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The Word Changers

Ashlee Willis (Goodreads Author)

3.78 · Rating details · 262 ratings · 104 reviews

Alternate cover edition for ASIN B00K5HZ4M2.

Escaping from the turmoil of her home, fifteen-year-old Posy finds herself at her usual haunt ... the library. When she chooses an unfamiliar book from the shelf, she does not devour its words as she usually does...

Its words devour her.

Posy is pulled into the pages of a fairy tale in turmoil. Characters whisper of rebellion again ...more

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Kindle Edition, 266 pages

Published by Conquest Publishers (first published January 1st 2014)

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· 262 ratings · 104 reviews

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Mar 24, 2015 Gillian Bronte Adams rated it it was amazing

It was late at night when I turned the final page of the The Word Changers, slid the book back into place on my shelf, and breathed a mighty contended sigh. Reading this book was like drinking a cup of hot chocolate on a cool evening. It hits just the right spot and leaves you feeling warm and at peace with the world and yourself. The Word Changers has a classic quality to it, with all the timelessness and agelessness of the Chronicles of Narnia - a comparison I don't make lightly. Definitely a ...more

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Jun 23, 2014 Ashley Abbott rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, christian, fantasy, young-adult, action

"But Posy wondered, suspected, even begun to believe, that sometimes reality was too solid and too hard, and that perhaps sometimes the clearest and straightest way to truth was through a fairytale."

This quote is a good example of what my opinions about life turned toward when reading this book.

The Word Changers is about a girl named Posy who gets placed in a book she was reading because a crucial character in the story (the princess) has run away, and she must be replaced because her presence ...more

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Jan 20, 2015 Shantelle rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, read-in-2014, reviewed, young-adult

The Word Changers was totally unusual... Ashlee Willis’s ideas are superb! From the very first page, I was hooked! And once I switched from Kindle to paperback, I read the book almost straight through.

Mysterious and delightful, The Word Changers pulled me into a book inside a book. Posy is a fifteen-year-old girl struggling with the pain of life and the hurt inside her own family. She stumbles into a grand adventure while at the town library... and well... finds a path to love and forgiveness ...more

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May 29, 2014 H.S.J. Williams rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: awesome-heroes, reviews-five-star, inspiring-heroines

They say don't judge a book by its front cover. Well...I did...*shamed face* Oh, this cover was sweet and pretty. But it didn't quite look like the sort of fantasy I was interested in, plus modern-day kids dropping into another world isn't my fantasy of choice.

But I was wrong on both accounts. This is a fantastic book!

Ashlee writes with a clear, confident style both refreshing and engaging to pull you into her story as much as the character is pulled into a book. While I've read some fantasy whe They say don't judge a book by its front cover. Well...I did...*shamed face* Oh, this cover was sweet and pretty. But it didn't quite look like the sort of fantasy I was interested in, plus modern-day kids dropping into another world isn't my fantasy of choice.

But I was wrong on both accounts. This is a fantastic book!

Ashlee writes with a clear, confident style both refreshing and engaging to pull you into her story as much as the character is pulled into a book. While I've read some fantasy where the plot is lost on the adventure as the characters encounter all kinds of fantastic beings, Ashlee guided the reader along quite skillfully, losing me only once (probably because I was reading too fast in desperation to discover the fate of certain centaurs).

While this world and idea may be akin to the Chronicles of Narnia (and that is a beautiful thing), it takes on an entire path of its own as it cleverly builds a world in which characters do not truly die, but are bound to the Plot, sworn to relive the same story over and over whenever a reader picks up the book in which they dwell. But what happens when characters rebel? When they go outside the Plot? What happens when it is discovered that characters might have changed the Plot long ago? That the story is no longer how the Author meant it to be? The cleverness of this book and the profound allegory simply delighted me.

I was also impressed with the characters, Posy in particular. She wasn't the can't-do-anything-fainting sort of girl nor the the one who could trample any of her problems. She was real. She was scared, but determined to keep her head. She didn't always make the right choice and was silly at times, but attempted to make up for it. Kyran also was a good character, both immature at points and terribly mature at others. And the villains. I applaud the villains. I actually wasn't quite sure who the real villain was and when I thought I knew, it turned out someone else was influencing that person and so on! It was really quite amusing to see them all try to control each other and think that they were winning!

