 "The perfect start to a modern faerie tale" | 2009-08-16 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2FSO1N6L7JHR7 |
Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black's The Field Guide (The Spiderwick Chronicles) is the first installment in the well-loved children's Spiderwick series. Following the separation of the Grace parents, Jared and the rest of the Grace family are forced to move to the ancient and decaying Victorian mansion of their crazy great-aunt Lucinda. Since his father's disappearance from his life, Jared Grace has been getting into fights and causing trouble. So when the family wakes up to the screams of Jared's sister, Mallory, to find that her hair has been tied in knots to the bedpost, it is generally assumed that Jared did it. But when Jared discovers a mysterious note from the previous owner of the house, he realizes that it might just be the clue he needs to unravel the mystery of who or what is living in the house with them and causing all the mischief that's being blamed on Jared. But what the note leads him to discover is something that he never could have imagined himself: that faeries exist, and one of them is wreaking havoc in their house.
The Field Guide (The Spiderwick Chronicles) is a gorgeous amalgamation of the illustrative genius of Tony DiTerlizzi and the story-telling prowess of Holly Black. Newcomers to Black's work will be spellbound by her imaginative writing and lovable characters. Having read Holly's work for older audiences, I decided to give the Spiderwick Chronicles a try and I do not think that I will be disappointed. Though this first installment is short and sweet, I suspect that there will be much to look forward to in the subsequent books. This is the kind of book that I wish had been around when I was younger. I highly recommend it to all fans of faerie, both child and adult alike. |
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 "Click clack watch your back" | 2009-07-10 |
| - Reviewed By la_solinas |
According to Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi, the text of this story was left for them by three mystery kids.
With that stab at blurring the boundaries between fantasy and reality, these two authors slip easily into a haunted house tale that rapidly blossoms into a story of hidden fae and strange creatures. The first of the Spiderwick Chronicles -- "The Field Guide" -- is a staggering brief story that sets up mysteries, marvels and everything that come after.
After their parents' divorce, the Grace kids -- teenage Mallory and nine-year-old twins Jared and Simon -- move with their mother to a crumbling old Victorian house, owned by a weird old aunt. Jared is having a rough time with all of this, but he's distracted from his personal woes by a "squirrel" scuttling around inside the walls. And their investigations reveal a strange little stash of items that were obviously not taken by a squirrel.
An exploratory trip in a dumbwaiter takes Jared to a hidden library full of strange books on mythic creatures -- and soon strange things start happening to the family. Jared's further investigations uncover a strange little book called "Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide To The Fantastical World Around You," a little guide to faery creatures. Jared begins to believe that the unbelievable might be true -- that there are faeries causing trouble in his new home -- but his siblings are a bit more reluctant.
For the record, "The Field Guide" is a short book in a short series full of short books. It's only about a hundred pages of heavily-illustrated text, and we're not talking large pages. It's more like the first chapters of a longer novel -- and it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger.
But Holly Black's writing style definitely makes it worth reading. Though the storyline is pretty simple, she weaves a web of subtle, eerie strangeness around the seemingly ordinary circumstances, and builds an increasing sense of dusty, leaf-strewn age around the house. And despite the Victorian house, the sprites and faery creatures here are anything but Victorian -- sometimes ugly, bizarre or malicious (such as when Mallory's hair is tied to her bed).
And Tony DiTerlizzi's artwork is simply perfect for the story that he and Black are telling. He crafts lots of intricate pen-and-ink drawings, shadowy depictions of the decayed Victorian mansion, and illustrations of the weirder aspects of the Spiderwick estate (like the dusty library, or the vaguely Satanic door-knocker). The highlights are the old scribbled-on papers of Arthur Spiderwick, including a picture of a household boggart.
The main characters are also quite believable: Mallory is a loving but slightly brittle teenager, and the mom is clearly struggling to stay afloat after her divorce. And the twins Jared and Simon (who can be told apart by their hairstyles) make good protagonists for the book, especially since they're so different -- Simon is a tidy animal enthusiast, while the more prominent Jared is a kid who is starting to sink into trouble after his parents' divorce.
"The Field Guide" is a good opening chapter for the Spiderwick Chronicles, building up a sense of suspense, eerie fantasy and otherworldly creatures. Just have the second part on hand before you finish. |
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| "crazy or courageous" | 2009-07-06 |
| - Reviewed By billjamison |
| I am glad that these books have been made available to us but as I read them I cannot help but wonder if the kids that found the guide were not very wise ignoring the order to burn the book! Were they courageous or crazy? I do not know. |
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| "Fun Book for All Ages" | 2009-05-18 |
| - Reviewed By stefan@interkan.net |
I wasn't too sure what I was getting into when I started this book and I must say that I was much more than pleasantly surprised. The story centers on a mother and her three children, a set of twins and their older sister, who have just moved into the old dilapidated house that has been in the family for years. Very soon after moving in, strange occurrences begin to happen and the children dedicate themselves to solving the mystery.
This is a well written introduction to the series and the style and illustrations really add to the feel of the story. The characters are likable and there are a few minor twists and turns that keep things interesting. This isn't a very long book so naturally it didn't take too long to read, that being said however, I did find it difficult to put down. I think that kids of all ages would be able to follow the story and enjoy solving the mystery along with the children in the story. It was an enjoyable read and I am looking forward to book 2 once I purchase it. |
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| "A Bit of a Slow Start" | 2009-03-13 |
| - Reviewed By carstairs38 |
The Grace Family has been going through some hard times. The parents have divorced. Jared has taken it harder than his siblings and started getting into trouble. It's why a fresh start is what he needs, even if he doesn't want it.
They have moved to the estate of a distant relative. No one has lived in it for a long time, and it is in disrepair. That might explain the strange sounds that Jared, his twin Simon, and their older sister Mallory hear in the walls the first night, right? Exploring a little more, the trio discover an old manuscript. Does it hold the key to all the strange things happening?
Having really enjoyed the movie last year, I finally started reading the books. At just over 100 small pages, this book reads very fast. I finished it in about an hour. Of course, I am a tad older than the target audience.
Even so, I felt the book was mostly set up. Yes, there is a story and resolution here, but it is almost all background that I have a feeling will be expanded on in the next four books. It probably doesn't help that I know where the story is going thanks to the movie.
This is an enjoyable fantasy that will capture kids' imaginations. The price does seem a little high for what you get, however. |
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