A Fairy's Guide to Disaster

Away From Whipplethorn #1

by A.W. Hartoin

Tiny fairies. Huge adventure.

Matilda Whipplethorn is about to get what she’s always wanted, and it’s a bad thing. Being a babysitter isn’t much of a dream for the average thirteen-year-old, but Matilda is anything but average. She’s half a centimeter tall, invisible to the human eye, and hearing-impaired. Her mother won’t let her forget any of that. So for Matilda, adventures are in short supply. Finally agreeing to let Matilda take some responsibility, her mother gives her a list of emergency procedures for babysitting. The only problem; humans aren’t on the list.

Minutes into her first job, humans appear in isolated Whipplethorn Manor. They tear her home, the fireplace mantel, right off the wall of Whipplethorn and Matilda’s afternoon babysitting job goes long term.

When the mantel ends up on display in an antique mall, the security that Matilda always took for granted is gone. She can lock the doors, but that doesn’t keep the kids in or spriggans and the fly-eating phalanx fairies out. Matilda’s up for an adventure, if only she could hear it coming.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fae, Fiction, Middle Grade, Ebooks, Paranormal

285 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

USA Today bestselling author A.W. Hartoin grew up in rural Missouri, but her grandmother lived in the Central West End area of St. Louis. The CWE fascinated her with its enormous houses, every one unique. She was sure there was a story behind each ornate door. Going to Grandma’s house was a treat and an adventure. As the only grandchild around for many years, A.W. spent her visits exploring the many rooms with their many secrets. That’s how Mercy Watts and the fairies of Whipplethorn came to be.
As an adult, A.W. Hartoin decided she needed a whole lot more life experience if she was going to write good characters so she joined the Air Force. It was the best education she could’ve hoped for. She met her husband and traveled the world, living in Alaska, Italy, and Germany before settling in Colorado for nearly eleven years. Now A.W. has returned to Germany and lives in picturesque Waldenbuch with her family and two spoiled cats, who absolutely believe they should be allowed to escape and roam the village freely.

Reviews

[Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book which I read in no time - couldn't put it down. It reminded me of The Borrowers which I read as a kid and reread to my granddaughter. This wonderful fantasy of tiny fairies in the mantel and whole races of wood fairies in the antique mall makes for great adventure. I especially love Soren Maple, the leader of the fairies who look like sticks. Oh, for drawings or pictures. Matilda is the heroine of the tale who starts her babysitting career with the horrible Gerald. Boy, does this remind me of my own babysitting mishaps. Matilda is such a lovable character with all the fallacies of an adolescent but who steadfastly protects her charges through a war and on to a new home. I hope a sequel is in the works.

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

This truly was a refreshing book. It looks like the world of fairies, at least in the book world, might just have a new author, A. W. Hartoin. Right from the first chapter the story and writing is very fresh and deep in character, fun characters. This is one of those rare books that is both suspenseful and yet yet fun to read from beginning to end. She has me hooked.

Wood fairies living in an ancient mantel are displaced when the old mansion is torn down and the mantel is bought by an antique dealer. It ends up in an auction wearhouse and the young "babysitter" (the only one home when the mantel was stripped from the mansion) struggles to face the challenges of keeping her three charges safe and deal with a world and characters she was not aware existed. And there are lots of challenges, not just from external forces but from the charges themselves.

Each of these tiny characters is a bundle of personality and fun as well as a handful for the first time baby sitter. The mantel finds it's way to a new home and how will she and her charges ever find their families again now so very far away? Can they turn to human's for help?

A nice fresh read which I really enjoyed from start to finish. I look forward to Hartoin's next book.

[R.A. White · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fun and well written, and I stayed interested throughout. I've never read fairy books or watched fairy movies, and I admit I didn't have super high hopes of getting an intelligent story, but the world was well defined and imaginative. Instead of being a 'save the world' story, it's about a few fairies that are separated from their parents when the building they live in is demolished. There's plenty of banter, bad guys, and good guys, as well as a bit of intrigue. The only thing that seemed off to me was the fairies' size. At one point I thought they were half a centimeter tall, and then later when they meet people, they seem much bigger. Maybe I just misunderstood, and anyway, it's nothing that would take away from enjoying the book.
Language: Clean as far as I can remember.
Sexual Content: None. I was hoping a romance would blossom between a couple of characters, but I guess I have to wait until book 2 to see if it does. For you romance readers out there, you still might like this book. It's a fantastic little world, and kind of romantic in its own way.
Over-All Message/Plot. The characters overcome their opinions of each other and learn to love people for who they are. The plot is simple but holds together well, and it's absolutely enjoyable.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Fairy's Guide to Disaster" is a cute story about a thirteen year old Matilda who is a wood fairy. She and her family live in the wooden mantle at the abandoned Whipplethorn Manor.

