Out of the Woods

Eden Sisters #2

by Lyn Gardner

The fun fair is in town! With its clouds of pink candy floss and whirling big wheel, what child could resist such temptation? Little do the Eden sisters know that they are being lured into a wicked witch's lair. . . . Belladonna wants
Aurora's heart and Storm's all-powerful musical pipe, and she will stop at nothing to get them. Driven by vanity and greed, she makes a truly formidable adversary.
After escaping from a deadly game of hide-and-seek in the enchanted fair, our three heroines flee through the woods, with several ravenous wolves and a sweet-toothed lion hot on their heels. Now they face their biggest challenge yet: a treacherous journey into the Underworld. For only when the pipe has been safely returned to the land of the dead will the Eden sisters truly be out of the woods. . . .

Genres: Fantasy, Humor, Middle Grade, Fiction, Childrens, Magic, Juvenile

348 pages, Hardcover

First published August 6, 2009

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

Lyn Gardner is the author of Olivia’s First Term and the other Olivia books. She was born in London and now lives near Richmond Park with her partner and two daughters. A theatre critic for The Guardian, she goes to the theatre five or six nights a week, which should leave no time for writing books at all. Before she became a journalist, Lyn was a tea lady, a waitress and sold advertising space for a magazine called Sludge. Her ambitions are to learn to tap dance and walk the high wire, but it may have to be the low wire as she is a bit scared of heights!

Reviews

[Sand-Witch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how this book raises all your hopes and then drops it down a deep hole. I loved the ending so much it was so sad and so depressing and so sweet all at the same time. This book will destroy you in the inside. The story moves fast and is never boring. And the illustrations. They. Are. Amazing.

[Ifrah Akhtar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of the Woods Book Review








Would you ever go into a deep dark woods that was filled with dangers and mysteries? Where most people wouldn’t go, Storm Eden the heroine of this book is always willing to go. She is witty, clever and courageous. Out of the Woods, is a sequel of the previous book, Into the Woods. They both are great and entertaining books to read, especially if you are a fairytale lover. The have romance, action, comedy, adventure, and humor. Storm is willing to do anything to protect her beloved family, but what if there is someone after her beautiful sister’s heart? And that someone just happens to be a thousand year old witch? This book is where Storm's true courage is tested.

Storm and her sisters, Aurora and Any live in Eden End with their father Captain Reggie Eden. Their mother has long been passed away and they miss her very much. In Storm’s previous adventure she has been the owner of the pipe. The pipe is a magical device that has many powers, but if in the wrong hands it could be bad. After defeating her first nemesis in Into the Woods, Storm is enjoying a quiet life with her family. Then one day she encounters an evil witch at a fair, who secretly wants to get close to the family in order to have the pipe and Storm's sister, Aurora's beautiful heart to eat. So the chase begins. The evil witch shows up as Storm's new “stepmother”. The girls are horrified, but also welcoming about it bit, because the evil witch introduces herself as their Dad’s new sweetheart, when she is clearly not. Storm realizes that this “stepmother” is just after the pipe, and they try to escape, but the witch enchants her sister and turns her into a frog. Still, they escaped and now are running for their lives, because it is a fact that witches never give up nor do they ever turn down a chase.

“Love had given him courage.” (Lynn Gardner, pg.209, 2009)

This quote means a lot to me in particular. I think that this was one of the themes of the book. For love, you can do so many things that some you can’t even imagine unless you are doing them. In this book there is a lion that Storm rescues. He is always being abused at the fair, so she decides to set him free. His name is Zeus and he is probably one of the sweetest lions that you will ever meet. I found it amusing to think that; since most lions would want to gobble you up in a second, while Zeus is the biggest sweetest lion you could ever meet. He is always emotional but when his friend are in danger he steps up and becomes a real lion. He promises himself that now he would always be the bravest lion in the world. The love that he had received from Storm had turned into courage and his heart had become strong. It just shows how powerful love is; it can become your courage in times of need, like it did for Zeus, and if you have courage and those who love you you can become fearless and face your enemies.


“The three of us alone, the three of us together, Forever and always.” (Lynn Gardner, pg 350, 2009)

This is the pact that binds the 3 sisters, Storm, Aurora, and Any together. They have promised to each other that they will always be together and no matter what happens. In this book this was also a big theme, them together as a family. When the evil witch, Belladonna was after them she purposely broke them up so that they could be easier to shoot down. They could not be together and were lost in finding each other. It just goes to show that the theme of family can be very important, and that when you work together you are always strong. Just like Aurora, Any, and Storm. This is also relative to the quote, “Three for one and one for all,” which is from The Three Musketeers. All of the musketeers help each other out and stand up for each other, just like the Eden sisters. This is the pact that they swear by and stay strong to.