But my favorite part of this book, hands down, was the centaurs. Let me make this clear. I've always thought centaurs were weird. I mean...bare-chested guys rising out the body of a horse? Weeeeeeird! Okay, so the ones in the Narnia movie were kind of impressive, but still. Well. This book changed all that. Think centaurs--elven style. Suddenly, I was a fan. Not only a fan, but I've become a writer of them myself, inspired for a short story exploring the prejudice and exploitation they might face. Probably my biggest complaint with this book was that the centaurs were not on page enough!

Violence: There is battle, but description is non-existent. Some characters appear to have been beaten and whipped while captured, but that was off scene.

Sexual: Posy develops a crush on Kyran, of course, and eventually romance blooms between them to the point that they share kisses. It felt a little rushed, and she was only 15, but still that felt kind of realistic too. I really couldn't see them going through this without getting crushes on each other! And personally, I feel that this was the author quietly making fun of all the crushes we girls will get on a guy in a book, but...he's in a book. Not going to work.

It's vaguely, vaguely hinted that the king might have had an immoral relationship at one point, but who really knows? Not the reader.

Language: None.

Spiritual: This allegory paralleling our own messed up world who doesn't even acknowledge the Author anymore is unique and stunning! It beautifully explains the perfect love of allowing choice. Really, really well done!

I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to whatever else the author has to offer. More centaurs, please! ;) ...more

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May 12, 2014 Deborah O'Carroll rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya, got-for-review, 5-stars-awesome, romance, own, reviewed, to-reread, epic-character-i-love, christian, best-of-year

I love allegorical stories when they're done right, and The Word Changers definitely was. Fantasy and fairytales can present truths in a way that nothing else can. They help me think of things in a new light, and in fact seem to grow my faith more than any other type of fiction.

The allegory in this delightful tale was brought about by the main defining fact of the story: that it takes place in a book within a book. The characters know they are in a book, but many of them have stopped believing i ...more

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Feb 20, 2014 Allison Ruvidich rated it really liked it · review of another edition

(Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Also, I stole the idea for the introduction from Hannah Williams. Thanks/sorry, Hannah!)

I dislike the saying don’t judge a book by its cover, because, in a strictly literary sense, I do. When I picked up The Word Changers, I saw a pretty cover that lacked polish. And that’s exactly what I read.

Posy has a problem. It’s not that her parents are getting divorced. It’s not that she somehow finds herself in a boo (Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Also, I stole the idea for the introduction from Hannah Williams. Thanks/sorry, Hannah!)

I dislike the saying don’t judge a book by its cover, because, in a strictly literary sense, I do. When I picked up The Word Changers, I saw a pretty cover that lacked polish. And that’s exactly what I read.

Posy has a problem. It’s not that her parents are getting divorced. It’s not that she somehow finds herself in a book whose Plot has gone badly awry. It’s not even that a malevolent owl is trying to kill her.

Posy’s problem is that she fails to fall in love believably.

And that is what kept me from loving this book. Neither Posy nor her love interest has the most dynamic personality—not surprising, since they never do anything that doesn’t advance the plot (note the lowercase p). In this case, I felt the novel suffered from an imbalance of scene and summary. Willis chose to write ‘they rode for several hours’ instead of portraying some of the conversation that might’ve happened along the way. Perhaps he reveals a scene from his childhood, or she confesses to deeply love the color pink, even though she finds it embarrassing. But the characters never raised their heads from the plot (again, note the lowercase p) long enough for me to learn anything about them, or for them to display any signs of chemistry that might warn me of an impending romance. (I also wish I hadn’t known Posy’s age, or maybe that I had known the love interest’s. That was off-putting.)

But don’t stop reading yet. I haven’t finished.

The Word Changers also had the best Christian allegory I have ever read. To write a strong novel, the Author cannot make things easy for their characters. The Reader must believe they struggle tooth and nail to achieve their heart’s desire before they can believe in the Plot.

In the same way, God doesn’t make things easy for us. He doesn’t tell us where we’re going, or we would never get there. Just because He doesn’t smooth things over for us doesn’t mean He’s not there. (Of course, that begs the question of who the Reader represents in the allegory. But I digress.)

