapes and finds a mysterious mine with precious stones that are being stolen from the king. She also finds that her past isn't everything that she thought it was, that she's tied to the feared and dangerous kinderstalk -strange werewolf-like creatures that inhabit the world of Darkwood.
Drawing on fairy tale roots and dark mythology, Darkwood delivers an enjoyable and entertaining coming-of-age story. While t...more
Drawing on fairy tale roots and dark mythology, Darkwood delivers an enjoyable and entertaining coming-of-age story. While t...more
DARKWOOD is beautifully written, compelling, atmospheric, richly imagined...but still unsatisfying. Despite Breen's wonderful, polished writing, I felt like I was reading a sketch or an outline - the bare bones of a story that hadn't been fully developed.
I was drawn in from the very beginning by the eerie setting, the barren outpost of a strange land where night falls instantly and the darkness is so complete it strands every citizen inside his or her home until the sun rises again.
And I loved...more
I was drawn in from the very beginning by the eerie setting, the barren outpost of a strange land where night falls instantly and the darkness is so complete it strands every citizen inside his or her home until the sun rises again.
And I loved...more
In the country of Howland, night falls in minutes. The people of Dour County live in fear of mysterious beasts known as the kinderstalk, who devour those unlucky enough to be caught out of doors after dark. Annie has spent her enter life hearing about children who were "taken" by the monsters; but when her uncle condemns her to an even worse fate, she braves the dark and unwittingly begins a journey to discover her destiny.
This is a solid novel for Middle School age groups. While some adult rea...more
This is a solid novel for Middle School age groups. While some adult rea...more
I got this book because I loved the cover and the title. Then I read the synopsis and it sounded very fairy tale like and intriguing and I was hooked. Overall it was an okay book; it wasn't as engaging as I had hoped but it was still an okay read.
Thirteen year old Annie lives with her cruel uncle and her passive aunt. Just when she thinks things can't get any worse she is sold off to work at The Drop, a horrible mine. Rather than do what her uncle wants she escapes and wanders out into the fores...more
Thirteen year old Annie lives with her cruel uncle and her passive aunt. Just when she thinks things can't get any worse she is sold off to work at The Drop, a horrible mine. Rather than do what her uncle wants she escapes and wanders out into the fores...more
There are two people in the world: People who wait to find out what the foreshadowing means for the future and the people who finds out what the foreshadowing means. As for me, I am one of those latter people.
The book sounds fascinating when I picked it up, it has the sense of mystery a book should have, but I can't help but feel like the sense of finality to the mystery feels...incomplete and really poorly executed. So, did the king died after his metal heart switcheroo?
In fact, did he even nee...more
The book sounds fascinating when I picked it up, it has the sense of mystery a book should have, but I can't help but feel like the sense of finality to the mystery feels...incomplete and really poorly executed. So, did the king died after his metal heart switcheroo?
In fact, did he even nee...more
A lot of the fantasy I've read over the last few years seems to all be drawing from the same pool of ideas -- but definitely not this one! This is an incredibly compelling book.
While it's great watching Annie (the main character) learn more about her world and her family, and about her own strengths, as the book develops, one of the things that made this book so amazingly real is that even the minor characters have a lot of depth to them. No one feels like a cardboard prop in this book!
And whi...more
While it's great watching Annie (the main character) learn more about her world and her family, and about her own strengths, as the book develops, one of the things that made this book so amazingly real is that even the minor characters have a lot of depth to them. No one feels like a cardboard prop in this book!
And whi...more
In Howland, the moon has not been seen in seven centuries, and when the day is over, night slams down over the land without the grace of a sunset or dusk. Why this is remains a mystery throughout this dark and atmospheric fantasy, although we gain an idea of what vile creature is responsible for this black and dangerous night.
