What do you think?
Rate this book
Foxheart #1
Foxheart
Orphan. Thief.
Witch
.
A classic fantasy-adventure reminiscent of Howl's Moving Castle from New York Times –bestselling author Claire Legrand.
Twelve-year-old Quicksilver lives as a thief in the sleepy town of Willow-on-the-River. Her only companions are her faithful dog and partner in crime, Fox—and Sly Boots, the shy boy who lets her live in his attic when it’s too cold to sleep on the rooftops. It’s a lonesome life, but Quicksilver is used to being alone. When you are alone, no one can hurt you. No one can abandon you.
Then one day Quicksilver discovers that she can perform magic. Real magic. The kind that isn’t supposed to exist anymore. Magic is forbidden, but Quicksilver nevertheless wants to learn more. With real magic, she could become the greatest thief who ever lived. She could maybe even find her parents. What she does find, however, is much more complicated and surprising. . . .
Acclaimed author Claire Legrand’s stunning and original novel explores the danger of lies and the power of truth, the strength found in friendship, and the value of loving and being loved . . . even if it means risking your heart. Full of magic, adventure, and an original and compelling cast of characters, Foxheart will appeal to fans of Neil Gaiman and Diana Wynne Jones.
A classic fantasy-adventure reminiscent of Howl's Moving Castle from New York Times –bestselling author Claire Legrand.
Twelve-year-old Quicksilver lives as a thief in the sleepy town of Willow-on-the-River. Her only companions are her faithful dog and partner in crime, Fox—and Sly Boots, the shy boy who lets her live in his attic when it’s too cold to sleep on the rooftops. It’s a lonesome life, but Quicksilver is used to being alone. When you are alone, no one can hurt you. No one can abandon you.
Then one day Quicksilver discovers that she can perform magic. Real magic. The kind that isn’t supposed to exist anymore. Magic is forbidden, but Quicksilver nevertheless wants to learn more. With real magic, she could become the greatest thief who ever lived. She could maybe even find her parents. What she does find, however, is much more complicated and surprising. . . .
Acclaimed author Claire Legrand’s stunning and original novel explores the danger of lies and the power of truth, the strength found in friendship, and the value of loving and being loved . . . even if it means risking your heart. Full of magic, adventure, and an original and compelling cast of characters, Foxheart will appeal to fans of Neil Gaiman and Diana Wynne Jones.
480 pages, Hardcover
First published October 4, 2016
72 people are currently reading
6766 people want to read
About the author
Claire Legrand
31 books5,073 followersClaire Legrand is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of fourteen novels, including the Empirium trilogy, the Middlemist trilogy, SAWKILL GIRLS, and SOME KIND OF HAPPINESS. She is one of the four authors behind THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES, an anthology of dark middle grade fiction.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews
November 21, 2016
Why do I read middle grade books? They're quick reads and they cut to the core of the story without including any smut.*
This was pretty cute. That's not the word I was trying to think of, but for right now - I'm going with it. (Dinner won't make itself, and I'm in a rush.) The main girl was well balanced; she wasn't a pushover yet she wasn't a pig-headed prat. She had her fears yet she was confident. She had heart. I loved the whole animal connection. I wish I had a talking fox!
As an adult I totally saw things coming, but as a kid I don't think I would've guessed... but I was probably a bit thickheaded. As a kid, I said!
I would read other books by Claire Legrand based on this book. And the narrator was very easy to listen to.
*I also read smut.
This was pretty cute. That's not the word I was trying to think of, but for right now - I'm going with it. (Dinner won't make itself, and I'm in a rush.) The main girl was well balanced; she wasn't a pushover yet she wasn't a pig-headed prat. She had her fears yet she was confident. She had heart. I loved the whole animal connection. I wish I had a talking fox!
As an adult I totally saw things coming, but as a kid I don't think I would've guessed... but I was probably a bit thickheaded. As a kid, I said!
I would read other books by Claire Legrand based on this book. And the narrator was very easy to listen to.
*I also read smut.
September 21, 2020
It has been four years since I first read this book. Now, finally, I have gotten to read this again. To get ready for my eARC of the companion book, Thornlight. Eee. Very excited. Re-reading this book was the very best. I loved it so much back then. And I loved it even more now. It was such a beautiful and perfect story. Sigh.
As always, the writing by Claire is perfection. I have loved all of her books, always. And I cannot wait to read even more by her. Reading this book again was so very good. I had forgotten much of it. But not how badly I loved it. So happy that I still very much loved this book. So heartbreaking. But so stunning and exciting.
There is so much I wish to share about this book. I shall try to contain myself. Ha. Which will be hard. As I loved this one so very much. Sigh. This book tells the story of twelve year old Quicksilver. At age three, her parents left her at a convent. She never knew why, or what happened to them. She grew up at this place with a lot of other girls. She never told the nuns her real name. Even with how often they tried making her tell them. And so they started calling her Girl. Which was so rude and heartbreaking to read about. But even worse was when she got a little older. And another girl started calling her Pig. And Witch. And then Pigwitchgirl. She was so cruel. It broke my heart. Rude. But Quicksilver was so strong. She got revenge a bunch of times.
Quicksilver ends up having to escape the convent. As she witnesses someone hurting one of the nuns. She runs away, while hearing the rest of the girls screaming. She arrives in a nearby town. Where she meets a boy named Sly Boots. This is where she names herself. She tells him her name is Quicksilver. And so that is her name. And I loved that. I loved how she named herself, and how awesome that name was. She has not been all alone, though. She had a dog. Whom she named Fox. He was the cutest thing.
The day after she meets Sly Boots, they are watching the market, waiting to steal things to help his poor parents whom are ill. A stranger arrives. Whom turns out to be an older Quicksilver. With an older Fox by her side. This old woman time travels them all away, several hundred years into the past. Which is where this story truly begins. This is a story of witches. Of a Wolf King hunting them all down. Of seven old ones controlling him, trying to find the missing bones of their monsters. And oh, it was all so very exciting. Eee.
There is so much to say about this book. I shall not say too much. Just that the plot was fully amazing. I loved the witches and all the spells. I loved how Fox changed when they arrived in the past. I loved how alone and broken Quicksilver was at times. How she slowly let the old woman and Sly Boots get closer to her. I loved how heartbreaking this book was too. So many bad things happen. It broke my heart. I loved every moment of it. I simply can't mention all the things about this book that I loved. There was too much.