In conclusion, Ashlee Willis still has a lot to learn, but she has what you can’t teach: vision. I will definitely be reading her next book.
...more

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Mar 02, 2015 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2015-reads, homeschool-author, on-my-kindle

Age Appropriate For: 13 and up for romance, mildly scary scenes, and mild violence
Best for Ages: 13 - 18

I have to say, I didn’t have high expectations for this book, but I came away very impressed. This wasn’t one of those books that I picked up because of the cool concept, read it, and then wished the author had spent more time developing in. Willis came up with an imaginative concept and developed it to its full potential.
To me the whole book had a Narnia feel to it. The story was very differe ...more

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Jun 12, 2018 Serethiel Sequoia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, fairytales, fantasy, speculative-christian-fiction, peeps-in-the-blogosphere, romance, princesses-unicorns-dragons, period-medieval-renaissance, ya-market-all-encompassing, mg-middle-grade

3.5 stars

A shining beginning, a darling romance, and a bittersweet ending. I lost a bit of connection with the characters somewhere in the middle, but I still hopelessly adore the worlds Ashlee Willis creates!

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Jun 24, 2014 Andi rated it really liked it

A note: You don't know true anguish and anger until you have written an entire review for an hour, only to fail to copy and paste it and not have it save correctly. So. Here we go again.

"I suppose a cruel thing may be done, and its doer never knows the many wrongs and pains that happen because of it, falling one on the other, toppling like an avalanche on a mountainside."

I have a confession: Even after Ashely reassured me that this book was good, I still harbored skepticism. I've been badly sc ...more

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Jan 22, 2015 H.S.J. Williams rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviews-five-star, books-that-have-inspired-my-stories

Ashlee writes with a clear, confident style both refreshing and engaging to pull you into her story as much as the character is pulled into a book. While I've read some fantasy where the plot is lost on the adventure as the characters encounter all kinds of fantastic beings, Ashlee guided the reader along quite skillfully, losing me only once (probably because I was reading too fast in desperation to discover the fate of certain centaurs).

While this world and idea may be akin to the Chronicles o Ashlee writes with a clear, confident style both refreshing and engaging to pull you into her story as much as the character is pulled into a book. While I've read some fantasy where the plot is lost on the adventure as the characters encounter all kinds of fantastic beings, Ashlee guided the reader along quite skillfully, losing me only once (probably because I was reading too fast in desperation to discover the fate of certain centaurs).

While this world and idea may be akin to the Chronicles of Narnia (and that is a beautiful thing), it takes on an entire path of its own as it cleverly builds a world in which characters do not truly die, but are bound to the Plot, sworn to relive the same story over and over whenever a reader picks up the book in which they dwell. But what happens when characters rebel? When they go outside the Plot? What happens when it is discovered that characters might have changed the Plot long ago? That the story is no longer how the Author meant it to be? The cleverness of this book and the profound allegory simply delighted me.

I was also impressed with the characters, Posy in particular. She wasn't the can't-do-anything-fainting sort of girl nor the the one who could trample any of her problems. She was real. She was scared, but determined to keep her head. She didn't always make the right choice and was silly at times, but attempted to make up for it. Kyran also was a good character, both immature at points and terribly mature at others. And the villains. I applaud the villains. I actually wasn't quite sure who the real villain was and when I thought I knew, it turned out someone else was influencing that person and so on! It was really quite amusing to see them all try to control each other and think that they were winning!

But my favorite part of this book, hands down, was the centaurs. Let me make this clear. I've always thought centaurs were weird. I mean...bare-chested guys rising out the body of a horse? Weeeeeeird! Okay, so the ones in the Narnia movie were kind of impressive, but still. Well. This book changed all that. Think centaurs--elven style. Suddenly, I was a fan. Not only a fan, but I've become a writer of them myself, inspired for a short story exploring the prejudice and exploitation they might face. Probably my biggest complaint with this book was that the centaurs were not on page enough!

Violence: There is battle, but description is non-existent. Some characters appear to have been beaten and whipped while captured, but that was off scene.

Sexual: Posy develops a crush on Kyran, of course, and eventually romance blooms between them to the point that they share kisses. It felt a little rushed, and she was only 15, but still that felt kind of realistic too. I really couldn't see them going through this without getting crushes on each other! And personally, I feel that this was the author quietly making fun of all the crushes we girls will get on a guy in a book, but...he's in a book. Not going to work.

It's vaguely, vaguely hinted that the king might have had an immoral relationship at one point, but who really knows? Not the reader.

Language: None.

Spiritual: This allegory paralleling our own messed up world who doesn't even acknowledge the Author anymore is unique and stunning! It beautifully explains the perfect love of allowing choice. Really, really well done!

