Wildwood - (Wildwood Chronicles) by Colin Meloy (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

For fans of the Chronicles of Narnia comes the first book in the Wildwood Chronicles, the New York Times bestselling fantasy adventure series by Colin Meloy, lead singer of the Decemberists, and Carson Ellis, acclaimed illustrator of The Mysterious Benedict Society. Now in paperback!

Wildwood captivates readers with the wonder and thrill of a secret world within the landscape of a modern city. It feels at once firmly steeped in the classics of children's literature and completely fresh. The story is told from multiple points of view, and the book features more than eighty illustrations, including six full-color plates, making this an absolutely gorgeous object.

In Wildwood, Prue and her friend Curtis uncover a secret world in the midst of violent upheaval--a world full of warring creatures, peaceable mystics, and powerful figures with the darkest intentions. And what begins as a rescue mission becomes something much greater as the two friends find themselves entwined in a struggle for the very freedom of this wilderness. A wilderness the locals call Wildwood.

The bestselling trilogy from Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis consists of Wildwood, Under Wildwood, and Wildwood Imperium.

From the Back Cover

Prue McKeel's life is ordinary. That is, until her brother is abducted by a murder of crows and taken to the Impassable Wilderness, a dense, tangled forest on the edge of Portland. No one's ever gone in--or at least returned to tell of it.

So begins an adventure that will take Prue and her friend Curtis deep into the Impassable Wilderness. There they uncover a secret world in the midst of violent upheaval--a world full of warring creatures, peaceable mystics, and powerful figures with the darkest intentions. And what begins as a rescue mission becomes something much greater as the two friends find themselves entwined in a struggle for the very freedom of this wilderness. A wilderness the locals call Wildwood.

Review Quotes

WILDWOOD is a beautiful object and a beautiful read. One half fairy tale, one half coming of age story, one half unrepentantly gorgeous work of art, this book is overflowing with gifts. - Jonathan Safran Foer

Dark and whimsical, with a true and uncanny sense of otherworldliness, WILDWOOD is the heir to a great tradition of stories of wild childhood adventure. It snatched me up and carried me off into a world I didn't want to leave. - Michael Chabon

A satisfying blend of fantasy, adventure story, eco-fable and political satire with broad appeal; especially recommended for preteen boys. - Kirkus Reviews

If you like stories in which spunky adolescents emerge from secret tunnels only to be greeted by smartly outfitted badgers operating rickshaws, this is a book for you. Meloy's debut is the kind of delicate, elaborate fantasy that is so well-versed in classic Narnian tropes that it is destined to be enthusiastically embraced. Frequent, droll illustrations further solidify Wildwood as a uniquely alive place-right down to the stubborn blackberries and vengeful ivy. - Booklist (starred review)

This book is like the wild, strange forest it describes. It is full of suspense and danger and frightening things the world has never seen, and once I stepped inside I never wanted to leave. - Lemony Snicket

WILDWOOD is an irresistible, atmospheric adventure - richly imagined and richly rewarding. - Trenton Lee Stewart, New York Times bestselling author of The Mysterious Benedict Society

Meloy has an immediately recognizable verbal style and creates a fully realized fantasy world.... Ellis's illustrations perfectly capture the original world and contribute to the feel of an instant timeless classic. Further adventures in Wildwood cannot come quickly enough. - School Library Journal (starred review)

"A richly satisfying weave of reality and fantasy." - New York Times Book Review