I had forgotten much about Sly Boots and Quicksilver. How they argued so much. How he betrayed them at one point. It was fully heartbreaking to read about. I was so angry with him. Yet did not want to be, as I loved their friendship the very most. And, of course, wanted them to be more than friends. Ha. They were just too cute together. But yeah. There were fighting. And bad things spoken between them. And it was all so very real and so very well written. I loved how they got through it too. They both grew a lot as people.
I am also a little angry at the moment. I saw that this book has few reviews on Goodreads. And that is simply not okay. Why haven't more people read this book? I hope this means that a lot of kids have read it. Because they very much should. Everyone else must too. Claire writes the most perfect heartbreaking books. And they are all a must read. All of her books are precious. And I need this one to get read more. Especially now that Thornlight is coming out too. They are stand-alones, but should still be read together.
Foxheart was still everything I wanted it to be and so much more. It was perfect to me four years ago, and it is still so today. I have been a fan of Claire since her first book. And that will never change. Claire writes the most perfect books. Full of adventure and action. Heartbreak and friendships and love. She writes the best girls. Broken and strong. Re-reading Foxheart was a must for me. And I am so glad that I did so. As this book only got better for me. I can't wait to read Thornlight next. You all really need to read Foxheart.
---
I first read this book on May 5th 2016. See my review here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2016/0...
I read this book for the second time from September 20th to 21st 2020. See my review here: https://carinabooks.blogspot.com/2020...
As always, the writing by Claire is perfection. I have loved all of her books, always. And I cannot wait to read even more by her. Reading this book again was so very good. I had forgotten much of it. But not how badly I loved it. So happy that I still very much loved this book. So heartbreaking. But so stunning and exciting.
There is so much I wish to share about this book. I shall try to contain myself. Ha. Which will be hard. As I loved this one so very much. Sigh. This book tells the story of twelve year old Quicksilver. At age three, her parents left her at a convent. She never knew why, or what happened to them. She grew up at this place with a lot of other girls. She never told the nuns her real name. Even with how often they tried making her tell them. And so they started calling her Girl. Which was so rude and heartbreaking to read about. But even worse was when she got a little older. And another girl started calling her Pig. And Witch. And then Pigwitchgirl. She was so cruel. It broke my heart. Rude. But Quicksilver was so strong. She got revenge a bunch of times.
Quicksilver ends up having to escape the convent. As she witnesses someone hurting one of the nuns. She runs away, while hearing the rest of the girls screaming. She arrives in a nearby town. Where she meets a boy named Sly Boots. This is where she names herself. She tells him her name is Quicksilver. And so that is her name. And I loved that. I loved how she named herself, and how awesome that name was. She has not been all alone, though. She had a dog. Whom she named Fox. He was the cutest thing.
The day after she meets Sly Boots, they are watching the market, waiting to steal things to help his poor parents whom are ill. A stranger arrives. Whom turns out to be an older Quicksilver. With an older Fox by her side. This old woman time travels them all away, several hundred years into the past. Which is where this story truly begins. This is a story of witches. Of a Wolf King hunting them all down. Of seven old ones controlling him, trying to find the missing bones of their monsters. And oh, it was all so very exciting. Eee.
There is so much to say about this book. I shall not say too much. Just that the plot was fully amazing. I loved the witches and all the spells. I loved how Fox changed when they arrived in the past. I loved how alone and broken Quicksilver was at times. How she slowly let the old woman and Sly Boots get closer to her. I loved how heartbreaking this book was too. So many bad things happen. It broke my heart. I loved every moment of it. I simply can't mention all the things about this book that I loved. There was too much.
I had forgotten much about Sly Boots and Quicksilver. How they argued so much. How he betrayed them at one point. It was fully heartbreaking to read about. I was so angry with him. Yet did not want to be, as I loved their friendship the very most. And, of course, wanted them to be more than friends. Ha. They were just too cute together. But yeah. There were fighting. And bad things spoken between them. And it was all so very real and so very well written. I loved how they got through it too. They both grew a lot as people.
I am also a little angry at the moment. I saw that this book has few reviews on Goodreads. And that is simply not okay. Why haven't more people read this book? I hope this means that a lot of kids have read it. Because they very much should. Everyone else must too. Claire writes the most perfect heartbreaking books. And they are all a must read. All of her books are precious. And I need this one to get read more. Especially now that Thornlight is coming out too. They are stand-alones, but should still be read together.
Foxheart was still everything I wanted it to be and so much more. It was perfect to me four years ago, and it is still so today. I have been a fan of Claire since her first book. And that will never change. Claire writes the most perfect books. Full of adventure and action. Heartbreak and friendships and love. She writes the best girls. Broken and strong. Re-reading Foxheart was a must for me. And I am so glad that I did so. As this book only got better for me. I can't wait to read Thornlight next. You all really need to read Foxheart.
---
I first read this book on May 5th 2016. See my review here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2016/0...
I read this book for the second time from September 20th to 21st 2020. See my review here: https://carinabooks.blogspot.com/2020...
January 6, 2025
This book has beautiful covers and maps, so I'm really sad that i didn't enjoy reading it.
It has really dark themes that don't make you breathe if you know what i mean, and it's a children's book.
I must say i would totally be traumatized if i read this when i was a kid. I'm even a little traumatized after reading it right now, lol.
It has really dark themes that don't make you breathe if you know what i mean, and it's a children's book.
I must say i would totally be traumatized if i read this when i was a kid. I'm even a little traumatized after reading it right now, lol.
October 30, 2016
Big spoiler.
This is based off a story Legrand wrote for The Cabinet of Curiosities: 36 Tales Brief, so I was kind of spoiled for the first part of it! And I don't know. I am tired. Maybe Legrand is a one book author for me. (Some Kind of Happiness <333333)
This is based off a story Legrand wrote for The Cabinet of Curiosities: 36 Tales Brief, so I was kind of spoiled for the first part of it! And I don't know. I am tired. Maybe Legrand is a one book author for me. (Some Kind of Happiness <333333)
April 10, 2019
I really loved this! It was fast-paced, the world and the magic system were creative, there was awesome character development. I adored the concept of each witch having a monster that they are tied to. I loved the way it was presented and I could just feel the bond between them. Loved this so much!
Read
October 10, 2016The characters are all kind of horrible, including the dog.
December 27, 2020
It seems like I’ve fallen down a rabbit hole of books that have all the pieces to be great to me only to totally miss the mark. As is the case with a lot of the books I have been reading lately, Foxheart falters when it comes to the characters.
