Ever since Jacob Reckless was a child, he has been escaping to a hidden world through a portal in his father's abandoned study. Over the years, he ...
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Feb 19, 2011
★ Jess
rated it: 
Oh dear....
What a disappointing book. The very pages stunk of mediocrity.
The main issue with 'Reckless' lies solely with the characters: Cornelia Funke plunges us right into the middle of the story, with no detail on the characters what-so-ever. Jacob, Will and Clara are possibly THE WORST leads in a novel I have ever read about. There is absolutely no chemistry between them. I couldn't care less about what happens to them.
I imagine Cornelia Funke's brainstorming of these ch More...
What a disappointing book. The very pages stunk of mediocrity.
The main issue with 'Reckless' lies solely with the characters: Cornelia Funke plunges us right into the middle of the story, with no detail on the characters what-so-ever. Jacob, Will and Clara are possibly THE WORST leads in a novel I have ever read about. There is absolutely no chemistry between them. I couldn't care less about what happens to them.
I imagine Cornelia Funke's brainstorming of these ch More...
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Oct 02, 2011
Minli
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I'm not sure if it's because this book was originally written in German, and German translated into English is clunky by default (have you ever had to read Weber? remember how fun that was?) but Cornelia Funke's style really takes some getting used to. It's not for everyone--I'm not even sure if it's for me. On one hand, the Mirrorworld was intriguing, and my favourite part was learning that the there were different types of Goyl based on the types of rocks. On the other, Jacob has got to be the
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Feb 13, 2012
Lydia
rated it: 
I am extremely happy to write a review of this book. It was simply excellent. If you can imagine the fantasy of Tolkien, with the emotional connectivity of modern stories, and an anti-hero Paul Newman would be proud of, you will get a little taste of this tale.
The modern idea of taking timeless fairy tales and "revealing" their true, much darker, origins is an idea Funke plays out in this novel where a young man named Jacob runs from the pain of his youth, through a lookin More...
The modern idea of taking timeless fairy tales and "revealing" their true, much darker, origins is an idea Funke plays out in this novel where a young man named Jacob runs from the pain of his youth, through a lookin More...
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Jan 29, 2012
Andrés
rated it:
First when I read the first couple of chapters I felt a bit disapointed because I realized the style was meant like a fantasy adventure book for children. But as I keep reading the book became more and more engaging.
The dark twist in the fairy tale world may not be a new concept but is pretty well handled in this novel, sometimes when authors focus on writting this type of books they only develop certain aspects of the fantastic world delivering an uncreative, unimaginative book. On th More...
The dark twist in the fairy tale world may not be a new concept but is pretty well handled in this novel, sometimes when authors focus on writting this type of books they only develop certain aspects of the fantastic world delivering an uncreative, unimaginative book. On th More...
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Sep 04, 2011
Anne Nikoline
rated it:
Since the INK trilogy I've been a huge fan of the author, Cornelia Funke's, work, so I thought this book would be easy peasy to fall in love with, like I did with the INK trilogy, only I did not fall in love with Reckless
The book has such a great potential; it has a lot of retelling elements such has Sleeping Beauty and magical creatures such as dwarfs and faeries. The universe behind the mirror was a brilliant idea, but unfortunately I did not find the universe appealing at all. To me More...
The book has such a great potential; it has a lot of retelling elements such has Sleeping Beauty and magical creatures such as dwarfs and faeries. The universe behind the mirror was a brilliant idea, but unfortunately I did not find the universe appealing at all. To me More...
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Dec 29, 2010
Alan
rated it:
What if all those fairy tale stories, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty etc., all those stories with magical creatures or witches, stories of trolls and giants, what if these stories didn't come from the minds of men. What if they were true stories from a different world. A world you could get into through a magical mirror.
This is that story. The story of Jacob Restless, a boy who's father had disappeared years earlier, a boy who one day, while in his fathers study, discover More...
This is that story. The story of Jacob Restless, a boy who's father had disappeared years earlier, a boy who one day, while in his fathers study, discover More...
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Oct 25, 2011
"El joven Jacob Reckless llega a un mundo fantástico tras cruzar un espejo que halla en el despacho de su padre. Es un lugar extraño y peligroso, pero el muchacho pronto se encuentra en él mejor que en casa, y sus viajes a través del espejo se hacen más frecuentes. Muchos años después, cuando Jacob es ya un reputado cazatesoros curtido en mil batallas, su hermano menor, Will, lo sigue hasta allí y cae bajo un hechizo que petrifica su carne poco a poco. Si Jacob no hace nada para evitarlo, s
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Feb 13, 2012
Barb
rated it: 
Jacob Reckless is impulsive, fast, edgy and reckless. He travels between two worlds using a mirror looking for his father who disappeared mysteriously. In the real world he disappears for weeks at a time leaving his brother and mother to fend for themselves. In the alternate world Jacob finds a place where fairy tales come to life with fairies, witches, and Goyls (something of a cross between a gorgon and gargoyle).