I would give this book a 5 out of a 5. It is really interesting, exciting, and thrilling. It has basically all of the fairy tales from “Sleeping Beauty” to “Snow White” mixed in this story in some way. I find it entertaining and fascinating how the author has the ability to do that. Lynn Gardner has given the world a new way to look at the classic fairy tale's and this I think is probably one of the best fairy tales that I have ever reading in a long time. It has everything that you can dream about from wolves, to witches, to a frog princess. I really admire the way that the author expresses her own perspective into the book and brings peoples’ minds into her worlds. I would recommend this book to anyone who can read and would enjoy a fairytale with a twist, and I would like for you to try to promise me one thing; that the next time that you pass by a bookstore, you go in and pick up a copy of Out of the Woods, and then the first book also, Into the Woods. What will happen to Storm? Will her sister’s heart be devoured? How will the frog princess turn back into a human? What will become of the magical pipe? To find this out, you are just going to have to read the books. Enjoy the reading! ~ ♪ ♫ ♪ :D

Thank you

[Lillian Gravatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the three Eden sisters, Aurora, Storm and Any. It is the second book in the Eden Sisters series. From the bottom of the ocean, a magical flute with power to control people resurfaces and an evil witch called Belladonna seeks to find it. When Belladonna learns that it is in Eden’s End, she makes a plan to become the Eden sister’s stepmother so she can both find the flute and take Aurora’s heart. She wants her heart because only the heart of the fairest of the land can restore her power. The girls soon figure out that their stepmother is really an evil. The Eden sisters, along with Aurora’s true love, Kit, go down an adventure meeting an assortment of dangers and encounters with new versions of the classic fairy tales.
Out of the Woods is an example of a fractured fairy tale in which it references a number of classic fairy tales, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, to The Snow Queen, to The Princess and the Frog, to Saint George and the Dragon, to Orpheus and Eurydice, and so forth. From a teacher’s perspective, this is an interesting book, because this author, Lyn Gardner, took the essence of each of these stories and made these ideas into her own unique story. This is good to have in the classroom, because it introduces all of the concepts of these other stories, while representing them in an interesting style. I recommend it for 5th to 6th grade.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out of the Woods is a sequel to Into the Woods written by Lyn Gardner. This book can stand alone though, as I thought there was enough back story that I didn’t need to read the first book to understand the plot. As a teacher, I would suggest this book to 5th-8th grade students. I would suggest they read it at any time, but especially after a fairy tale unit. Although it is not written in the traditional fairy tale style, it tells a story about three new characters that experience romance, comedy, adventure, and humor in a similar way to the traditional fairy tale characters. I really enjoyed the fairy tale mashups, and the visits from other fairy tale characters. In addition, I enjoyed the use of Roald Dahl like hyperbole throughout the book. The story comes to a very dramatic ending, but I think students who love fantasy and fairy tales would really enjoy it! Finally, the illustrations are wonderful and are something that I think would draw in a lot of reluctant readers.

[Chi Hoang · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to read this book for English class, and I finished it in one sitting. I haven't read the first book yet, but could still understand the plot. This book gave me a eerie feeling, maybe because of the illustrations, the format or not introducing much members. I felt like I was really in another world and was isolated. The plot was great, and I especially liked the atmosphere.

[Duyhiep Nguyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

gôd

[Haylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the plot of the story so much

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of the Woods: A Memoir of Wayfinding by Lynn Darling
There are quite a lot of memoirs which where the writer goes off somewhere by themselves and finds a new way forward. Of particular note for me were Plant Dreaming Deep by May Sarton and her follow up Journal of Solitude. The first memoir described her new life in a new home in New Hampshire, a journal which had a very popular appeal. In the second she tried in her words to erase what she felt was `the false impression’ she had given of herself, that of a totally positive and creative experience, by describing the anger, depression and loneliness she experienced as she created a new life in the country. Out of the Woods is both as honest and brave as Solitude but also brings you out of the other side of what is in many ways the process of grieving for the old life and connections even as she and we move forward into a new phase of life, facing aging and mortality .
Moving to a place she had visited briefly often from New York to a house outside a small town in Vermont Darling finds herself lost both physically and metaphorically. In the first section of the book, she vividly describes through intended and accidental wanderings the challenge of adapting to a world of space and comparative emptiness. No longer living in the gridded streets of a big city she wanders with no mental compass. Her confusion at times is so palpable that I wanted to grab the map and try and help.
Even more profound is her description of the extent to which she feels hemmed in by the walls of her new home, which she calls `Castle Dismal’, despite now being totally free to do what she will, when she will, where she will. I certainly identified with her experience that given a totally free calendar it’s hard to actually do anything. Gradually she learns to put down `small filaments of routine’. The turning point seems to be when she finally starts to cook for herself again.
The second part of the book dealing with her struggle with cancer is a profound mediation on mortality. Now she has something concrete to fear and she begins to savor each moment of wellness. Her journey within deepens.
As she moves into recovery Darling focuses on orienting herself to the world in a way that does not depend on blundering around until she finds her way, but on developing a comfort with her internal compass. It is through practical application of learning to understand an actual compass that she is able to develop an internal compass and absorb the skill of `way finding’.
I was inspired by this last stage of the book. Many memoirs imply a `happily ever after’ conclusion. Darling takes you along as she learns to become oriented both in the world and in herself, to be able to move forward towards her goal of transitioning with grace and vitality into life after wifehood and motherhood. This is a book I will read again.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this sequel to "Into the Woods," although it didn't draw me in quite as quickly. Like "Into the Woods," this is the story of Storm Eden and her two sisters, Aurora and Any. This time an evil witch, Belladonna, is after Aurora's heart (literally) and Storm's magic pipe. What I liked about it the most was figuring out what fairy tales were sprinkled throughout. This time around there is a healthy dose of Greek myth in addition to fairy tales like Snow White, the Frog Prince, the Snow Queen, and Little Red Riding Hood. An enjoyable follow-up with the door left open for more.

