Let me begin by encouraging anyone who is thinking about downloading the e-book edition of this story to go out and buy the real thing. In hardback. Trust me, it's worth it. A book this beautiful is meant to be printed and bound for art-enthusiasts and sci-fi/fantasy nerds everywhere to drool over.

Secondly, I'd like to congratulate DiTerlizzi on producing such a brilliant, original children's story. Not only is each chapter of this book beautifully illustrated by the author, the story itself sucked me in from the very first page, and DiTerlizzi's whimsical descriptions were as rich and vivid as the illustrations themselves. Though I still love children's fiction, it's rare nowadays that a story aimed at pre-teens can demand my attention in the way that classics such as Charlotte Sometimes and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone once could. Reading The Search for WondLa, I felt myself escaping into the world of Orbona the way I used to with my favourite childhood reads. As a huge fan of his work on The Spiderwick Chronicles with Holly Black, I wouldn't have thought it was possible, but DiTerlizzi has exceeded my expectations. I only wish I had half his imagination and creativity.

I recommend this story to any reader aged seven and up (including adults who, like me, find it impossible to stop reading books marketed at kids). The Search for WondLa has all the components of a new children's classic in the making, and I look forward to seeing what more DiTerlizzi has to offer from this enchanting new world.

Title: The Search for WondLa
Author: Tony DiTerlizzi
Rating: 5 stars

Review cross-posted to bookends review.