Quicksilver is insufferable a majority of the time. Raised at an orphanage where she was hated by everyone she has developed an unnecessarily hostile attitude as a defense mechanism. She wants to be a master thief because she’s good at it? It’s never really clear why she decides exactly to be a thief. She’s sometimes deprived of basic essentials at the orphanage necessitating the stealing, but her revelry in it is unexplained. I think most people would agree thieving is a harmful, selfish act excluding extenuating circumstances. Quicksilver never thinks about this at all. It’s not a good first impression nor does it endear me to her; she doesn’t even have limitations on who she’ll steal from, it’s a free for all as long as the target seems to have ‘a lot’ - an arbitrary metric if I’ve ever heard one.
While I understand why she is the way she is, it doesn’t make her likable. In her defense, as the novel progresses she does grow which I am exceedingly thankful for. She doesn’t change enough for me to warm up to her though. By the end I was more neutral than anything which is technically a win, depending on how you look at it.
The core of her arc is learning to rely on other people. She’s been largely ignored her whole life and abandoned as a toddler by her parents so her abrasiveness makes sense especially given her young age. That being said, Quicksilver’s causticity undermines her arc as it intersects with her treatment of Sly Boots.
Sly Boots is the son of a pair of master thieves. At the start of the book Quicksilver encounters him while attempting to rob his home. Too bad for her, they have almost nothing as Sly Boots’ parents have fallen gravely ill with some magic witch sickness/coma. Sly Boots is a terrible thief who is barely managing to steal enough to feed all three of them let alone much needed medicine. In contrast to Quicksilver Sly Boots is sweet, nervous and shy.
As you might have anticipated, the rough and tumble, Quicksilver treats him like dirt because she views all these traits as weaknesses.
Going back to what I said about the arc; Quicksilver is learning to accept help from other people. Her acting as if Sly Boots is gum on the bottom of her shoe, as frustrating as it is, is fine as a foundation to start from. The fact that she barely ever treats him better is my main gripe. She is nasty to him to the bitter end. What changes, however, is her perception of him. Claire Legrand doesn’t create meaningful moments for the two to bond. She instead has Quicksilver come to care for Sly Boots somewhere in the middle and then acts as if it’s now fun banter between friends without informing Sly Boots of this change. Functionally, there was no difference since Sly Boots was unaware Quicksilver kind of liked him.
The level of vitriol that Quicksilver threw at Sly Boots initially cannot be glossed over like it was. In order to overcome how rude Quicksilver was there needed to be moments of vulnerability between her and Sly Boots so that the two could understand one another better. Sly Boots is actually pretty emotionally open already. Quicksilver ridicules him for this so it would be a major sign of growth if she expressed her feelings to him. Instead Quicksilver does all of this in her head and treats Sly Boots the same exact way, except it’s okay because at least we, as the reader, know that she’s doing it with fondness now.
Also there’s some trickery involving Sly Boots later that hurts the pacing of their relationship too. I don’t want to spoil it, but when this happens it kind of mangles their trajectory. It’s like Quicksilver rapidly warms up to Sly Boots, thing happens, now she’s sort of justified treating Sly Boots like garbage so I guess she didn’t need to learn to be nice to him, after all? It’s messy.
Sly Boots is definitely a foil to Quicksilver. He’s just never allowed any agency. Most of his purpose is stolen by Anastasia and Fox. He’s set up to be an unexpected friend teaching Quicksilver how to (platonically) love another person. But, the narrative’s refusal to drop Anastasia when she’s worn out her welcome severely undercuts Sly Boots’ effectiveness. He might as well have not even been a character for all the use he has. The worst part is that I’m more upset about this than Sly Boots is.
He has no arc of his own. He never stands up to Quicksilver. He never speaks out of turn. He always takes the easy way out. I’ve been defending him primarily on principle to be honest because he is such a snivelling, cowardly wet blanket of a character I couldn’t stand him either by the time the book was done. For example, at one point Quicksilver wants to help a coven. Anastasia says no because witches don’t help other witches. You’d expect Sly Boots to rally to her cause as he’s got a bit of a witches vs humans thing going on so this is a perfect way to flex on them. His character should be one pushing Quicksilver to be better regardless of his own misgivings as the ‘humane’ thing to do. It should be his moral fiber counterbalancing Quicksilver’s indifference and/or hesitance. Instead, Sly Boots says who cares, let’s run. It’s so selfish and completely runs opposed to what this characters’ narrative function should be. Why does Quicksilver need him at all if she’s already got more compassion than he does? He certainly isn’t being a good friend nor a useful ally.
Anastasia is intended to fill the wise, mentor archetype. She slaps Sly Boots once for doing something she doesn’t like. Enough said.
Fox is a sarcastic magical sidekick. Enough said about that too.
Here are some things that I felt would have made the story flow better:
- Anastasia shouldn’t be exposed so early, then Quicksilver will lie to Sly Boots because she wants to know more about witch business and she doesn't care about him yet. Later on as she comes to like him her guilt over lying to him would be a major conflict that adds depth to her character. And the reveal would shake up Quicksilver as it would be a turning point for her to realize she doesn’t want to be like Anastasia. Anastasia not being revealed yet also creates a nice divide between the two sides to up some stakes. Anastasia seems so magical and cool. Quicksilver naturally is drawn to her and disparages Sly Boots for his shortcomings. Then as the book progresses Quicksilver starts to see Anastasia's faults mirrored through her own actions and thus, grows as a person/is kinder to Sly Boots.
- Alternatively, Anastasia could have died very early after meeting Quicksilver. She’s in the midst of dying anyways and after a major incident she's dead weight Quicksilver is dragging along. She can’t even give advice at this point any more so why keep her around? She’s fulfilled her reason for existing in the book. This would emphasize the bond between Sly Boots and Quicksilver as the two need to rely on one another in an unfamiliar environment knowing nothing. Anastasia’s death is also a quick way of indebting Quicksilver to the cause.
- There are seven sets of witch bones the characters are looking for. Way too many. Anastasia should only be trying to find the final bones. The Wolf King should have all of them except one set and she spent decades looking to find them. This better focuses the story and heightens tensions because the Wolf King is so close.
So yeah, as you can see I spent way too much time thinking about how this book could be improved. The concept is intriguing. It genuinely caught me off guard when the plot initially got underway. I was not expecting the direction this was choosing to take. It’s just the characters really bog it down coupled with an underwhelming quest.
I don’t talk a lot about the actual plot in this review but finding the bones is super easy compared to how difficult it’s made out to be. Quicksilver finds them rapid fire right on top of another in several successive chapters. It’s supposed to be challenging because the bones are a little sentient and can disappear at will if not happy, making you search for them all over again. That never happens nor does it feel close to happening so I don’t see why that was even introduced as a potential option. It makes you wonder why Anastasia took so long to get it done before she met Quicksilver. The villain is a cop-out. How could Anastasia after all this time never figure out his secret/weakness and use that to her advantage? I get that working alone hindered her, but considering how little the other witches contributed to the final battle I don’t think she did need the help after all.