In the night, hungry animals prowl - the "kinderstalk," who are held responsible for the disappearance, one by one, of many of the children in Dour County. But when young A...more
In the night, hungry animals prowl - the "kinderstalk," who are held responsible for the disappearance, one by one, of many of the children in Dour County. But when young A...more
Darkwood had all the elements of a great story, but the pieces fit together a bit oddly--not unevenly or jaggedly or anything. It's hard to put a finger on what kept me from enjoying this book about a girl seeking to ... well, maybe that was the problem.
The heroine here, Annie, is fleeing a tyrannical adoptive family and the slave life into which they sought to sell her. She's avoiding the dangerous--though possibly misunderstood--kinderstalk that prowl the dark forests at night. She's searching...more
The heroine here, Annie, is fleeing a tyrannical adoptive family and the slave life into which they sought to sell her. She's avoiding the dangerous--though possibly misunderstood--kinderstalk that prowl the dark forests at night. She's searching...more
Jul 24, 2009
Shel
added it
Breen, M.E. (2009). Darkwood. New York: Bloomsbury Children's Literature.
1599902591
An orphan named Annie (no relation to the musical Annie) lives with her uncle and aunt who are far from wonderful caregivers. Annie misses her dead sister as well as her lost friend, Gregor, who along with many other children in the area has been taken by the beastly and hungry Kinderstalk.
Annie overhears her uncle planning to sell her into service at the Drop, a place that Annie is certain will lead to hear death...more
1599902591
An orphan named Annie (no relation to the musical Annie) lives with her uncle and aunt who are far from wonderful caregivers. Annie misses her dead sister as well as her lost friend, Gregor, who along with many other children in the area has been taken by the beastly and hungry Kinderstalk.
Annie overhears her uncle planning to sell her into service at the Drop, a place that Annie is certain will lead to hear death...more
When Annie learns that her uncle is going to sell her into slavery at a local glow stone mine, she decides to escape. The only problem is that there is nowhere to escape to, except the dark forest where anything left outside at night is taken by creatures called the Kinderstalk. But with the help of her two protective cats and developing abilities that include being able to see in the dark, Annie must not only save the other children being sold into the mine but find out what and who she really...more
This children's novel is set in another land, where there is magic. In Howland, darkness comes suddenly and completely. There is no moon, no stars, and people are afraid of what is out in the dark, particularly of what is in the forest. Annie Trewitt lives with her aunt and uncle, on a farm near the woods. She has been taught to fear the the creatures of the dark, the kinderstalk. Children have been disappearing from their community, like Annie's sister Page. No trace is found of them. When Anni...more
For as long as she can remember, Annie has lived with her Aunt Prim and Uncle Jock, who took her and her sister in when their parents died. With her sister, Page, also gone, Annie is very much on her own in a house with two adults who don't care for her at all. Children in her village tend to disappear, rumored to be stolen by the kinderstalk (large black wolves who roam the nearby forests). When Annie discovers that her uncle is going to sell her to a terrible man, she tries to escape. With the...more
The dark is all encompassing. Children are being taken. Kinderstalk roam the woods. Page has been missing for years. Annie is going to be sold. When Annie runs away and finds herself in a work camp forcing children to work on the cliffs, she resolves to do something about it. She runs away from there, hoping to find her way to the King and get him to listen to her. She finds unexpected allies in two old women and her missing sister. And the Kinderstalk, which turn out to be wolves. Annie can see...more
I Personally now consider this book in my top 3 favorites, heck it might even be my number 1 favorite. The author just has a way of a giving details in a way quick enough so that you don't take to long to read about whats happening and fall behind on the action while still making it interesting. He also constantly slips in hints of whats going to happen, without making too obvious. Some might argue that the plot and ending were "unsatisfying," but I couldn't agree less. The ending does leave you...more
Slightly spoilerish review, so I’ll just keep it hidden.
(view spoiler)...more
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Darkness falls so quickly in Howland that the people there have no word for evening. But for thirteen-yearold Annie, the dark is almost soothing compared to the misery of her cruel aunt and uncle's house. When Annie finally escapes, she finds herself on a journey that will take her deep into the forest—where fearsome creatures lurk—and to the glittering halls of a palace. Hints of the Brothers Grimm add magic to this spellbinding and beautifully told story.