I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to whatever else the author has to offer. More centaurs, please! ;) ...more

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May 28, 2014 Hannah rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, fantasy-fairytale

This book is basically what would happen if Narnia turned into a romance story. I would recommend it to anyone who loves the Narnia world but wishes there was just a bit more romance in it.
The best points: 1: An easy to read narrative, flowing and smooth, with brief descriptions of sets that nonetheless create instant mental pictures.
2: A general lack of gore and tacky violence.
3: A surprisingly interesting love story. The romance element served to mirror the romantic fantasies of teenage girl ...more

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Jun 24, 2014 J.L. Mbewe rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I enjoyed the story, it kept me turning pages, and I loved the creativity of it. But trying to hold the concept of Posy in the book dealing with the Plot, Author, Kingdom, and Characters and all them hoping for a reader to come by and read it was something I had to really work at keeping the suspension of disbelief. That said, if I didn’t try to understand it too much, it worked fine. The concept, I’ve not seen done before, and I’m curious as to the story behind the story, and if the author has ...more

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Jun 19, 2014 Rebekah Gyger rated it liked it · review of another edition

Word Changers deals with an interesting premise, that characters live in there books and have their own lives, but come to reenact the Plot of there book when a reader appears. Posy is just one such reader, but this time she enters the story as well.

I enjoyed Ashlee's premise and the allegory she portrays. It is fascinating that the characters might be living in their books (and makes me afraid to read any of my favorites where the characters dies for fear of hurting the characters ).

Yet there ...more

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Apr 08, 2018 Lara Mi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-journeys-adventures, 6-siblings, 6-royalty, 1-fairy-tales, 1-romance, 1-fantasy, 5-forests, 6-mythological-creatures-monsters, 3-fictional-worlds, novel-owned

“I suppose I will have to find a way to save your life, then, if such an embrace is to be the reward for it.”

With her parents in constant argument, Posy tries to spend most of her time at the library - away from home. At a moment of particular anger and wishing herself away, she finds herself waking in the mysterious book she had just taken from the shelf. As the plot becomes the reality around her, she learns that the story's princess has run away and that Posy is the intended stand-in. It doesn't take Posy long to realise that things aren't what they ought to be and beckons the question why the real princess ran away in the first place. Together with Prince Kyran, she sets out to find the runaway Princess and save the plot along the way.

The Word Changers is, to an extent, your typical portal fantasy in that it sends someone from the real world into a fictional one, with the result that their adventures will also help them come to terms with their real-life problems. In that sense, this book truly follows that formula (no complaints, though, that's what I love about portal fantasy!), but it still finds uniqueness in the way it is told.

The story becomes quite unexpectedly dark - even though Posy finds quite early on that she is in a dark fairy tale, it feels pretty upbeat during the early chapters which made it all the more surprising when it took a dark turn. A lot of the conflict is focused on emotional rather than physical pain. Even most of their trials and obstacles along the way require the characters to grow their inner strength instead of combat.

This fairy tale world includes a lot of the creatures you'd expect to find in fantasy and fairy tales; talking animals, centaurs, mermaids, princes and princesses and creatures that appear to be made of leaf and earth. Despite these familiar elements, Ashlee Willis delivers something that makes this world very intriguing and lets it stand out from others of its kind.

It helps that the characters - both good and evil - are very well written. Posy is a well-rounded character who one can easily relate to and root for. Prince Kyran was perfect, he was essentially a Prince Charming with personality. He'd have his moments of stubbornness and arrogance, but he was a true gentleman in a fairytale fashion. He and Posy had a bit of a rough start and they'd quarrel now and again, but he proved to be incredibly thoughtful, brave and loyal companion. With his helping her on and off the horse, the kiss to the hand... he gave the story a traditional touch while still having a more developed personality than most.

While I adored these characters and their world from the first page to the last, I still found this book lacking. There was quite a bit of mystery build up and many hints of characters' wrongdoings and motives. I love a good build up like that and try to guess along the way, yet I felt that most of these things were left unexplored. There were many questions left open; what were the villains' motives? They all seemed to be goading each other, but where did the conflict start? What is the true story of the plot? What were the sacrifices for?

