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Oct 11, 2010

Suna rated it:

A stunning followup to Wise Child, we are here invited into Juniper's childhood and her coming of age.

We are told how Euny the Crone came into her cushy little life as a princess of Cornwall and set everything on its head.
We journey in a similar vein as Wise Child did in her education with the adult Juniper and, oh, so satisfying, we are given a closer peek into Juniper's love for Wise Child's father, Finbar.

Again, my deep admiration for the use of a detailed initia More...

4 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 08, 2010

Minh rated it:

I was saddened during my research to find out that Ms Furlong had actually passed away in 2003. That said, this book is actually the 2nd part (although being a prequal) of a trilogy, the other two parts I will pick up as soon as I can.

It's a book I got as a birthday present years ago and is one of the few children's novels which I've kept from my actual childhood. The story is about a child named Juniper (which is the title of the new editions) and her journey to becoming a powerful witch (I ca More...

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Apr 04, 2010

Erin rated it:

Honesty is the best policy they say so here it is: I loved Wise Child, but I didn't love this book. Of course, that's just reading it now for the first time as an adult where I read Wise Child for the first time as a tween (and re-read just last month). I really liked it, but I didn't love it. The plot in my opinion is a little more simple than that of Wise Child (or maybe it's the other way around) and in someway that made me like it a little less.

I will say though: if you love t More...

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Dec 27, 2011

Katie rated it:

I wanted to love this more, considering how obsessed I was with Wise Child as a kid. Maybe my nostalgia overhyped it for me, or maybe this prequel just didn't have the same energy to it. Maybe I'll do a full review later, but suffice to say, this book was fine, it just didn't light up for me the way its predecessor does in my memories.

Also, and I know this is meta, but it seemed ironic that the crime of ghosting Gamal (taking control of his body and soul and using him like a puppet) More...

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Jul 24, 2011

Allyson rated it:

I always pick up something in the YA section of the library while my son plays on the computer. This book surprised me, I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. It is simply told, but has a lot of detail about the medieval world of the main character, Ninnoc, and her family and friends. I really enjoyed the depiction of what they call magic. I think this would be an especially good read for young Wiccans. I didn't know it was part of a series; I'll definitely be searching out the other two. More...

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Jan 12, 2011

Helene rated it:

This is a book that I kept coming back to when I was younger. It’s a story about a young girl, Juniper, who is an apprentice to a witch. She struggles to save her family from her aunt Meroot who has become power-hungry. Magic is prevalent in the story but it seems more like inner strength that comes from Juniper then something that is unnatural. Its setting is much less developed then the world today, living more with nature then away from it. A quick read because of the suspenseful story and ca More...

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Sep 16, 2009

Ruby rated it:

(YA Fantasy) Book summary: 'The only child of the king of Cornwall, Juniper enjoys the easy life of a medieval princess. Still, something compels her to study with her godmother, Euny, a harsh but wise woman who teaches the girl about herbs, healing, and the magic within nature. As her training comes to an end, Juniper discovers that her power-hungry aunt is using black magic in an attempt to seize the throne. Armed only with her new, untested powers, Juniper must find a way to stop her--befo More...

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Aug 14, 2010

Nancy rated it:

After suffering a bit from book ADD (you know, you pick book after book from your shelf and nothing is quite right) I figured the safest path for reading satisfaction was to pick up an old favorite. That’s how I found my way to Juniper, one of my first young adult books, first experienced when I was in middle school (which, I’m beginning to realize, was a pretty long time ago). It tells the story of a young girl named, Ninnoc, only child of King Mark of Cornwall. Ninnoc starts off the story livi More...

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Apr 25, 2008

Juushika rated it:

The prequel to Wise Child, Juniper is the story of Ninnoc, know as Juniper, a medieval princess sent to apprentice under her godmother. Juniper leaves her friends, family, and the comforts of her father's small palace to live with Euny, her grandmother, in a small cold shack on the edge of the kingdom. Under Euny's care she toils throughout the day, eats little, and sleeps poorly, all with the promise that, in time, Euny will teach her the knowledge and ways of a doran, the women of the world wh More...

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Nov 06, 2010

Julia rated it:

This book is a prequel to "Wise Child", though both of them can be read as stand alones. Ninnoc is the prized and pampered daughter of a king, who eventually is sent away to live with a wise relative in the woods. Her god mother is a gruff and cranky peasant, and life in a shack in the forest is quite different from life in a castle with servants. This book is short in length, but rich in the kinds of details that make a story come to life.

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Jan 04, 2009

Cori rated it:

If you ever had a thing for witches, this is your kind of book. Since I was a witch or a soreceress for much of my childhood, you can imagine this is a book/series I worshipped. Feminism, witchcraft, love, finding your way . . . so ME in junior high and high school. Of course if you're not into women with long hair who fly in the night, carry around magic rocks, and communicate with animals using telepathy, don't bother :).

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Aug 03, 2009

Ashley rated it:

I wish I could give half stars, because this book is really a 4.5 star read. I loved it almost as much as the book that chronologically follows, Wise Child. This book is about the life of Juniper while she is growing up. This, like Wise Child could be read to stand alone. The book works well on its own, although there is definitely something added to the story when you also read Wise Child!