This is a mostly negative review. Yet, I almost want to recommend this book anyways? It’s strange. I had so many problems reading this book. Somehow I still think it’s got some strong enough points to weather the storm. The magic system is cool if not a little ill-defined. The action scenes are middling, but I liked the immediate build up to these scenes. There is a great sacrifice that made me tear up. it’s a conflicting situation for me. I suppose, I’ll settle on read at your own risk.
Quicksilver is insufferable a majority of the time. Raised at an orphanage where she was hated by everyone she has developed an unnecessarily hostile attitude as a defense mechanism. She wants to be a master thief because she’s good at it? It’s never really clear why she decides exactly to be a thief. She’s sometimes deprived of basic essentials at the orphanage necessitating the stealing, but her revelry in it is unexplained. I think most people would agree thieving is a harmful, selfish act excluding extenuating circumstances. Quicksilver never thinks about this at all. It’s not a good first impression nor does it endear me to her; she doesn’t even have limitations on who she’ll steal from, it’s a free for all as long as the target seems to have ‘a lot’ - an arbitrary metric if I’ve ever heard one.
While I understand why she is the way she is, it doesn’t make her likable. In her defense, as the novel progresses she does grow which I am exceedingly thankful for. She doesn’t change enough for me to warm up to her though. By the end I was more neutral than anything which is technically a win, depending on how you look at it.
The core of her arc is learning to rely on other people. She’s been largely ignored her whole life and abandoned as a toddler by her parents so her abrasiveness makes sense especially given her young age. That being said, Quicksilver’s causticity undermines her arc as it intersects with her treatment of Sly Boots.
Sly Boots is the son of a pair of master thieves. At the start of the book Quicksilver encounters him while attempting to rob his home. Too bad for her, they have almost nothing as Sly Boots’ parents have fallen gravely ill with some magic witch sickness/coma. Sly Boots is a terrible thief who is barely managing to steal enough to feed all three of them let alone much needed medicine. In contrast to Quicksilver Sly Boots is sweet, nervous and shy.
As you might have anticipated, the rough and tumble, Quicksilver treats him like dirt because she views all these traits as weaknesses.
Going back to what I said about the arc; Quicksilver is learning to accept help from other people. Her acting as if Sly Boots is gum on the bottom of her shoe, as frustrating as it is, is fine as a foundation to start from. The fact that she barely ever treats him better is my main gripe. She is nasty to him to the bitter end. What changes, however, is her perception of him. Claire Legrand doesn’t create meaningful moments for the two to bond. She instead has Quicksilver come to care for Sly Boots somewhere in the middle and then acts as if it’s now fun banter between friends without informing Sly Boots of this change. Functionally, there was no difference since Sly Boots was unaware Quicksilver kind of liked him.
The level of vitriol that Quicksilver threw at Sly Boots initially cannot be glossed over like it was. In order to overcome how rude Quicksilver was there needed to be moments of vulnerability between her and Sly Boots so that the two could understand one another better. Sly Boots is actually pretty emotionally open already. Quicksilver ridicules him for this so it would be a major sign of growth if she expressed her feelings to him. Instead Quicksilver does all of this in her head and treats Sly Boots the same exact way, except it’s okay because at least we, as the reader, know that she’s doing it with fondness now.
Also there’s some trickery involving Sly Boots later that hurts the pacing of their relationship too. I don’t want to spoil it, but when this happens it kind of mangles their trajectory. It’s like Quicksilver rapidly warms up to Sly Boots, thing happens, now she’s sort of justified treating Sly Boots like garbage so I guess she didn’t need to learn to be nice to him, after all? It’s messy.
Sly Boots is definitely a foil to Quicksilver. He’s just never allowed any agency. Most of his purpose is stolen by Anastasia and Fox. He’s set up to be an unexpected friend teaching Quicksilver how to (platonically) love another person. But, the narrative’s refusal to drop Anastasia when she’s worn out her welcome severely undercuts Sly Boots’ effectiveness. He might as well have not even been a character for all the use he has. The worst part is that I’m more upset about this than Sly Boots is.
He has no arc of his own. He never stands up to Quicksilver. He never speaks out of turn. He always takes the easy way out. I’ve been defending him primarily on principle to be honest because he is such a snivelling, cowardly wet blanket of a character I couldn’t stand him either by the time the book was done. For example, at one point Quicksilver wants to help a coven. Anastasia says no because witches don’t help other witches. You’d expect Sly Boots to rally to her cause as he’s got a bit of a witches vs humans thing going on so this is a perfect way to flex on them. His character should be one pushing Quicksilver to be better regardless of his own misgivings as the ‘humane’ thing to do. It should be his moral fiber counterbalancing Quicksilver’s indifference and/or hesitance. Instead, Sly Boots says who cares, let’s run. It’s so selfish and completely runs opposed to what this characters’ narrative function should be. Why does Quicksilver need him at all if she’s already got more compassion than he does? He certainly isn’t being a good friend nor a useful ally.
Anastasia is intended to fill the wise, mentor archetype. She slaps Sly Boots once for doing something she doesn’t like. Enough said.
Fox is a sarcastic magical sidekick. Enough said about that too.
Here are some things that I felt would have made the story flow better:
- Anastasia shouldn’t be exposed so early, then Quicksilver will lie to Sly Boots because she wants to know more about witch business and she doesn't care about him yet. Later on as she comes to like him her guilt over lying to him would be a major conflict that adds depth to her character. And the reveal would shake up Quicksilver as it would be a turning point for her to realize she doesn’t want to be like Anastasia. Anastasia not being revealed yet also creates a nice divide between the two sides to up some stakes. Anastasia seems so magical and cool. Quicksilver naturally is drawn to her and disparages Sly Boots for his shortcomings. Then as the book progresses Quicksilver starts to see Anastasia's faults mirrored through her own actions and thus, grows as a person/is kinder to Sly Boots.
- Alternatively, Anastasia could have died very early after meeting Quicksilver. She’s in the midst of dying anyways and after a major incident she's dead weight Quicksilver is dragging along. She can’t even give advice at this point any more so why keep her around? She’s fulfilled her reason for existing in the book. This would emphasize the bond between Sly Boots and Quicksilver as the two need to rely on one another in an unfamiliar environment knowing nothing. Anastasia’s death is also a quick way of indebting Quicksilver to the cause.