Several of these questions were covered but the answers felt a bit too vague. Like, they did it out of jealousy and bitterness - but what was the cause for their jealousy? What made them bitter? There's always talk of the true plot but, while I have a vague idea of what it was meant to be, I don't feel satisfied with the explanation - especially given how much was hinted and that there had been changes to the plot before. So I was really disappointed in all of that but it did not take away from how great the world and characters were. ...more

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Sep 23, 2014 Kelsey Bryant rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: christian-fiction, fantasy

“Sometimes reality was too solid and too hard, and … perhaps the clearest and straightest way to truth was through a fairytale.”

The Word Changers delved into a subject I’ve pondered for all my mature reading years … the Christian allegory of authors and their characters. Ashlee Willis did a thorough job of exploring the way stories reflect life and the relationship between God and ourselves. But it was more than thorough—it was engaging and enjoyable! I really liked the writing—it had a lyrical “Sometimes reality was too solid and too hard, and … perhaps the clearest and straightest way to truth was through a fairytale.”

The Word Changers delved into a subject I’ve pondered for all my mature reading years … the Christian allegory of authors and their characters. Ashlee Willis did a thorough job of exploring the way stories reflect life and the relationship between God and ourselves. But it was more than thorough—it was engaging and enjoyable! I really liked the writing—it had a lyrical, fairytale quality to it, yet with enough of a modern touch to make it fast-paced. At the beginning, I found the confusion over what exactly “the plot” was and the other mysteries—such as what happened to the princess, who could be trusted, and so forth—to be necessary but a little slow (which is odd, because I usually like thought in fiction; maybe because there wasn’t enough action to precede it? Maybe because I could never quite understand it myself?). However, the mystery of the owl Falak did engage me; he was a most fascinating character, because you could never guess what he would do next. I wish the castle where the MC Posy spent her time at the beginning had been described more. The relationship between Prince Kyran and Posy took me a little while to get used to and appreciate. But once the two of them entered the Wild Lands and then the Glooming, and all sorts of unpredictable and unprecedented things happened, my interest in everything picked up. I think overall this book had a great blend of thought and action, depth and novelty. Posy was relatable, especially as a character with questions about life—and a great love of books! The ending seemed perfect to me, if a little sad; it wrapped up the story satisfactorily but at the same time promised more, leaving the future to play out in your mind.
A well-written adventure, indeed!

My other favorite quotes:

“I would not love my characters,” whispered the Author, “if I did not let them live. They must live, though it means making many mistakes.”

“I long to see my own characters come to life and make decisions and words of their own. Tell me, what Author doesn’t wish that?”

“She had to act on what she knew, on where and whom she was. The Author knew the end, and the characters would get there, but not until they began to do things now to make the pages turn.” ...more

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Jul 12, 2014 Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: received-to-review, 2014, clean-read, young-adult, fantasy, arc

I found the idea of the book fascinating. A young girl who has turmoil in her life is suddenly in the book she is reading. Now, I will admit that has always been a fantasy of mine in one level or another. I have been pulled into a story and wished I could be a part of the fictitious world.

For Posy, her book world is more of a nightmare. She is to replace a Princess who has run away from the story. The plot rules most of the characters. Every time a reader opens the pages of the book, they act ou ...more

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May 30, 2014 Brent King rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Where better to learn the great themes of life and soul than in a story? We try to learn them through the story we write in the book of our life. Yet often they become clearer to us as we experience them vicariously through a book on our shelf. But what if our participation in this book went beyond our imagination? What if we could enter its pages, breath its air, and change its Plot?

With strong metaphors, Ashlee Willis takes us into such an adventure. Life is a story, and Ashlee’s—no, Posy’s—st ...more

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Jun 24, 2014 Laura Grace rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was such an amazing fantasy novel! It was so good I just have to say that again...this was such an amazing fantasy novel!

I instantly bonded with Posy in the beginning and could very easily relate to the many pains in her heart! It was so easy for me to get caught up in her story and boy did I get caught up in it! There was so much action, drama, romance, and of course magic!

I really enjoyed the adventures and how the story played out (even if I had tears rolling down my face by the end)! It ...more

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Jul 07, 2014 JoJo Sutis rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

What an amazing, awesome, fun story!!!
I absolutely love what the author has done with this book- I feel like it takes the reading experience to a whole new level!
What would happen if you could step inside your favorite book?
What if you were mistaken for one of the characters?
How awesome would that be?!?
Well, that’s exactly what happens to main character Posey.
I could not stop reading, I had to find out what would happen to these amazing characters.
Any fan of fantasy fiction will love The Word Ch ...more

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May 30, 2014 Chelsea Johnson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: giveaways, own-physical, 2014-releases

A world she had only ever dreamed about would open her eyes to a world she never knew.