One thing bothered me though. Storm and Aurora end up in the underworld, and they end up seeing their mother there. Supposedly everyone who dies has to bathe in forgetfulness so that they don't remember their lives, but their mother knows exactly who they are and helps them out. Why didn't their mother bathe in forgetfulness when she died?

Note: I read this in e-book format and was actually impressed with how well it worked as an e-book. It had small illustrations here and there, just like the first book, and they worked well even on my 6-inch Nook screen. The text formatting looked nice as well on my Nook.

There was one typo that really stood out though. In one of the chapter titles, it said Auroro instead of Aurora.

[Katieb (MundieMoms) · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I haven't read the first book in the series, I enjoyed reading the sequel. There was enough of the back story that I didn't feel lost on what was going on, nor did I feel that it was redundant. I really liked the way in which Lyn put a spin on various children's fairy tales and meshed them together in this book. It was the fairy tale lore that hooked me the most.

In true fairy tale form, there's adventure, love, danger and an important message that lies just beneath the heart of the story. I like that the story continues with the three Eden sisters and Kit, the love interest for Aurora, one of the sisters. I enjoyed the adventure the sisters went on and all the twists and turns that lie waiting to ensnare the reader in Out of The Woods.

I really like how the three Eden sisters support each other no matter what. I adore their motto being, "Forever and Always". I enjoyed the message towards the end of the book, "Look forward. Keep your eyes on the road ahead. Don't look back." It's a powerful message not only to Storm, one of the Eden sisters, but a great message for the reader. I thought Out of The Woods was a great ending for the Eden's sisters journey.

[Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I haven't read the first book in the series, I enjoyed reading the sequel. There was enough of the back story that I didn't feel lost on what was going on, nor did I feel that it was redundant. I really liked the way in which Lyn put a spin on various children's fairy tales and meshed them together in this book. It was the fairy tale lore that hooked me the most.

In true fairy tale form, there's adventure, love, danger and an important message that lies just beneath the heart of the story. I like that the story continues with the three Eden sisters and Kit, the love interest for Aurora, one of the sisters. I enjoyed the adventure the sisters went on and all the twists and turns that lie waiting to ensnare the reader in Out of The Woods.

I really like how the three Eden sisters support each other no matter what. I adore their motto being, "Forever and Always". I enjoyed the message towards the end of the book, "Look forward. Keep your eyes on the road ahead. Don't look back." It's a powerful message not only to Storm, one of the Eden sisters, but a great message for the reader. I thought Out of The Woods was a great ending for the Eden's sisters journey.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

maybe a 3.5? another book for the I hate 5 stars system. This book is really well written. She adds depth to every character and their is lots of conversation. So why is it not a solid four if not a five?


Too weird for me. Just eye rolling , groaning weird. Had I read some reviews and saw what people were likening it to, I wouldn't have picked it up. This isn't my kind of book.

Storm is the rightful owner of an enchanted pipe. Evil Belladonna wants it to take over the world. She also wants to eat Aurora's heart to become young again. Eww. Belladonna's constant references to wanting to eat children alone were to much for me.

A lot of people get changed into animals and they have to go to the afterlife to give the pipe back to Pandora, where they see their long dead mother which to me takes this book out of the scope of being able to read it to anyone young who has lost someone.

There are tons and tons of fairy tale references in this book. The author really put the work in to craft those stories seamlessly into hers.


So if all of that sounds like the kind of fantasy adventure you'd like, then jump in. For me it just wasn't quite my cup of tea.

[Cym · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't have any expectation of the book and was glad I liked it. Although I did not read Into The Woods, I had an idea of what happened thanks to this book for not keeping me in the dark.