Jacob’s brother Will follows him into the alternate world and gets inf More...
Jacob’s brother Will follows him into the alternate world and gets inf More...
Dec 03, 2011
Maxine
rated it:
My sister bought me this. As I have read all other books of Cornelia Funke I was pretty excited to read this book.
Jacob Reckless was 12 when he first found the world behind mirror in his father’s study. For 12 years he has carefully guarded his secret until one fateful night when his carelessness led to his brother following him to the other world. Now his brother is slowly turning into a Goyl, creature of stone, because of the Dark Fairy’s curse. Can Jacob free his brother from this c More...
Jacob Reckless was 12 when he first found the world behind mirror in his father’s study. For 12 years he has carefully guarded his secret until one fateful night when his carelessness led to his brother following him to the other world. Now his brother is slowly turning into a Goyl, creature of stone, because of the Dark Fairy’s curse. Can Jacob free his brother from this c More...
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Nov 23, 2011
Danielle
rated it: 
Loving every one of Cornelia Funkes books, this was no exception. She created yet another world Id happily exchange for this one, where enchantments and magical objects, better referred to as treasures, lie hidden, including marvelous pocket-handkerchiefs that spill gold, wishing sacks, scales of Watermen and glass slippers, hairs of Rapunzel that grow thick as ropes and long like one too, slime of carnivorous snails that make one invisible, and of course, the mythical creatures, which extend to
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Nov 14, 2011
Elizabeth
rated it:
A lot of people didn't like that Funke doesn't give her readers much of a springboard into the beginning of her novel. She jumps immediately into the stories of Jacob and Will, with rare and only occasional explanations of their past. I thought this was a risky artistic decision that paid off, at least for me, because it made me curious about Jacob in particular and the characters in general. Funke just fed readers slow bits of information about them and how they came to be where they were, and
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Oct 27, 2011
Kris
rated it:
Review copied from original post at Imaginary Reads
Cornelia Funke has one incredible imagination. Ever since reading Inkheart, I’ve been a big fan of hers, so I was really excited to be given the opportunity to review Reckless. She didn’t disappoint. Overall, Reckless is a highly enjoyable read filled with a brilliant cast of characters that comes to life through the magic of Cornelia’s rich, vivid imagery, and the strong voices that she implants within them.
Reckless take More...
Cornelia Funke has one incredible imagination. Ever since reading Inkheart, I’ve been a big fan of hers, so I was really excited to be given the opportunity to review Reckless. She didn’t disappoint. Overall, Reckless is a highly enjoyable read filled with a brilliant cast of characters that comes to life through the magic of Cornelia’s rich, vivid imagery, and the strong voices that she implants within them.
Reckless take More...
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Oct 24, 2011
Aik Chien
rated it:
My first book by Cornelia Funk, and probably my last.
I don't mean to sound critical, but Reckless really reads like a failed fairy-tale mash-up. Needless to say, I'm disappointed.
What's the problem with Reckless?
An insubstantial opening. Basically, I really had no idea what is going on at the beginning of the novel and it took me moments to realize the identities of the characters. They felt boring but I forced myself to go through it, since I didn't want to giv More...
I don't mean to sound critical, but Reckless really reads like a failed fairy-tale mash-up. Needless to say, I'm disappointed.
What's the problem with Reckless?
An insubstantial opening. Basically, I really had no idea what is going on at the beginning of the novel and it took me moments to realize the identities of the characters. They felt boring but I forced myself to go through it, since I didn't want to giv More...
Oct 16, 2011
Josie
rated it:
Ohhh I do love fairytale-inspired stories, but this one just didn't quite cut it. I thought the Mirrorworld was very well crafted -- lots of dark references to child-eating witches, trees that would love to kill you, and magical objects such as wishing chairs and gold trees and cudgels-in-the-sack. And the premise looked so promising as well! Jacob Reckless, treasure-hunter to the Empress, suddenly finds himself in a race against time to cure his brother Will, who has followed him through to
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Oct 11, 2011
Amanda
rated it:
See My Full Review Here: http://www.hippiesbeautyandbooksohmy.com...
My Review: I’ll admit that I am a huge fan girl of Cornelia Funke and her books. I’ve read every single one of her books and especially loved the Inkheart trilogy. I was super excited to be able to read and review the reprint edition of Reckless since I had no idea it ever came out in the first place. Where was I? Oh yeah, starting my insane first year in college. I love the cover art on this edition and the book syno More...