What an amazing book! Ashlee does a great job of writing and pulling you into the story with Posy. I didn't get lost once (not that I usually do, but I will admit to getting myself turned around occasionally).

The idea of how characters never really die, but are bound to the Plot and come back every time someone opens the book was intriguing. This interaction between Posy and Caris got me thinking:

"In my

...more

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May 27, 2014 Morgan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: outread-aubrey-2014

Recommended for: Teens

The Word Changers was an interesting fantasy story with an intriguing premise: People in books are real. Posy, a girl from the real world, replaces the missing princess Evanthe in the Plot of a book, but she finds that much more than a missing princess is afoot. Posy and Evanthe's brother Kyran go on a quest to find Evanthe, and discover what has really happened to the Plot along the way. I did enjoy this book, but unfortunately it did not jump onto my extensive favorites l ...more

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May 27, 2014 Faye rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Posey’s world is falling apart, her parents are separating, and there is nothing she can do about it. So she escapes into the pages of a book finding herself lost in the plot in a way that she never could have ever imagined! Pulled into the story’s plot by Falak, an owl who is not all that he seems, Posey is forced to take on the role of the princess, dutifully playing her role. But all is far from right in the kingdom, and some have seen fit to take its plot into their own hands, can Posey and ...more

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May 31, 2014 Grace Mullins rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This story follows the adventure of Posy, an inwardly hurting girl who finds herself in a fairy tale book. I've thought of how cool a story where someone is transported into a book world would be (especially to us bookworms), so what fun to find that a book was releasing with this idea.

My over all opinion of "The Word Changers" is that it is a sweet fantasy read with some good underlying messages of forgiveness and not blaming others for everything wrong in your life. I loved how it had quite a ...more

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Feb 19, 2014 Grace Mullins rated it liked it · review of another edition

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Jun 07, 2014 Hayden rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: christian-fiction, fantasy

The plot was original and fascinating. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like it, and I really enjoyed it. This book had many intriguing characters- ones whose goals and ambitions were often a mystery. Who was trustworthy, and who wasn’t? I’ve read other books like this where that plot device was annoying, but it was handled well here and I really liked it.

The only thing I didn’t care for was the romance, since it involved a few kisses and seemed almost out of place in regards to everyth ...more

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Jul 22, 2014 Savannah Kundo rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

I received a copy of "The Word Changers" from GoodReads First Reads.

Have you ever wanted to enter into the world of your favorite book? That's exactly what happens to Posy in "The Word Changers," though she quickly discovers that she's entered into more of a nightmare world that her greatest fantasy. When she arrives in The Plot, she finds that she is to replace the runaway princess - who does not have the ideal role in The Plot. Soon, Posy is taken on a dangerous, yet exciting, journey through ...more

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May 25, 2014 Kirsten rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: new-world

http://kiribeth.blogspot.com/2014/06/...

This book is right up there with some of the top fantasy, and it's a must-read for anyone who has ever called himself a fan of Narnia. Posy hates her life, with her parents always bickering, always fighting. One night when her own temper gets the better of her, she flees to a nearby library, intending to get lost in a book to hide from her problems for a while. And boy, does she get lost IN a book.

When she wakes up, she's surrounded by a whole bunch of peo http://kiribeth.blogspot.com/2014/06/...

This book is right up there with some of the top fantasy, and it's a must-read for anyone who has ever called himself a fan of Narnia. Posy hates her life, with her parents always bickering, always fighting. One night when her own temper gets the better of her, she flees to a nearby library, intending to get lost in a book to hide from her problems for a while. And boy, does she get lost IN a book.

When she wakes up, she's surrounded by a whole bunch of people she doesn't know -- people who tell her that she is the Princess Evanthe. Even the owl in the corner treats her like the princess. Yet, she knows, just as they know, that she is not Evanthe. No, she is only Evanthe's replacement -- a girl called into a story so that the Plot would not be messed up. And what happened to Evanthe? Why, she ran away! It's going to take Posy's teaming up with the young Prince Kyran (a boy with whom she did not have a satisfactory first meeting) to go out beyond the Borders of the story to find the missing princess and bring her back.

