Bewildered

by A.B. Harms, Angie Kwon (Illustrations)

When she finds herself forever stuck in the bizarre and unwelcoming Bewilderness, no-nonsense Prudence Parks can't rely on her intellect alone to outwit the vengeful Match King. To find her way home is going to take a bit of magic and a lot of imagination.

Genres: Fantasy

250 pages, Hardcover

First published January 30, 2014

About the author

A. B. Harms (Amanda B. Harms) was born a writer. From a young age, she made her own picture books with crayons and a stapler. As a teenager, she won essay contests. Yet, when she began her career, being an author was the last thing she considered. Finally, after working every job imaginable from waitress to social worker, and earning her degree in Psychology, she realized what she was always meant to do--WRITE!

A. B. is from Missouri, has gone around the world and back again, and now lives in Louisville, Kentucky with her family, a pet sloth, who resembles a Great Dane, and a black cat, who moonlights as an assassin. No matter where she hangs her hat, she finds herself at home down the rabbit hole.

Reviews

[A. Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bewildered, by A.B. Harms tells the tale of Prudence Parks, a young girl who doesn't have time for nonsense. Thrown out the world she knew and into a new land, Prudence is forced to come face to face with strange creatures, talking dolls, and doppelgangers. Only by embracing her imagination will she survive. It is through her search for a way home that she finally learns "Life is not about beating the odds....It's about being strong despite the odds."

Filled with stunning imagery and endless adventures, A.B. Harms does an incredible job of driving her audience deep into Bewildered. There are only two flaws I've found with this book. First, it's not a major motion picture. Second, the next book in the series hasn't been released yet.

Dear Ms. Harms,

While the production of a major motion picture might be out of your control, getting the next book published is. So please, for the love of sweet potatoes and oregano, GET ON IT!!!

Sincerely,

Someone who now has to find something else to read in the mean time.

[D.G. Driver · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun middle grade fantasy novel. It has the same kind of feel as Alice in Wonderland or The Phantom Tollbooth, stories where a child slips into a strange and unusual other world filled with unique characters. The author has a great imagination, and I could easily picture the world as she created it. I was definitely curious to see how Prudence would get through this adventure and how it would end. Clearly there is a set up for a sequel. Nicely done. A good choice for 9-12 readers who love big fantasy.

[Ev Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a super fun, zany adventure with wonderful, rich characters and a wonky world. I ate up the pages, and loved that unlike some modern books, though BEWILDERED is a series (YAY!)--the story totally stands alone. The great writing and wordplay will make it a fun read aloud, too. Highly recommend for any children seven to twelve or so. And the story loving adults in their lives. :)