Matilda has just received approval from her mother for her first babysitting job. Unfortunately, she will be babysitting her precocious eight year old cousin, Gerald. While babysitting, two men come into the manor and take down the manor to be sold at an antique shop. Matilda, her sister, Iris and Gerald are moved to parts unknown. Soon they discover they are not the only ones left in the mantle and they rescue a baby they call Easy.

Once they arrive at the antique shop, they meet a spriggin who steals Easy and replaces his with a spriggins baby named, Horc. He is stinky and always hungry. To make matters worse, Gerald goes off on his own and Matilda must find him as well.

The characters in this children's story are colorful and delightful although at times I felt as though I was reading a series of unfortunate events due to all of the mishaps. This.is a perfect book and series for a sixth grader. It is definitely cute and fun.

[Addi Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rollicking ride!

I very much enjoyed this book! Easy to follow and remember, which was good when I went through a reading slump. I could pick back up and finish without going back. I would recommend this to anyone who liked fantasy. I especially liked the main character, as I too am an older sibling who babysits for her siblings.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book quite enjoyable. I know a few young girls who would really enjoy to read about the travels and trials of a teenage fairy.

[Deserthomemaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute story.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

   A quick little story about growing up, accepting oneself and others, and learning to be independent. Matilda is a thirteen-year-old wood fairy, and as she frequently mentions, she is very hard of hearing which is part of the reason why it took so long before her parent’s allowed her to be a babysitter. When she does finally get to babysit, she is babysitting for her ten-year-old sister Iris and their neighbor, eight-year-old Gerald. While the adults are away picking blueberries, humans come to the deserted Whipplethorn Manor where Matilda’s family and many other wood fairies live, taking away anything of potential value including the carved wooden mantle that Matilda’s family calls home. It is the first of many shake-ups in their lives, as they are thrown about their home as the movers remove it from the building, load it into a car, and drive them all away. Thus begins their adventure to save baby Ezekiel (Easy for short), somehow keep together and work together, and eventually find a way to let their families know what has happened and how to find them.

   If something could go wrong in their lives, it did. The list of “Three Steps To…” that Matilda’s mother gave her as guidelines does not cover anywhere near enough topics for the trials and tribulations they encounter and must find a way to get out of in one piece. However along the way they meet many interesting characters, both fairy and human alike, some of whom help them and some of whom cause them more trouble.

   Largely, this is a story about growing to accept yourself as you are, learning exactly where your strengths and weaknesses lie, as well as understanding and accepting others for who they are no matter what prejudices society might have against them or their abilities. It is a middle-grade read, and on the simpler side of things with much set out as black-and-white and gray areas not staying so for very long.

   These gray areas, while not exactly glossed over, are rather quickly resolved, such as the scene where Iris learns about Matilda’s gift. Specifically, how easily Iris accepted it despite societal prejudices against the gift, and how firmly Matilda showed the reader that she was afraid of what would happen if her secret became known. I found the whole scenario to be a little too quickly resolved/Iris’ acceptance to come too readily, even considering that they are sisters – maybe especially because they are such close sisters and Iris even says that Matilda knows everything about her, why would Matilda keep this hidden from Iris?

   Another instance of something quickly glossed over is that we never did learn/figure out how Gerald and his family knew both Matilda and Easy’s secrets… Does it quite simply have to do with them being Ogle’s originally, and if so, what does being an Ogle even mean? And how did Soren and the commander know just by looking at her, too? It made each of these peoples/groups seem to be almost omniscient with how much they knew about Matilda and Easy’s secrets.

   Throughout this journey, Matilda also learned how to listen to her instincts about the friendliness or dangerousness of new encounters – however, the manner in which she “examined her feelings” felt overly simplified, and could have been described in a clearer way, a more descriptive way to be easier for readers to relate to.

   A little nitpicking on my part: After the dust more or less settles from the mantle being moved around, Matilda explains, “I probably looked like I’d been in a war, and in a way, I had. A war where I seemed to lose every battle.” (page 48-49) Given my history in reading middle grade/young adult/non-fiction books about war, this seems too much of an exaggeration without enough substance to back it up. There is so much more to war than just getting physically beat up, and she hardly mentions, if at all, any other form of being beat up. A better analogy would probably be something more like it looked as though she had been thrown through a tangle of brambles which scratched her up.