Of course, that's just the beginning of the story. If I were to give you more, I'd be sunk in spoilers. Personally, I really enjoyed this book. I love the idea of characters being alive, doing things, living between the times readers pull their story off a shelf. Have you ever wondered why bits of a story seem different the second time you read a book? That's because the characters might not have acted it out exactly the same way as the first time you read it. And the whole theme of being word changers, someone who had the power to change the words within a story... from within the story. Amazing!

The characters themselves I found very unique for a fantasy. With these types of books, authors tend to stick cliche characters into their works, yet Ashlee Willis didn't. The prince was dashing, yet not perfect. The heroine struggled with emotions that linked her both to the story-world and her own. The owls were not typical of owls anywhere that I've read. Beginning the book, I got a deep sense of deja vu -- someone from our world called into a fantasy where they team up with an individual from that world to find missing royalty at the request of owls. "It's The Silver Chair all over again," I thought, but I was wrong. While this has elements that reminded me of Narnia, there's so much... more, for a lack of a better word. It was just a smashing read. And yes, I was glued to the pages and I finished it all in one day.

Advisory: Just some of your usual fantasy violence. As certain characters let loose their evil intentions, others stray from the Plot, fights and battles ensue. Centaurs, ipotanes (centaurs with only two legs), mermaids, owls, and men fight and are killed/injured. Nothing is overly graphic, though, so I'd recommend this book for readers twelve and up.

At one point, Posy looks into a mirror and notices her curves. While remaining clean, I found those paragraphs to be a bit awkward and would have preferred them left out. The author also later describes a mermaid -- again, clean, but just something to take note of.

Also, since it is a big part of the story, I need to mention it here: the romance angle. While I thought on the whole it was a sweet romance, I got a little annoyed with the physical aspect of it. The couple shared (if my count was correct) five kisses, and the description of his muscles or their holding hands (or other physical contact) I didn't like.

*Please note: I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher in exchange for my honest review.* ...more

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Jun 22, 2014 Jansina rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The description of the story had me intrigued; the first chapter had me hooked. Posy finds herself drawn into a book - literally. For a book lover like myself, this is the perfect plot.

Following that, throughout the book there are references to words, pages, margins, and other book-related terms. The word play around these is delightful. The author has a writing style that is creative and flows naturally. It never felt either too simple or too complex.

There were very a few grammar mistakes in t The description of the story had me intrigued; the first chapter had me hooked. Posy finds herself drawn into a book - literally. For a book lover like myself, this is the perfect plot.

Following that, throughout the book there are references to words, pages, margins, and other book-related terms. The word play around these is delightful. The author has a writing style that is creative and flows naturally. It never felt either too simple or too complex.

There were very a few grammar mistakes in the book, but they were minimal (i.e., "Oh." The king said. It should be "Oh," the king said.) As an editor, I'm nit-picky, but they didn't trip me up as I was reading and there were only a few instances. (I actually debated mentioning them here - especially since, as I was given a pre-release copy, they may have been caught and fixed already.)

For the most part, the characters are unique and believable. Posy has a mixture of faults and positive traits, and felt easiest to relate to. Our situations may not be the same, but the feelings behind them are. The other characters are a mixture of believable and slightly flat (meaning, mainly good traits or mainly bad traits). There weren't any that stuck out to me as a problem, but some that could have been fleshed out much more. The way the story is written, though - mainly from Posy's perspective - there wasn't much chance of that and the author did a good job with the characters that were shown more. I did feel the change in Kyran was a little too abrupt, however it worked within the plot.

The romance was sweet, but I'm honestly not sure how I feel about it. I'm a hopeful romantic, so it definitely didn't bother me - aside from their ages. (Okay, as older teens, romance is natural, but I prefer it when characters are older. Old fashioned? Perhaps.) Near the end it started to bother me for a different reason, but I won't say more to avoid spoilers.

The overall plot is imaginative and kept my interest. The story begins almost immediately, and it brings the reader right into it, in the same way Posy is brought into the book. There is adventure and pain, goodness and mercy, evil and joy.

Other reviewers have called this an allegory, and it is one. The similarities to Christianity came through clearly even at the beginning of the book, but especially as it nears the end. From the perspective of a Christian, it wasn't preachy or overdone, and it was great to see the Truths throughout the book. More than once, I had to stop and reread a sentence to truly take it in and commit it to memory. The wording is that beautiful.