- There are seven sets of witch bones the characters are looking for. Way too many. Anastasia should only be trying to find the final bones. The Wolf King should have all of them except one set and she spent decades looking to find them. This better focuses the story and heightens tensions because the Wolf King is so close.
So yeah, as you can see I spent way too much time thinking about how this book could be improved. The concept is intriguing. It genuinely caught me off guard when the plot initially got underway. I was not expecting the direction this was choosing to take. It’s just the characters really bog it down coupled with an underwhelming quest.
I don’t talk a lot about the actual plot in this review but finding the bones is super easy compared to how difficult it’s made out to be. Quicksilver finds them rapid fire right on top of another in several successive chapters. It’s supposed to be challenging because the bones are a little sentient and can disappear at will if not happy, making you search for them all over again. That never happens nor does it feel close to happening so I don’t see why that was even introduced as a potential option. It makes you wonder why Anastasia took so long to get it done before she met Quicksilver. The villain is a cop-out. How could Anastasia after all this time never figure out his secret/weakness and use that to her advantage? I get that working alone hindered her, but considering how little the other witches contributed to the final battle I don’t think she did need the help after all.
This is a mostly negative review. Yet, I almost want to recommend this book anyways? It’s strange. I had so many problems reading this book. Somehow I still think it’s got some strong enough points to weather the storm. The magic system is cool if not a little ill-defined. The action scenes are middling, but I liked the immediate build up to these scenes. There is a great sacrifice that made me tear up. it’s a conflicting situation for me. I suppose, I’ll settle on read at your own risk.
May 29, 2020
I'll preface this by saying I read this only because it was selected by one of the members of the wee book club in which I participate. I usually phrase this as saying, "I read this for the book club," or, "I read this with the book club," but this one drove me to rephrase with, "I read this because of the book club."
I tried. I really did. But the synopsis doesn't entirely prepare you for the "heroine" of this novel, who I can most succinctly describe as thoroughly unlikable. In fact, everyone is unlikable. And for those who aren't unlikable from their first appearance, they eventually do or say something abhorrent which renders them, like everyone else... unlikable.
Initially, after the last few months of self-isolation and bad news everywhere, I blamed myself. "Maybe," my dismayed internal voice whispered with trepidation, "maybe you're just officially too old for children's books. Maybe you've been adulting too long, and with all this crap going down, the world has finally worn on you and made you a jaded and bitter grown-up with no sense of imagination, no appreciation for whimsy. Maybe there are just too many years between you and this protagonist for you to really understand her or her plight or her motivations anymore." So I put aside my Kindle for a while and resumed doing things I actually enjoy, like playing video games, watching Labyrinth for the bajillionth time, and finally starting The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.
When I picked up Foxheart for another attempt, I realized the number of seasons I've roamed this gorgeous revolving rock are clearly not the problem here. The problem... is Quicksilver. The whiny, entitled, bratty little shit that is Quicksilver.
She is twelve. That's about all that synopsis honestly prepares you for: Quicksilver is a twelve-year-old girl. Okay, well, she begins as a twelve-year-old girl. Sometimes she's not, though. But most of the time, she is.
"... lives as a thief... faithful dog and partner and crime... the shy boy who lets her live in his attic..." is all a bit rich, though. Quicksilver isn't really a thief - she says she is, but she's a thief in the same way in which Vizzini was a mastermind: with 10% wishful thinking and 90% bluster and bolster. She isn't some pitiful homeless waif living on rooftops in a bitter, endless winter with none but a dog and a meek boy to keep her company, either. No, she is an orphan who lives in a convent, but from Day One she cannot seem to get along with any of the other children and has clear issues with authority, absolutely zero respect for anyone else's person or property, and a tendency to steal from people when she doesn't get her way or thinks they are bullying her (more on this bullying in a mo'). Her companions are a comedy-relief sidekick dog sans comedy who she treats like something stuck to the bottom of her shoe and who occasionally stoops to her level to become just as nasty and mean-spirited as she is and a little boy who lacks the emotional, mental, or physical maturity to stand up to her or even to stand up for himself.
Bullying is a theme throughout this novel, and I believe - from what I read, anyway, which was only about 40% of the novel - that we're supposed to come to the conclusion that Quicksilver is an unfortunate and innocent victim who will eventually rise up above all the haters to become something unexpected and good. As I've stated, I didn't make it even halfway through this selection, so I've no idea if she ever turns it around, but of what I was able to read, the biggest bully I ran into was Quicksilver herself. From the moment she is brought to the convent (which, incidentally, saved her from the street-life we're led to believe she's been forced to endure during her childhood), she refuses to even attempt to engage with anyone else - she won't even tell them her name, because she doesn't think it's any of their business. The rub is that she also won't answer to any other name - not when the adults around her give up guessing and try to assign her one, nor when the children (who, because they are children, lack the understanding of lasting impacts or ramifications and can be cruel) give her a less than flattering nickname of their own devising.
But even then she won't give them a name to work with, and the author treats this as a noble act. Her small, petty acts of vindictive revenge are also clearly supposed to be noble and perhaps mildly humorous, but instead they are just... small, petty acts of vindictive revenge perpetrated by a snotty little brat who believes herself a cut above all of those around her. When called by the nickname the other children gave to her - which is typical of the sorts of nicknames small children typically assign to one another when being petty, like "Poop-Head" or "Big-Nose" - she flips her lid and lashes out, pelting children with stolen produce, flinging tiles off the roof to the ground, etc. And when punished for being the horrid, entitled little bully that she is, she sulks and balks and plots revenge and eventually leaves them all to their fate and takes her lone brat show on the road. And not long after that, she breaks into someone's home, finds the lone occupant to be a smaller and utterly defenseless child, and essentially plants her flag and proclaims herself queen bitch.
As one does. If one is a self-serving asshole.
Not long after that, things seem to take a turn for the better, when a mysterious (but not all that mysterious) adult appears on the scene. But it doesn't last. This is a key plot point and may still have a flair of enigma for younger readers (I'd say under the age of 12 - or maybe under the age of 10 for the precocious), so I won't give anything away here, but with the way everything before their appearance went down, this adult turns out to be everything you could expect - not long after their introduction, you are immediately shown that they have no qualms about sacrificing everything and everyone for their own means, even if it means sending their most beloved and loyal friend to their own lonely death.
Like almost everyone else in Foxheart, I too was a big ol' meany-head who abandoned Quicksilver fairly early in her life. Maybe she and the story improved later. Maybe Fox realized he didn't like who he'd become while he was with her, and Sly Boots gained enough self-confidence to push back against her incessant bullying, and they joined forces to overthrow her influence and talk her into looking outside of herself for a moment so she could actually experience some sort of real growth.