   Then, there is the whole on-going issue of Matilda’s poor hearing. She all but bemoans her poor hearing through much of the book. Since she has had poor hearing for essentially all of her life, I would have thought she would have more tricks in place to help make up for her hearing difficulties (early on, page 10 or so, she did mention how she could read lips, but very briefly and in passing). Instead, she mentions her poor hearing overly much, like it is a very big deal to her even after all this time. I can see how given the shake-ups around the house she could start to really notice her hearing difficulties and have to swallow her pride to ask for the help of others to hear certain things, but it never felt/sounded like she was suddenly strongly feeling her disadvantage. It wasn’t until page 145 that we learned, along with Matilda, exactly how poor her hearing was (comparatively speaking) :

      “That day watching Evan, I realized how bad it was. I couldn’t hear. I really couldn’t hear. No wonder Grandma Vi insisted I learn to lip read. I’d thought it was pointless, since I only needed it at a distance. But it wasn’t about distance or direction or the tone of the speaker’s voice. I needed it all the time.” – page 145

While it is great to have this realization come, it comes rather late in the novel, and it seems like something she might have already learned while growing up; this should not be new information. Furthermore, it also comes across as a bit extreme, as there are few indications that she has difficulty hearing normal speaking voices (such as when she meets new fairies/people for the first time, who cannot possibly know that they might have to speak up for her to hear them easily). I also never got a consistent feel for her hearing capabilities, as sometimes she would hear something it seemed sure she could not hear, and other times she could not hear something that it seemed she should be able to hear. Of course, I must admit that I am not personally familiar with hearing difficulties nor all the ways they can be surmounted, but based on a general understanding of hearing difficulties/hearing aids/lip reading/sign language/etc., I can make some extrapolations by which to go by. I’m open to correction and more information, of course, if anyone would like to share with me.

   In conclusion, if you want a quick, roller-coaster read with nods to prejudices, disabilities, and stereotypes, as well as being overall entertaining, then this book passes muster as a topical experience and easily accessible to kids. With some editing, it could easily be improved to clean up some of the inconsistencies and discrepancies for a fuller, more accurate representation of experiences.

Favorite quotes:
Magic came when it came and one couldn’t choose the gift. – page 10

None of them looked very old anymore. I saw the girls they once were and still were in their hearts. Pretty girls both of them. Ready to believe. – page 162

My world changed forever, but in exchange I’d received a bigger world filled with more of everything. It was, in the end, quite a gift. – page 170

Specific quotes and comments:
“When I told the spriggans that [Easy] was our baby it became true. I wasn’t just the babysitter anymore.” – page 139 – That’s one way to take responsibility – it’s very adult of Matilda to feel this way, arguably justifiably so after all they have been through together.

“I blushed at having [Judd’s] eyes being trained on me […] trying not to show how flustered I felt about being called pretty by a human.” – page 151 – Matilda gets so self-conscious whenever ANY boy except the much-younger Gerald looks at her; first Soren, now Judd.

Shelby Cobra – page 163 (After a quick look at the Arizona DMV website, it says, “When you renew your license when you are 60 years old or older, the ADOT will issue you a driver's license valid for 5 years.” – so Marie’s license should only be valid for 5 years, not 10. I won’t even get into the question of which state they are currently in versus where she got her license, and that moving between states officially, she should technically get a new license for the new state she is living in.)

Typos:
The three step instructions […] were fifteenth of the list. – page 19 – I think “a” is missing – “were a fifteenth”

I stopped and looked for the Sarah and Marie. – page 38 – No reason to have “the” there, as it’s the only time Matilda refers to them as a “the”

He was in one piece. I thought. – page 51 – Given tense, this should be one sentence: “He was in one piece, I thought.”

Iris turned to Gerald and stuck her chin out at him. Her plump face wry and disbelieving. – page 56 – should be one sentence: “…at him, her plump…”

[I said, “…] It’s your turn. Understand?” “No.” Gerald crossed his arms. “Iris can do it. She let Easy get stolen.” – page 63 – From “No”, that section should be a new paragraph.

I thrust Horc onto the brown leather square almost falling into the goo in the process. – page 92 – Could us a comma after square.