My Review: I’ll admit that I am a huge fan girl of Cornelia Funke and her books. I’ve read every single one of her books and especially loved the Inkheart trilogy. I was super excited to be able to read and review the reprint edition of Reckless since I had no idea it ever came out in the first place. Where was I? Oh yeah, starting my insane first year in college. I love the cover art on this edition and the book syno More...
Sep 27, 2011
Tayler
rated it:
Another one of Cornelia Funke's mix of modernity and fantasy. Only this time, she focuses on fairy tales rather than mythical creatures.
Will wasn't supposed to find out about the Mirrorworld his older brother Jacob often escaped to, but he did. And now, stone is growing over his skin, turning him into the fabled Jade Goyl. Jacob sets off on a quest to find the cure before his borther is lost forever in the midst of the war between the imperials and the Goyls. Can he beat the Dark Fai More...
Will wasn't supposed to find out about the Mirrorworld his older brother Jacob often escaped to, but he did. And now, stone is growing over his skin, turning him into the fabled Jade Goyl. Jacob sets off on a quest to find the cure before his borther is lost forever in the midst of the war between the imperials and the Goyls. Can he beat the Dark Fai More...
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Sep 15, 2011
Meagan
rated it:
RECKLESS
By Cornelia Funke
“For Jacob Reckless, every second counts….”
This intro into the book is so true. Jacob’s father has disappeared, no one knows where. His mother is always sad. His younger brother Will is often frightened. But Jacob has found a secret world, a world that can be entered through a mirror in his father’s study – a room forbidden to him by his mother.
Twelve years have passed since Jacob first discovered the strange tw More...
By Cornelia Funke
“For Jacob Reckless, every second counts….”
This intro into the book is so true. Jacob’s father has disappeared, no one knows where. His mother is always sad. His younger brother Will is often frightened. But Jacob has found a secret world, a world that can be entered through a mirror in his father’s study – a room forbidden to him by his mother.
Twelve years have passed since Jacob first discovered the strange tw More...
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Sep 12, 2011
Nancy
rated it:
Contrary to my star rating, I really did like this book. It was interesting and provided a new perspective on different and paranormal realms. I believe Cornelia Funke has an incredibly rich and vivid imagination and for that I can't help but show open admiration. My problem was simply information overload.
The protagonist is Jacob who has been going into Mirrorworld for 12 years. He disappears for a long time and hunts treasures while looking for his missing father. So the story begins More...
The protagonist is Jacob who has been going into Mirrorworld for 12 years. He disappears for a long time and hunts treasures while looking for his missing father. So the story begins More...
Sep 09, 2011
Alexis
rated it:
When I heard about this book, I got really excited. I mean, who wouldn't? If Cornelia Funke's the author, I'm reading it. She's been one of my favorite authors for at least six years because I got hooked on the Inkheart series. I've pretty much read all her books and was disappointed when I ran out of books written by her to choose from. Then, whallah! Reckless comes out! I should've have read this sooner because it was just what I was expecting from Ms. Funke.
Jacob Reckless r More...
Jacob Reckless r More...
Sep 05, 2011
Deborah
rated it:
Like so many of you, I learned to read by fairy tales. Weren't our minds caught up in visions of the beauty, the magic and the color of those dark tales...didn't we all understand that pain and horror had to come before the happily ever after? Fairy tales were my bread and butter reading; undoubtedly they laid some kind of subconscious footwork in my life.
Fairy tales and their illustrations were so much a part of developing our imaginations; they helped to lay the foundation More...
Fairy tales and their illustrations were so much a part of developing our imaginations; they helped to lay the foundation More...
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Jul 25, 2011
Liz
rated it:
Imagine finding a doorway to another world.
When Jacob Reckless is twelve years old, he discovers that the mirror in his father’s office is not just a mirror – it is the entrance to the strange and mysterious Mirrorworld, a world that is completely different to our own, and one in which Jacob’s father has disappeared into forever. Twelve years later, Jacob is spending more time behind the mirror than in his own world, and one day his younger brother Will follows him through the glass More...
When Jacob Reckless is twelve years old, he discovers that the mirror in his father’s office is not just a mirror – it is the entrance to the strange and mysterious Mirrorworld, a world that is completely different to our own, and one in which Jacob’s father has disappeared into forever. Twelve years later, Jacob is spending more time behind the mirror than in his own world, and one day his younger brother Will follows him through the glass More...