At any rate, with all the bad going on in the real world, if I had wanted to spend this isolation period with self-serving people who raise themselves up at the cost of everyone else around them, I'd just turn on the news and see what fresh hell our leaders have in store for us. But that's not the case, so... I called Foxheart a bust. I gave it one star rather than zero solely because the pace was quite good and the plot did seem to be heading somewhere... I just couldn't personally bear the company any longer to get there.
I tried. I really did. But the synopsis doesn't entirely prepare you for the "heroine" of this novel, who I can most succinctly describe as thoroughly unlikable. In fact, everyone is unlikable. And for those who aren't unlikable from their first appearance, they eventually do or say something abhorrent which renders them, like everyone else... unlikable.
Initially, after the last few months of self-isolation and bad news everywhere, I blamed myself. "Maybe," my dismayed internal voice whispered with trepidation, "maybe you're just officially too old for children's books. Maybe you've been adulting too long, and with all this crap going down, the world has finally worn on you and made you a jaded and bitter grown-up with no sense of imagination, no appreciation for whimsy. Maybe there are just too many years between you and this protagonist for you to really understand her or her plight or her motivations anymore." So I put aside my Kindle for a while and resumed doing things I actually enjoy, like playing video games, watching Labyrinth for the bajillionth time, and finally starting The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.
When I picked up Foxheart for another attempt, I realized the number of seasons I've roamed this gorgeous revolving rock are clearly not the problem here. The problem... is Quicksilver. The whiny, entitled, bratty little shit that is Quicksilver.
She is twelve. That's about all that synopsis honestly prepares you for: Quicksilver is a twelve-year-old girl. Okay, well, she begins as a twelve-year-old girl. Sometimes she's not, though. But most of the time, she is.
"... lives as a thief... faithful dog and partner and crime... the shy boy who lets her live in his attic..." is all a bit rich, though. Quicksilver isn't really a thief - she says she is, but she's a thief in the same way in which Vizzini was a mastermind: with 10% wishful thinking and 90% bluster and bolster. She isn't some pitiful homeless waif living on rooftops in a bitter, endless winter with none but a dog and a meek boy to keep her company, either. No, she is an orphan who lives in a convent, but from Day One she cannot seem to get along with any of the other children and has clear issues with authority, absolutely zero respect for anyone else's person or property, and a tendency to steal from people when she doesn't get her way or thinks they are bullying her (more on this bullying in a mo'). Her companions are a comedy-relief sidekick dog sans comedy who she treats like something stuck to the bottom of her shoe and who occasionally stoops to her level to become just as nasty and mean-spirited as she is and a little boy who lacks the emotional, mental, or physical maturity to stand up to her or even to stand up for himself.
Bullying is a theme throughout this novel, and I believe - from what I read, anyway, which was only about 40% of the novel - that we're supposed to come to the conclusion that Quicksilver is an unfortunate and innocent victim who will eventually rise up above all the haters to become something unexpected and good. As I've stated, I didn't make it even halfway through this selection, so I've no idea if she ever turns it around, but of what I was able to read, the biggest bully I ran into was Quicksilver herself. From the moment she is brought to the convent (which, incidentally, saved her from the street-life we're led to believe she's been forced to endure during her childhood), she refuses to even attempt to engage with anyone else - she won't even tell them her name, because she doesn't think it's any of their business. The rub is that she also won't answer to any other name - not when the adults around her give up guessing and try to assign her one, nor when the children (who, because they are children, lack the understanding of lasting impacts or ramifications and can be cruel) give her a less than flattering nickname of their own devising.
But even then she won't give them a name to work with, and the author treats this as a noble act. Her small, petty acts of vindictive revenge are also clearly supposed to be noble and perhaps mildly humorous, but instead they are just... small, petty acts of vindictive revenge perpetrated by a snotty little brat who believes herself a cut above all of those around her. When called by the nickname the other children gave to her - which is typical of the sorts of nicknames small children typically assign to one another when being petty, like "Poop-Head" or "Big-Nose" - she flips her lid and lashes out, pelting children with stolen produce, flinging tiles off the roof to the ground, etc. And when punished for being the horrid, entitled little bully that she is, she sulks and balks and plots revenge and eventually leaves them all to their fate and takes her lone brat show on the road. And not long after that, she breaks into someone's home, finds the lone occupant to be a smaller and utterly defenseless child, and essentially plants her flag and proclaims herself queen bitch.
As one does. If one is a self-serving asshole.
Not long after that, things seem to take a turn for the better, when a mysterious (but not all that mysterious) adult appears on the scene. But it doesn't last. This is a key plot point and may still have a flair of enigma for younger readers (I'd say under the age of 12 - or maybe under the age of 10 for the precocious), so I won't give anything away here, but with the way everything before their appearance went down, this adult turns out to be everything you could expect - not long after their introduction, you are immediately shown that they have no qualms about sacrificing everything and everyone for their own means, even if it means sending their most beloved and loyal friend to their own lonely death.
Like almost everyone else in Foxheart, I too was a big ol' meany-head who abandoned Quicksilver fairly early in her life. Maybe she and the story improved later. Maybe Fox realized he didn't like who he'd become while he was with her, and Sly Boots gained enough self-confidence to push back against her incessant bullying, and they joined forces to overthrow her influence and talk her into looking outside of herself for a moment so she could actually experience some sort of real growth.
At any rate, with all the bad going on in the real world, if I had wanted to spend this isolation period with self-serving people who raise themselves up at the cost of everyone else around them, I'd just turn on the news and see what fresh hell our leaders have in store for us. But that's not the case, so... I called Foxheart a bust. I gave it one star rather than zero solely because the pace was quite good and the plot did seem to be heading somewhere... I just couldn't personally bear the company any longer to get there.
February 7, 2017
If this was the only book I brought with me on a desert island I would be disappointed. I'm not really sure what people love about it. It's terribly boring and the characters have very little development. Lots of descriptive writing and overall nothing exciting or special. The beginning is difficult to get through and very boring an shows no love for the protagonist, I could've cared less if she died. The characters were nothing special.