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Jan 31, 2009

Danielle rated it:

This was one of my favorite books as a child and I decided to revisit it. I was so excited to find that I still loved it! This is a fantasy-ish book with magic, friendships, and the "battle between good and evil." If I had to choose one word to describe this book, "earthy" comes to mind. You can almost smell the icy air, the forests with their plump berries,and the homespun wool.

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Mar 26, 2008

Nicole rated it:

This is another favorite from my childhood. I just re-read it and it's predecessor "Wise Child". It, like the latter, is just as good as I remembered it. It's a great read even for adults with strong female characters and an absorbing story. "Wise Child" should definitely be read first. This one is quite as good as "Wise Child", but definitely worthwhile. The third book that continues the story after "Wise Child" called "Colman" was written many More...

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Aug 18, 2009

Ilana rated it:

Juniper is the prequel to Wise Child, and it is better in some ways and not as good in others. In some aspects it seemed a little too similar to Wise Child. It also didn't seem as real as Wise Child did. The setting felt more fantasy in some way. Apart from that, I loved the discription and characters just as much as the in Wise Child, and I loved the fact that you get to see Juniper grow up. It might not have been quite gradual enough, almost like one minute Juniper was a child and the next she More...

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Jun 28, 2010

Sarah rated it:

Like Wise Child, I think I would have loved this book so much more if I'd found it as a child. I still enjoyed it, but I wasn't particularly engaged with it, and again, some of the characters seemed a little too perfect.

However, yet again, it featured some excellent and varied relationships between women (without excluding the men).

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Jul 25, 2009

Debbie (Readerbuzz) rated it:

I've somehow never heard about this small series
by Monica Furlong; it deserves more readers. Juniper is the only
child of the king. She begins to train with Euny, her godmother, a
rigid and unfeeling woman, and slowly, with Euny's help, learns about
the true nature of power and about the truly important things in the
world.

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Dec 30, 2008

Maria rated it:

This is the prequel to Wise Child. It's a nice story because it allows you to stay in the Wise Child world, but I am not drawn to it with the force of the original. Perhaps this is no more than the usual problem with the second book in a series. I wonder if middle children suffer the was middle books do?

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Apr 20, 2011

Cecile rated it:

Leuker dan toen ik hem las toen ik kind was (maar toen had ik deel 2, Heksenkind, eerder gelezen en die was beter). Princess becomes witch, maar dan niet op de Harry Potter manier. Het gaat in dit boek meer om het zien en voelen, in plaats van allerlei magische truukjes. Mooi jeugdboek dat ook valt binnen de thema's 'kind wordt volwassen' en 'dapper durven zijn'.

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Dec 28, 2011

doreen rated it:

i read this book as a child and reread it often--well into my teens. It's a classic book, especially for young girls who seem to have a fondness for stories of fantasy and magic. It captured my imagination well enough to make me want to have powers akin to that of a doran.

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Dec 16, 2011

Cathy rated it:

The characters were all so real, each with their own problems. I liked that this was a prequel but I read Wise Child first. In Wise Child, you see Juniper as a loving, put together and sensible adult. However in Juniper, she is a compulsive wild child herself.

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Jun 09, 2010

Erin rated it:

I discovered that a sequel to this and Wise Child was released in 2004 (?), so a couple of quick re-reads were in order before I get that in the mail.

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Jan 27, 2010

Erica rated it:

I've probably read this book more than any other. Whenever I have a passionate philosophy about the world, it can probably be traced back to Juniper, or its companion, Wise Child. I recently realized that my interest in weaving was no accident, rather ingrained from countless re-readings of Juniper. Duh.

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Feb 12, 2009

Brooke rated it:

Loved her writing again! Her ability to draw you into the characters and make you love them is awesome. I am glad that I read Wise Child first and then this prequel later. I think knowing Juniper as an adult first made me like her more!

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Feb 02, 2012

Heidi rated it:

This is a prequel to Wise Child, the back story of the princess-turned-healer known as Juniper.

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Apr 30, 2010

Rebecca rated it:

Prequel to Wise Child, I enjoyed the backstory on Juniper's character. It helps explain her patience with Wise Child, to know how Juniper grew up. Would you have the strength to choose hardship in order to learn how to appreciate the delicate goodness around you?

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Aug 29, 2010

Kirsten rated it:

This was okay, but I think I would have appreciated it much much more some 20 years ago (gulp!). From my jaded state of middle age, this was kind of light-weight and not very fulfilling.

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Dec 03, 2008

Joy rated it:

I was incredibly fond of this book as a child. Unfortunately, I never liked the second book, Wise Child anywhere near as much. Juniper's childhood and the dark life in Cornwall for some reason appealed to me more. Still, a great read dealing with the ancient magics of the British Isles.

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Jan 14, 2011

Qing rated it:

US Edition is called \Juniper\", but I can't seem to find the cover for the actual book. =( boo^^^^Recommended by Minh. The prequel to \"Wise Child\"."

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Jan 14, 2012

Erin rated it:

I loved this book as a pre-teen. I love the mix of magic and historical realism. Her other book, Wise Child, is just as good.

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