Horc starting jumping around saying… -- page 92 – “starting” should be “started”

He’s in the woman’s hair.” – page 98 – missing opening quotes

Before I could react, Gerald made it to the container, he slipped and fell in the mess, his arms flailing. – page 107 – Confusion of verb tenses/flow. Suggested revision: […] Gerald made it to the container and slipped and fell in the mess, arms flailing.

My eyes darting around the room – page 120 – should be “darted”

But I managed steady myself and…. – page 130 – should be “managed to steady”

Easy chirped and held his arms out to Iris. […] Iris sat Easy on the floor […] – page 139 – This made me pause, as it was never explicitly said that Matilda actually handed Easy over to Iris.

Easy snatched the spoon out of Horc’s hand swung it over his head … -- page 139 – Either add a comma between hand and swung, or make swung into swinging (and the subsequent verb cracked to cracking)

Tell, Dad. – page 149 – no comma necessary here.

“What about our parents and Easy’s just a baby […]” – page 154 – Flow is strange, could use a comma after “parents”. Or, “…our parents? And Easy’s…”

Story inconsistencies:
“Well, it’s not me. Oh, dude, it’s your freaking boot.” – page 85 – Except, these two guys just got over having a big old argument and tussle because the one thought the other lit his boot on fire, now suddenly it’s no big deal?

“She’s really tiny. Maybe a half an inch tall […]” – page 151 – There’s quite a difference between “well under a centimeter” and “maybe a half an inch”, even if you’re not used to the metric system.

I couldn’t read [Judd’s] lips, but he was smiling and nodding. – page 155 – Not sure why Matilda would need to read his lips to understand what he’s saying, as he’s sitting right in front of her, and he’s probably talking in a normal tone of voice anyways.

“I’d pay for you to see that, too,” muttered Judd. – page 158 – Everything is from Matilda’s point of view, and here she can apparently hear Judd mutter, which further invalidates her need to read his lips on page 155. Really, she probably shouldn’t have heard Judd’s muttering, and when one mutters it’s harder to read the lips as they move less.

Marie’s rings clinked together […] – page 167 – I doubt Matilda could hear this small sound, especially since she is up on Marie’s shoulder, and there is the sound of the car’s engine going on too.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an imaginative story! Away from Whipplethorn, by A.W. Hartoin, is a charming tale filled with fairies, other tiny creatures and plenty of adventure filled mishaps that keep our young heroine, Matilda, much busier than she ever thought possible on her very first babysitting job. The book is a perfect romp for the young reader. By the end of this story, Matilda, her little sister Iris and their cousin Gerald realize the importance of being just who you are and appreciate the differences in all of us. I highly recommend this delightful book.
Away From WhipplethornA.W. Hartoin

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very disappointed in this story, the cover and the name suggested something other than what we originally thought it was going to be. If my children were older, I believe that they could have gotten more into the story, but with the way that the "fairies" talked to each other we had to stop reading before we even reached the end.

I am not saying that others could not read and enjoy this novel. I am sure that it would be a hit with the pre-teen to teen crowd; however, for my young children this was inappropriate due to the fact that the teenager characters were like actual teenagers (in attitude and speech).

[Katharina Gerlach · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book from the first page and recommend it to all who love fairies. The idea of these fabulous creatures being barely 1/2inch high is absolutely great.

Also, the story is very well written, with many interesting twists and turns. The characters come alive right away. I like the spunky heroine who struggles with a disability that she doesn't even know she has.

My favorite character was Horc. ;-)

[Dixie Conley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about a bratty teen babysitting for the first time and everything that can go wrong. Except that usually giants don't move the house you're living in or steal the baby.

Includes the usual cliches, but mostly just to turn them on their heads. Clever and even touching in moments. (When the spriggan baby kept asking Matilda if she loved him... aw.) Ends just as you want to know more; perfect climax.

[Smwitges · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was an engaging and imaginative read. I believe this book will appeal to both female and male readers of all ages but believe young girls will find the heroine very empowering. I stayed up late 3 nights in a row because I couldn't bring myself to put the book down. It would also be a great book to read aloud to younger children or students.

[Lyndsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a bookworm teenager, I know a good book when I read one. Away From Whipplethorn provided just the right amount of imagination, action, suspense and mystery to keep me reading. I couldn't tear myself away from this book until I had read the entire thing, and even then I only wanted to read it all over again.

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic read. These fairies drew me right into their world and now I wonder what story my furniture would tell. I can't wait to share this book with my children.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book! The interactions between the characters were hilarious and true to life. I am looking forward to the next one!