February 6, 2017
Witchy + magical + strange. Beautiful book. Claire’s prose throughout this book is, as it is in every book she writes, gorgeous. The concept and world-building is fantastically done, and I absolutely loved the time-travelling aspect. Quicksilver was such a great heroine–spikey and courageous and sassy. This is a great MG fantasy read–I thoroughly recommend it!
dnf
March 1, 2021DNF @32%
2016; Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins
I love this gorgeous cover. Did I request this book solely on the cover? Why, yes, I did. I tried to actually read the story, and it is not as gorgeous as the cover. I had to DNF this one.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
2016; Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins
I love this gorgeous cover. Did I request this book solely on the cover? Why, yes, I did. I tried to actually read the story, and it is not as gorgeous as the cover. I had to DNF this one.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
July 14, 2019
Claire Legrand is an author I discovered last year. She is an author I started to read this year. She is also fast becoming one of my favorite authors of all time. Each of her stories are so well crafted and written with so much heart. Foxheart keeps this trend going but definitely on the lighter note of things.
Foxheart is so much fun and witty and just gave me everything I needed. I have been struggling with reading lately, however Foxheart brought the reading bug back out because I couldn't put this book down.
The world was well crafted, characters well developed, fun magic system, adventurous story. It was molded and structured beautifully. A middle grade novel at its heart and a book I highly recommend to anyone looking for a light fluffy read.
Foxheart is so much fun and witty and just gave me everything I needed. I have been struggling with reading lately, however Foxheart brought the reading bug back out because I couldn't put this book down.
The world was well crafted, characters well developed, fun magic system, adventurous story. It was molded and structured beautifully. A middle grade novel at its heart and a book I highly recommend to anyone looking for a light fluffy read.
January 10, 2019
Legrand has a positive genius for writing 'unlikable' female characters without them tipping over into genuinely unlikable (like most YA protagonists) or simply My Immortal caricatures.
This could easily be just another run-of-the-mill fantasy adventure except for the two or three genuinely unexpected twists and Legrand's deft handling of 'the chosen one' trope.
Because, just as she so thoughtfully states via Anastazia,
“Sometimes,' Anastazia said, 'it isn't about being the most powerful person or the person who has the most knowledge. It isn't about being the oldest person, or the strongest person, or the person who makes all the right decisions. Sometimes it's about being the person who decides to stand up and fight.”
(If you were wondering whether this scene made me cry, the answer is Absolutely Not Where Did You Get Your Information.)
The themes, too, of dehumanization and the choices we make in that state and the long climb out of it are so poignant without being overwhelming in a middle grade novel. Also, the very real fact that forgiveness doesn't always come as easily as we'd like it to.
I'd also like to point out that people reviewing this book and saying 'Quicksilver was MEAN!!!' are entirely missing the point of a. having an unlikable protagonist and b. the entire book. Also, I didn't hear you complaining when it was Peter Pan or Edward or any number of male protags.
This could easily be just another run-of-the-mill fantasy adventure except for the two or three genuinely unexpected twists and Legrand's deft handling of 'the chosen one' trope.
Because, just as she so thoughtfully states via Anastazia,
“Sometimes,' Anastazia said, 'it isn't about being the most powerful person or the person who has the most knowledge. It isn't about being the oldest person, or the strongest person, or the person who makes all the right decisions. Sometimes it's about being the person who decides to stand up and fight.”
(If you were wondering whether this scene made me cry, the answer is Absolutely Not Where Did You Get Your Information.)
The themes, too, of dehumanization and the choices we make in that state and the long climb out of it are so poignant without being overwhelming in a middle grade novel. Also, the very real fact that forgiveness doesn't always come as easily as we'd like it to.
I'd also like to point out that people reviewing this book and saying 'Quicksilver was MEAN!!!' are entirely missing the point of a. having an unlikable protagonist and b. the entire book. Also, I didn't hear you complaining when it was Peter Pan or Edward or any number of male protags.
November 27, 2017
I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. MY HEART. MY HEART!
Okay. I'll try to be a little more coherent.
Quicksilver, the greatest thief in the Star Lands, completely stole my heart. The characters in this book sing with scars and dreams and fears -- even the terrible villain. The twisty plot kept me guessing constantly, and the setting was so alive with starlight and stone. The ending killed me. (In the best way.) What more could you want from a book? Okay, how about: time travel, creepy unicorns, colourful witches, magical animals to rival the daemons in His Dark Materials? If you're not sold by now, I don't think we can be friends.
Claire Legrand is an insta-buy author for me. I can't wait for FURYBORN, THORNLIGHT, and THE SAWKILL GIRLS!
Okay. I'll try to be a little more coherent.
Quicksilver, the greatest thief in the Star Lands, completely stole my heart. The characters in this book sing with scars and dreams and fears -- even the terrible villain. The twisty plot kept me guessing constantly, and the setting was so alive with starlight and stone. The ending killed me. (In the best way.) What more could you want from a book? Okay, how about: time travel, creepy unicorns, colourful witches, magical animals to rival the daemons in His Dark Materials? If you're not sold by now, I don't think we can be friends.
Claire Legrand is an insta-buy author for me. I can't wait for FURYBORN, THORNLIGHT, and THE SAWKILL GIRLS!
February 2, 2019
My daughter (who is now almost 11) stumbled across this book while browsing the shelves at our local library. She took it home, devoured it, declared it a favorite, and has reread a few times since (and we now own a copy). She even dressed as Quicksilver for Halloween one year.
I wanted to like it more, but I just couldn’t. Overall, it was a good story, but the pace felt uneven to me and I still felt like I wanted a little more to the story at the end. Like we never find out what happened to her parents exactly. And how did Ari never really age?
I wanted to like it more, but I just couldn’t. Overall, it was a good story, but the pace felt uneven to me and I still felt like I wanted a little more to the story at the end. Like we never find out what happened to her parents exactly. And how did Ari never really age?
June 11, 2017
Such a good middle grade novel with memorable characters and learning that people aren't perfect and prickly people need people too. I just love Legrand's writing.
September 26, 2022
As storytelling goes it seem to be fairly well done. My objection is to the amount of death and violence in a middle school book.
August 25, 2021
This book is so magical. The bond between Fox and Quicksilver will leave pet lovers speechless. The world they live in was fascinating and charming. Amazing world building.The writing style was captivating. The illustrations also were beautiful. A heartwarming middle grade fantasy novel. I loved the fact that the witches can only use powers when they have a monster. Imaginative and fabulous story. Quicksilver is an inspiring and lovable character and Fox is wonderful too. Altogether a great book.
■Reccomended to all readers young and old.
■Reccomended to all readers young and old.
Read
March 13, 2017I'm DNFing Foxheart at 53% which is more than halfway through. I had absolutely zero attachment to these characters whatsoever. The writing is okay, but it also stays on the surface and reads incredibly flat.