There is magic throughout the book. Magic brought Posy to the story, and magic guides many things within it. Although I am sometimes against magic in books, it didn't bother me in this one. I think the reason it didn't is because it wasn't shown as a positive thing. It wasn't necessarily shown as a negative one, either; it was just there.

Ashlee Willis is a talented author and I look forward to her next books. Although this book wraps up naturally and works well as a standalone, I would love a sequel!

---

I was given a copy of the book in exchange for this unbiased review. ...more

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Jul 15, 2017 Elisabeth rated it did not like it

I was expecting a enchanted, slightly dark fairy tale, but oh was I wrong.

So, the story is about fifteen year old Posy who escapes to the library to get a break from her fighting parents. She finds a strange book that she's never seen before and when she opens it she gets sucked into the story. Everything becomes black, and she gets a feeling like she's falling. When she wakes up she is lying in a bed, surrounded by unfamiliar people calling her princess . Posy soon learns that she has been br ...more

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Oct 20, 2014 Camilla Cruz rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Whenever I read a book, I first have to consider if it is striking me as true to the category in which it is in. Word Changers certainly is a Young Adult Christian Fantasy, and it is an asset to the genre. It's an allegory of faith, hope, redemption, forgiveness, and love, amongst other things. Certain parts felt like parables. While it is a Christian Fantasy, there was no "preachiness" (I say that for the benefit of those who feel that is important.). There is a Narnia-like element to it, but i Whenever I read a book, I first have to consider if it is striking me as true to the category in which it is in. Word Changers certainly is a Young Adult Christian Fantasy, and it is an asset to the genre. It's an allegory of faith, hope, redemption, forgiveness, and love, amongst other things. Certain parts felt like parables. While it is a Christian Fantasy, there was no "preachiness" (I say that for the benefit of those who feel that is important.). There is a Narnia-like element to it, but is a completely different story. I am quite pleased with how unique it is, and how it was pulled off. I felt like the author was learning as she wrote, like Posy poured from her fingers by deeper inspiration than herself. It caught me off guard, actually, because I got sucked in with Posy and the other characters. I could "see" what Posy was seeing. I could "feel" the insecurities, the fear, the inner stretching of the characters as they battled their weaknesses and their enemies, as they discovered their strengths, as they were forced to truly "see" themselves and grow. It was hard for me to "witness" so many negative role models in Posy's life; and it became even more challenging when it became apparent that Prince Kyran also had few positive mentors or support. But, I LOVE the elements of redemptive love, the clear explanation of grace and mercy. I love the definite message of hope even in the midst of seemingly unending trials and danger. I was blessed by the subtle and firm messages of encouragement and promptings to be brave. There were some really neat situations, too!

Word Changers was well written, flowed well, and is a unique adventure. Some parts that seemed to be more "vague" in there explanations were not a problem for me, as I naturally filled in the blanks in my imagination. It was easy to do since I became thoroughly involved. It was not always easy to determine what would happen next, lots of surprises to keep things going. I did have a hard time with Posy being able to get around as she did with a leg injury. (that is the only spoiler you'll get from me.)

I look forward to sharing this with my older kids soon. I think that for any negative aspects, such as negative role models, the book has innumerable valuable lessons to share. I think it could really speak to a kid dealing with tough family issues. Or a kid who is just dealing with the crazy emotions and changes of growing up. It could encourage that wounded heart to open up to some very important points to consider. It is worth reading. Loved this allegorical adventure fantasy. Thank you. ...more

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About Ashlee Willis

Ashlee Willis

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Ashlee Willis is the author of fantasy for young adults. While most of her days are balanced between writing, reading and being a stay-at-home mom, she also finds time to enjoy forest rambles, crocheting, and playing the piano. She lives in the heart of Missouri with her family.

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Quotes from The Word Changers

“In my world," said Posy, "authors write stories, and the characters do whatever the author tells them. It's not like this--the characters don't have minds and lives of their own."
"How do you know this?" was Caris' surprising reply. The corner of her mouth turned up in a playful smile. "You do not see the characters when the pages of the book are shut. Is there never a time when you read a book for the second time and you notice something that you didn't remember from the first time? Or hear a story told, and every time it is told it grows and changes in the telling? Change is the nature of everything.” — 11 likes

“I wrote you, you are mine," it continued, its voice as hard as its diamond eyes. "But I do not write everything you do and think. I do not write every decision you make. Not because I cannot-but because I will not.” — 3 likes

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