[Mike Mackey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book on Fairies and the way their world and our world interact! Matilda a 13 year old fairy wants to be a babysitter. She learns you need to be careful about what
You want. Her world is turned upside down when the House in which the the mantle that is their home is considered . The beautiful Mantle is taken to an Antique Store. Now the Adventure begins. Matilda's parents are gone and she wants to find them. She meets the population of the Fairy World there, and then someone buys her Mantle. Her journey to the new House and her introduction to the Human World begins in depth. She manages to keep her tiny family intact, gets some humans to be able to see her! So there is a multitude of various fairy Folk, young Humans, and very Old Humans introduced through out this book! I think you will enjoy
this series, young and not so young alike. A way different read for me, but I liked it!

Enjoy this good Read!
Santa Mike

[Trudi Jorda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tale of the difficulties of being a babysitter as a young fairy about 1/2 cm height learns when her parents leave her in charge of her little sister, her baby brother and a neighbors young son while her parents and the neighbors go away for the day and the manor house the family is living in the mantelpiece at is being torn down, Disaster strikes in so many ways and being almost deaf she misses so many of the audible cues that might help her. The mantelpiece is sold to an antiques barn and from there is sold to a wealthy family with children and a family pet. Her parents return to the manor house only to find it has been torn down. There is a whole cast of characters! It was a fun and entertaining story and can be read by or to children but adults that love fantasy will enjoy this book as well! Happy Reading!

[Xyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would you do if your home was ripped away from one spot and moved to two more?

Matilda, the wood fairy, found out one day while she is babysitting her younger sister and another young fairy. This story is chock full of adventure and lessons that provide growth for all the main characters.

I loved this book. So much action, adventure, and discovery. From the tiniest and youngest of characters to the eldest! Rock on, Marie!

I can't say too much without spoilers. Matilda was a great babysitter. I hope the bonds forged in this adventure continue to strengthen throughout the series.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable and easy to read tale that follows Matilda, a 13-year old wood fairy as she is tasked with babysitting her sister Iris and Gerald, the classic annoying kid from school. She even has an extensive list of what ifs to help, kindly prepared by her mother, but sadly it does not include the one thing that ends up happening, the removal of their mantel from the manor and its arrival at an antiques store and new house. So begins their quest to keep themselves together and to find their way home, all the while dealing with a strange new world they are not prepared for.

[Heather Cotton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this story, I wasn't sure what to expect but it's really a story I would love for my kids to read. The way that all of them have to overcome their differences and work together is awesome.
Matilda is a great "big sister" and her first babysitting job becomes quite the adventure. I can't wait to see what happens next!

[Abigail · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm giving this book 2.5 stars.

This book is different than what I usually read, but it's pretty cute! It's entertaining and very simple/easy to read. :) It's not amazing and I didn't love it, but I did think it was a cute read. :) I probably won't be continuing the series though. It's just not for me.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rose

Extremely well written. I am an adult and could not have been happier reading this tale. Finding out all about the twists and turns. All the characters were very fun to learn about while following the intricacies in this story. There must be plenty of others who will enjoy this story, both young and old and all those in between.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute Fast Read

This genre is not something I would typically read, but I'm glad I did. Yes, it's about fairies living in a fireplace mantel, but there were some suspenseful moments and believable characters.

[Desiree Jacobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

I wasn't sure about this book, but I really enjoyed it by the end. It is unique in having babysitting fairy and her charges adventures when their mantle is taken from the house. Very enjoyable

[Karen Waller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful heartwarming adventure

Follow the heartwarming adventures of these young fairies in their quest to find their families. They learn some wonderful lessons in love and acceptance as they face several perils together. Must read

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be one of the cutest stories I have read in a long time! Fairies, Fairies, and more Fairies as well as a few Spriggans. A beautiful world viewed through the eyes of tiny people. I loved Soren and his people! And baby Horc!! He made me laugh and laugh at his antics.

[Tabitha Zapata · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book to my son. Having finished the Harry Potter series, we were looking for another enjoyable series. This book was free on BookBub so we gave it a shot. Wow. Such a fun storyline.

[Rebekah Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, the main character Matilda, has a hearing impediment and it was refreshing to see a character that just worked around it and succeeded.

I'll definitely look out for more in the series

[Mimi Davis Hopkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fairy's Life

Great Job! I am continually amazed at the mind and abilities of authors to pen such intriguing and fanatical tales. This story captures and hold the reader in amazement.