I really enjoyed the dark fairytale wo...more
I really enjoyed the dark fairytale wo...more
This is definitely a preteen book, but really good! I wouldn't necessarily recommend this as a great read for adults, but the plot was great for a kid's story. It was twisty and scary but not too scary. I liked that it was intelligently written, and didn't seem to talk down to the audience, like some kids' books do.
Story is about a girl who lives on the edge of a forest where kinderstalk take children and others that are out after dark. Then she finds out her uncle isn't who he says he is and sh...more
Story is about a girl who lives on the edge of a forest where kinderstalk take children and others that are out after dark. Then she finds out her uncle isn't who he says he is and sh...more
REVIEW
I will start with what I liked about Darkwood. The main character, Annie, was a brave heroine. Believing her family had died, Annie had a rough childhood living with her uncle. Because Annie was so well written, I felt sad for her and the struggles she endured.
I also liked the ending of this book. It was very unexpected and touching. I won’t give it away, but I will say that it had to do with family.
Now, for what I did not care for. The plot moved slowly for me and most of my questions wer...more
I will start with what I liked about Darkwood. The main character, Annie, was a brave heroine. Believing her family had died, Annie had a rough childhood living with her uncle. Because Annie was so well written, I felt sad for her and the struggles she endured.
I also liked the ending of this book. It was very unexpected and touching. I won’t give it away, but I will say that it had to do with family.
Now, for what I did not care for. The plot moved slowly for me and most of my questions wer...more
There is so much happening in this book you are sucked in immediately. The problem is not everything is flushed out.
Annie lives in Dour County in Howland where nightfall is like the flip of a switch. The people are stalked by creatures called 'kinderstalk'. She is sold and forced to work in The Drop, a giant cliff face where people are mining for ringstone. But she escapes and plans to go to the King and tell him all about the corruption at the Drop, but instead runs into a whole lot of surprise...more
Annie lives in Dour County in Howland where nightfall is like the flip of a switch. The people are stalked by creatures called 'kinderstalk'. She is sold and forced to work in The Drop, a giant cliff face where people are mining for ringstone. But she escapes and plans to go to the King and tell him all about the corruption at the Drop, but instead runs into a whole lot of surprise...more
I read 3 1/2 chapters of this book and had to give up. The writer's style was hard for me to follow. One minute the character was in the forest, the next minute she was waking up in someone's shop...I have no clue how she got there or who these people were! Plus, this far into the book, there was little character development on Annie (I think that was her name), so she meant absolutely nothing to me. Also it kept talking about kinderstalk, like I'm supposed to just know what they are. They were...more
Great book! From the second I saw the cover picture to the first page, the book had a creepy, scary, suspenseful feel to it. The kinderstalk are some of the scariest creatures I've read in a while and I liked the slow reveal about what they really were, preserving the scariness and sense of desperation and fear.
I also liked the characters, especially the main character, though at times her abrupt change of feelings pulled me out of the story. I also felt like most of the book was spent traveling...more
I also liked the characters, especially the main character, though at times her abrupt change of feelings pulled me out of the story. I also felt like most of the book was spent traveling...more
Why do I have a feeling this is another one I unfortunately picked up that will undoubtedly be the first book of a series? That's because it is. Only the barest plots got unraveled and explained by the end of the book, and yet some intricate conflict has arisen just as soon as things were solved.
Slightly depressing, and while I did like a few things, I felt the book had very little to do with anything, really. It was much too short to tie in all the loose ends, and that's probably where the stor...more
Slightly depressing, and while I did like a few things, I felt the book had very little to do with anything, really. It was much too short to tie in all the loose ends, and that's probably where the stor...more
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M.E. Breen grew up with dogs, cats, newts, turtles, rabbits and rats in the woolly hills of Berkeley, California. She now lives by the ocean in San Francisco.
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