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Jul 04, 2011
I really loved the idea of Reckless, and how there's a whole world behind a mirror that no one eve knew about - it sounds a bit like Narnia :) However, I couldn't get into Reckless for a few reasons, and these are that I couldn't relate or connect with the characters - I felt that they seemed younger than they were meant to be (24 and 16 I think!), and I didn't believe that they could have been real, which is something that I think you should be able to do with characters, even in a paranormal s
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Jun 20, 2011
Jordan
rated it:
What can I say? It's Cornelia Funke, and suffers from everything that comes along with that. Which can be a lot. Overuse of adverbs and empty drama. Feeling like she wants it to be for an older audience than the interest and writing level suggests. But she's gotten better! Much better! It actually PACED itself with the descriptions of how beautiful and strange everything was. In the Inkheart trilogy, I almost couldn't stand the repeated descriptions of people's voices. Ugh. I have bett
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Jun 19, 2011
Elisa
rated it:
Once upon a time. On the other side of a miror.
In a world of dark magic and danger. Two brothers are in race against time.
One will turn to beast. Unless the other can save him.
If you are looking for happily ever aferter.... you've come to the wrong place.
En un mundo donde los cuentos son una realidad que se viven día a día, realidades crueles, advertencias y enseñanzas sobre un final de tu cuento que nunca llega a ser feliz. Un espejo en una torre abandon More...
Jun 11, 2011
Carlene
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
May 18, 2011
Amelie
rated it:
Ok first: That book is illustrated like SO well! There's a drawing in the beginning and the end of each chapter. And that makes the book even more into a fairytale. Besides, the pictures are showing exactly enough for you to be able to imagine the rest. I also really like the cover!
So. I'm still trying to decide, if this is an All-Age-novel or a no-age-novel. The problem is, that there's a lot of violence and blood in the book and the characters are a lot older than expected (Like 18 More...
So. I'm still trying to decide, if this is an All-Age-novel or a no-age-novel. The problem is, that there's a lot of violence and blood in the book and the characters are a lot older than expected (Like 18 More...
May 10, 2011
Lauren
rated it:
In honor of the Lytherus interview with Cornelia Funke coming up this weekend, it seemed only right to review her most recent book, Reckless. Based on Grimm’s Fairy Tales, this first book in a new series hit the shelves on September 14th of 2010.
In all honesty, I probably wouldn’t have picked this book up if I hadn’t planned on going to hear the author talk at a lecture. Fairy-tales aren’t exactly my thing, and though I don’t despise them, I often pass over books with this theme to somethin More...
In all honesty, I probably wouldn’t have picked this book up if I hadn’t planned on going to hear the author talk at a lecture. Fairy-tales aren’t exactly my thing, and though I don’t despise them, I often pass over books with this theme to somethin More...
Apr 24, 2011
Simona
rated it:
Già il titolo è suggestivo, non c'è che dire. Specie per me che non cerco altro che un libro in cui perdermi. Se poi ci metti accanto il nome di una grande come la Funke, il gioco è fatto e per ore ed ore mi chiudo nella mia stanza e non mi vede più nessuno.
Ancora una volta, ho ceduto al fascino del profumo di libro nuovo. Pentita? No... ma un pò amareggiata sì.
La Storia è sublime e c'è poco da dire. Non fosse stato per un altro libro che mi ero ripromessa di leggere l'avrei finito More...
Ancora una volta, ho ceduto al fascino del profumo di libro nuovo. Pentita? No... ma un pò amareggiata sì.
La Storia è sublime e c'è poco da dire. Non fosse stato per un altro libro che mi ero ripromessa di leggere l'avrei finito More...
Apr 05, 2011
Emma
rated it:
The Grimm’s fairy tale world in which the story is set is very rich and textured, giving the stories back their eery tone and removing any Disney-style frivolity. It is an excellent setting for a story, one you can submerge yourself in completely. I loved the description of the Sleeping Beauty who was never awoken and though she never ages her skin as turned yellow from being left there so long, and Funke cleverly works a lot of these familiar plot devices and backgrounds into her own character’
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Mar 28, 2011
Libby
rated it:
Cornelia Funke has an amazing way with words, and her books stay beautiful going from German to English. She also is a talented storyteller with a gift for characterization and vivid description. It is because of these talents that I enjoy her books even though they tend to be a little dark.
In Reckless, Funke creates a world called Mirrorworld. The protagonists enter this world through a magic mirror, but it is a world of fairy tales gone wrong. All the expected magic is includ More...
In Reckless, Funke creates a world called Mirrorworld. The protagonists enter this world through a magic mirror, but it is a world of fairy tales gone wrong. All the expected magic is includ More...
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