I also went on an adventure with the Eden sisters and the events kept me on the edge of my seat. I like fantasy-themed books too, and this did not disappoint. The Grimm fairy tales were also incorporated nicely and I smiled at their familiarity.

There are things that make me think like how do I deal with change? What if I don't like it? But, people do change for the better. And all these in the viewpoint of the second child in three, where the Middle-child Syndrome cannot be ignored.

I would recommend this book for older children and especially adults as there are violence and gruesome details involved while learning a few things along the way.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 in Lyn Gardner's possible trilogy, this book was so much fun and recommended to me by Timothy. A trio of sisters must make it on their own in the face of Belladonna who wants the beautiful older sister, Aurora's, heart (remind you of a certain fairy tale?) and the magical pipe of the second sister, Storm. Through several twists and turns, visits from other fairy tale characters (even the Grimm brothers), the story comes to a most dramatic ending! For kids who love fantasy and fairy tale, these books will be a hit and may already be. The illustrations by the WONDERFUL Mini Grey only make it that much better. Lots of fun!

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Retelling of: Snow White, Orpheus and the Underworld, Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Goldilocks, Ordinary Princess.

Not as good as the first one, but still a nice mashup of several fairy tales, this time including some greek myths too (!!)

Was mainly Snow White and Orpheus and Eurydice, but there were bits of The Snow Queen, Red Riding Hood, and even a bit of The Ordinary Princess and mentions of Jack and the Beanstalk and Goldilocks.

[Ren · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, I was a little disappointed with this sequel. It just didn't quite live up to the first novel and felt disjointed, especially in the beginning.
However, I am really glad to have read it and found out what became of the Eden sisters. There were quite a few brilliant plot points and bits that made me giggle. And I cannot help but enjoy the plethora of fairytales that found their way into the stories.

[Melissa Dwyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally rated E by Cheryl Sprys
Gardner combines fairy tales and Greek mythology to come up with an exciting sequel to Into the Woods. Storm, Aurora and Any face the wicked witch Belladonna as she tries to get Aurora's heart and the magic pipe, which has returned to Storm. Their friend, Kit, turns out to be the missing prince. The story is fast-paced, one adventure after another. There is quite a bit of suspense at the end, but all turns out well.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable sequel to Into the Woods. I am a fairy tale junkie, so I really appreciated the references to the classic stories and characters. This (and the first in the series) would be great for a book club...so many extended activities exploring which fairy tale appeared in the stories.

[Kimberly Mcclune]

No sequel could have been better penned to a book than this to its predecessor, Into the Woods. Lyn Gardner has once again brought her characters to life in a world intertwined with familiar fair tale stories and personalities. Storm and her sisters face their biggest challenges ever in this final act filled with adventure.

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Memoir of making it on your own, similar in style to Joan Anderson's A Year by the Sea, but not as full of the inner wisdom Joan shared. This story is more about how Lynn learns to navigate her new life, (empty nest), while learning how to find her way around the woods and mountains where she has taken up residence.

Enlightening, but covers no new ground in my opinion.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairy tale mashups can be tricky...and Into the Woods was the only one of the recent ones that I really loved. This sequel is pretty awesome...bringing in greek mythology, LOTR themes, AND a pretty cool girl-powery version of Snow White...with lots of other supporting fairy tale bits as well.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't like the previous book as much as I had anticipated, but this one was entirely different. I enjoyed it much more than I had anticipated. This book has quite a fun and entertaining cast of characters and a fabulous set of adventures.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt a bit of deja vu reading this after reading Into the Wild by Sarah Durst. Similar idea with the interweaving of the fairy tale plots, the fast-paced action and the humor. This can be read by itself, but it is the sequel to Into the Woods and there are references to action from that book.

[Shawn Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute YA novel, but I'm pretty sure it is the second book in a series, but I didn't figure this out until I was in the middle of the book. Oh well. It was still a cute book. I will just have to go find the first one now.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun reworking of miscellaneous fairy tales into a contemporary kids' adventure story, with a dash of humor thrown in for good measure. Probably best suited to the younger end of the mid-grade (junior fiction) scale.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, I wasn't quite drawn to this sequel than I was with Into the woods, as it did not lead up to my expectations. But I did enjoy most of the plot, and found myself giggling at some of the comedy that was added to the story. I also definitely enjoyed the fairy tale mashups.

[Cecilia Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gardner's plot blends together several of Grimm's fairy tales with the ancient Greek myths of Pandora and Orpheus.
The plot's tone is similar to: "Series of Unfortunate Events."
The theme of grief and jealousy is woven in and works well with the humor.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out feeling like a repeat of the first book, but I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome and plot twists.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as the first book. I was a bit disappointed.

[Danyelle Leafty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting fairy tale mash up, but I wish it could have gone deeper.