Other thing to note that may have contributed to my dislike of this book: Time travel. You can't tell from the blurb that this book is a time travel story, and yet it is. Time travel stories rarely work for me because I have a tough time believing what the author is selling me. That was the case here too. I wanted to give it a fair shot because the book wasn't bad, but it just wasn't selling itself well to me.
This is my first attempt at a Claire Legrand novel, and it wasn't a great experience. My co-blogger adores her books though, so I'm giving her another chance before I throw in the towel. Plus, I own three of her books already, besides this one, and I haven't read any of them yet.
Other thing to note that may have contributed to my dislike of this book: Time travel. You can't tell from the blurb that this book is a time travel story, and yet it is. Time travel stories rarely work for me because I have a tough time believing what the author is selling me. That was the case here too. I wanted to give it a fair shot because the book wasn't bad, but it just wasn't selling itself well to me.
This is my first attempt at a Claire Legrand novel, and it wasn't a great experience. My co-blogger adores her books though, so I'm giving her another chance before I throw in the towel. Plus, I own three of her books already, besides this one, and I haven't read any of them yet.
January 26, 2023
A bullied girl living in a convent discovers she's a witch, and that her dog companion is actually a being capable of enhancing the magic she has within her. Quicksilver ends up meeting her older self, and working with a boy whose home she had been burglarizing. The three and Fox, her monster/magical companion, head to the past to permanently stop the evil Witch King and his monster companions terrorizing and murdering.
I've read other books by this author which I've enjoyed more. My attention kept flagging as I read, so I'm DNFing.
I've read other books by this author which I've enjoyed more. My attention kept flagging as I read, so I'm DNFing.
September 20, 2016
Having liked Claire Legrand’s previous MG novels, I was looking forward to reading Foxheart, especially since I love books that involve thieves and magic. However, I wasn’t expecting Foxheart to incorporate time travel, a tricky subject to explain in my opinion, and made even more so in Foxheart because Quicksilver’s mentor is her older self. It was a concept I struggled with, and when combined with the fact that the worldbuilding wasn’t fleshed out enough for me, it negated the book’s enjoyable beginning.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 12, 2017
Foxheart is very cute. There are sad parts and funny parts. Fox is the cutest! What bothers me is Quicksilver's attitude. Expecially towards Sly Boots. She never apologies for what mean things she says to him but she hates him when he says anything mean about her. I get why he did what he did but I wish there was a better explanation. I found Anastazia quite annoying as well. She is the adult (but how old is Quicksilver?) but she didn't act like one. I love the ending. Ah so cute! There are some plot holes but overall I really liked it!
April 4, 2022
I was so engrossed by this story! I couldn’t put it down. This is what 10-year-old me would have loved to read. Wonderfully written, and a great arc for the MC, who I found to be likable once she showed some vulnerability. I will definitely be continuing on the the series!
March 7, 2017
*DNF at 222 pages*
A very simple lack of caring about the plot or how our characters' stories would end up is what prompted me to drop this one.
A very simple lack of caring about the plot or how our characters' stories would end up is what prompted me to drop this one.
December 31, 2020
3,5 stars
Claire Legrand’s at it again making me cry
Claire Legrand’s at it again making me cry
July 29, 2023
“first of all, Fox was a dog, and so he of course loved sticks best of all. After me, of course.”
February 25, 2018
I listened to the audiobook and the voice actor was amazing. She really gave the characters life that I might not have read into them otherwise.
Quicksilver really annoyed me at first...but give her a chance! There is character development. (Seriously. If I hadn’t read another reviews telling me to give her a chance I may have quit early on.)
There is one thing that bugged me near the end. They go off to save the world with no plan! How could they not discuss options before starting their final journey, especially when they stated they didn’t know how to solve the problem? She just sort of skipped over that part.
Also, it was kind of violent but without peril, if that makes sense. The evil people hurt and almost torture the good guys on a few occasions but it doesn’t feel as upsetting as it would in an adult novel. It was definitely not too gory or violent for an adult, and maybe I’m being sensitive since it’s a middle grade reader, but just for parents to be aware of, it’s there.
Favorite quote:
“Sometimes,” Anastazia said, “it isn’t about being the most powerful person or the person who has the most knowledge. It isn’t about being the oldest person, or the strongest person, or the person who makes all the right decisions. Sometimes it’s about being the person who decides to stand up and fight.”
Quicksilver really annoyed me at first...but give her a chance! There is character development. (Seriously. If I hadn’t read another reviews telling me to give her a chance I may have quit early on.)
There is one thing that bugged me near the end. They go off to save the world with no plan! How could they not discuss options before starting their final journey, especially when they stated they didn’t know how to solve the problem? She just sort of skipped over that part.
Also, it was kind of violent but without peril, if that makes sense. The evil people hurt and almost torture the good guys on a few occasions but it doesn’t feel as upsetting as it would in an adult novel. It was definitely not too gory or violent for an adult, and maybe I’m being sensitive since it’s a middle grade reader, but just for parents to be aware of, it’s there.
Favorite quote:
“Sometimes,” Anastazia said, “it isn’t about being the most powerful person or the person who has the most knowledge. It isn’t about being the oldest person, or the strongest person, or the person who makes all the right decisions. Sometimes it’s about being the person who decides to stand up and fight.”
May 29, 2019
Actually 3.5 stars.
First of all, I love the cover design. I love the inside illustrations (they are so adorable).
It takes me quite a long time to finish this book. Even though this is an adventure story, I feel kinda bored reading it. The main character, Quix, isn't exactly a lovable girl. I find it hard to care about her and her quest to save the land. But I must admit the story itself is thought-provoking; its messages deep. This is a middlegrade book, but the issues raised aren't light: death, betrayal, self-esteem.
Towards the ending, I was like WHY IS THIS SO SAD T__T (just like Cavendish Home for Boys & Girls, just like Some Kind of Happiness). Is it Legrand's signature to make my heart ache and my eyes teary?
But of course I will read other books by Legrand.
First of all, I love the cover design. I love the inside illustrations (they are so adorable).
It takes me quite a long time to finish this book. Even though this is an adventure story, I feel kinda bored reading it. The main character, Quix, isn't exactly a lovable girl. I find it hard to care about her and her quest to save the land. But I must admit the story itself is thought-provoking; its messages deep. This is a middlegrade book, but the issues raised aren't light: death, betrayal, self-esteem.
Towards the ending, I was like WHY IS THIS SO SAD T__T (just like Cavendish Home for Boys & Girls, just like Some Kind of Happiness). Is it Legrand's signature to make my heart ache and my eyes teary?
But of course I will read other books by Legrand.
June 11, 2021
Stars: 4.5
Cawpile: 8.43
Cawpile: 8.43
Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews