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Windblowne
A high-flying fantasy adventure that will blow readers away!
Every kite Oliver touches flies straight into the ground, making him the laughingstock of Windblowne. With the kite-flying festival only days away, Oliver tracks down his reclusive great-uncle Gilbert, a former champion. With Gilbert's help, Oliver can picture himself on the crest, launching into the winds to become one of the legendary fliers of Windblowne.
Then his great-uncle vanishes during a battle with mysterious attack kites—kites that seem to fly themselves! All that remains is his prize possession, a simple crimson kite. At least, the kite seems simple. When Oliver tries to fly it, the kite lifts him high above the trees. When he comes down, the town and all its people have disappeared. Suddenly the festival is the last thing on Oliver's mind as he is catapulted into a mystery that will change everything he understands about himself and his world.
Inspired by the work of Diana Wynne Jones, debut author Stephen Messer delivers a fantasy book for boys and girls in which the distance between realities is equal to the breadth of a kite string.
Every kite Oliver touches flies straight into the ground, making him the laughingstock of Windblowne. With the kite-flying festival only days away, Oliver tracks down his reclusive great-uncle Gilbert, a former champion. With Gilbert's help, Oliver can picture himself on the crest, launching into the winds to become one of the legendary fliers of Windblowne.
Then his great-uncle vanishes during a battle with mysterious attack kites—kites that seem to fly themselves! All that remains is his prize possession, a simple crimson kite. At least, the kite seems simple. When Oliver tries to fly it, the kite lifts him high above the trees. When he comes down, the town and all its people have disappeared. Suddenly the festival is the last thing on Oliver's mind as he is catapulted into a mystery that will change everything he understands about himself and his world.
Inspired by the work of Diana Wynne Jones, debut author Stephen Messer delivers a fantasy book for boys and girls in which the distance between realities is equal to the breadth of a kite string.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
9 people are currently reading
529 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Messer
3 books18 followersAuthor of Windblowne (May 25th, 2010) and The Death of Yorik Mortwell (Summer 2011), both from Random House Books for Young Readers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
January 7, 2011
2010 was not a great year for fantasies. Sure, there were plenty of books that contained small fantastical elements, but titles that plunged the reader into entirely different worlds with their own set of rules and understandings? Few and far between. I blame the absence of Frances Hardinge. Fortunately for everyone there was Stephen Messer's Windblowne to fill an otherwise gaping void. Here you have a book that takes world building to a whole new level. And Messer isn't content to build only one world, but several, not a single one anything like our own. If sentient kites and evil twins are up your kid's alley, prepare for a soaring, diving, crazed and thoroughly enjoyable ride into a place where priorities are strictly of the air-based variety.
Oliver's a pretty easy kid to figure out. Basically he just wants one thing: to be a champion kite-smith. The kind that builds brilliant kites and wins competitions with them with ease. In Windblowne, all the kids are kite crazy and Oliver's no exception. The rub? He's probably the worst kite builder (and even worse flyer) anyone has ever laid eyes on. His talents are, as they say, in other areas. So when Oliver goes to visit his potentially crackpot Great-uncle Gilbert for kite advice, he has no idea what he'll find. He certainly doesn't expect to be attacked by nasty evil kites or to watch his uncle disappear before his eyes. He doesn't expect a special red kite of his Great-uncle's design to carry him away to other worlds where there are other Olivers and Gilberts out there with very different talents and personalities. And he certainly couldn't have expected to become the only hope for all the different worlds, slowly dying thanks to one of the evil Gilberts' schemes. Oliver has talents in other areas, all right. Heroic talents, and it's time for him to discover them and put them to the test.
Stories in which characters visit alternate worlds and meet their doppelgangers all tend to have one quality in common: That first world? Our world. Doppelganger worlds? Alternate versions of our world. How remarkable then that Messer chooses to eschew all of that and begin in a world that is nothing like our own. By page four the reader has been given enough information to know, right off the bat, that the book in their hands takes place somewhere new. They'd be hard pressed to find many communities that live exclusively in trees in our own world, after all. And extra points to the author for resisting one of my least favorite fantasy tropes as well: The crazy names. I don't know what it is about the genre but otherwise sane and rational writers sometimes get a bit kooky when it comes to naming fantasy characters. Basically, if you see an apostrophe hanging in the middle of a moniker for no particular reason, that's a bad sign. In Messer's case, his characters all have very common, somewhat English, names. Oliver, Gilbert, etc. Even the strangest name in the book, Ilia, isn't all that nutty.
You'll find that the characters ring true here, which is noteworthy, particularly when one of your characters is a sentient kite. Admittedly, I spent most of the book comparing that kite to the flying carpet in the Disney version of Aladdin. A wordless flying object that takes our hero in and out of danger? Check, check, and check. Of course, Disney had the advantage of being able to show audiences the kite's body language. Messer has to somehow convey a personality hidden within red silk and spars without relying on that characters' speech. He accomplishes this primarily through shudders or the subtle tightening of a tail. It makes sense in context, but it couldn't have been easily to do.
The book follows the standard zero to hero format, with a twist. Under normal circumstances, when you begin a book and the hero has a dream, you want that dream to come true. In this particular case, our hero has a dream that must be beaten out of him and replaced with a much bigger and better dream. How many books for kids can you name where the hero starts out with the wrong desires? What happens to a dream deferred? You get a better book out of it, that's for sure. It also gives your hero a chance to change and grow. All this ties in nicely to the doppelgangers Oliver encounters or hears rumors of. In one case, he's clearly a better person than his doppelganger, in spite of the fact that that particular "Oliver" has a talent he so desperately desires. In another case, there's a possibility that he is a less heroic doppelganger than another Oliver.
I think it worth noting that in the end Windblowne avoids what I'd like to call the Back to the Future Part II conundrum. Generally when a protagonist is leaping back and forth between worlds or times it can be difficult for the audience to follow. Add in the fact that half your characters share the same names and what you have is a near miracle if at no point you've completely baffled and bamboozled your reading fans. Messer, however, eludes confusion and the reader never has any difficulty knowing who the hero is, who the villains are, and where they've all gone from one moment to the next.
The eco-friendly message of everything being connected / we are one / even the smallest change makes a difference, etc. etc. can get a bit nauseating if done poorly. Eco fantasies can be the worst of the worst too. Because in those cases not only are the books messagey they're allegorical to boot. Nothing's worse than preachy fiction for kids. Messer's talent then is to take a story that could be intolerable on the printed page, and actually makes it fun and lively. I'm not saying that there aren't some message-like elements to the story. There are a couple. But in the end the story and writing stand out strongly.
I think that there's a perception out there that fantasy is the lazy man's answer to writing for children. Certainly there was a time when you couldn't throw a dart without hitting a Harry Potter knock-off. These days that kind of fantasy has slowed down and the genre has reached a kind of even keel. Smart fantasies with their own particular peculiarities are on the rise. Windblowne represents a return to original world-building fantasies, the kinds that could even be called science fiction if you squinted at them the right way. Best of all, it stands entirely on its own, no sequel required (though undoubtedly its fans will be besieging the author for more of the same). Mr. Messer's debut is a sturdy beginning and marks the start of good things to come. He'll garner many a fan with this book, and hook adults and kids alike with his one-of-a-kind point of view. Recommended and then some.
For ages 9-12.
Oliver's a pretty easy kid to figure out. Basically he just wants one thing: to be a champion kite-smith. The kind that builds brilliant kites and wins competitions with them with ease. In Windblowne, all the kids are kite crazy and Oliver's no exception. The rub? He's probably the worst kite builder (and even worse flyer) anyone has ever laid eyes on. His talents are, as they say, in other areas. So when Oliver goes to visit his potentially crackpot Great-uncle Gilbert for kite advice, he has no idea what he'll find. He certainly doesn't expect to be attacked by nasty evil kites or to watch his uncle disappear before his eyes. He doesn't expect a special red kite of his Great-uncle's design to carry him away to other worlds where there are other Olivers and Gilberts out there with very different talents and personalities. And he certainly couldn't have expected to become the only hope for all the different worlds, slowly dying thanks to one of the evil Gilberts' schemes. Oliver has talents in other areas, all right. Heroic talents, and it's time for him to discover them and put them to the test.
Stories in which characters visit alternate worlds and meet their doppelgangers all tend to have one quality in common: That first world? Our world. Doppelganger worlds? Alternate versions of our world. How remarkable then that Messer chooses to eschew all of that and begin in a world that is nothing like our own. By page four the reader has been given enough information to know, right off the bat, that the book in their hands takes place somewhere new. They'd be hard pressed to find many communities that live exclusively in trees in our own world, after all. And extra points to the author for resisting one of my least favorite fantasy tropes as well: The crazy names. I don't know what it is about the genre but otherwise sane and rational writers sometimes get a bit kooky when it comes to naming fantasy characters. Basically, if you see an apostrophe hanging in the middle of a moniker for no particular reason, that's a bad sign. In Messer's case, his characters all have very common, somewhat English, names. Oliver, Gilbert, etc. Even the strangest name in the book, Ilia, isn't all that nutty.
You'll find that the characters ring true here, which is noteworthy, particularly when one of your characters is a sentient kite. Admittedly, I spent most of the book comparing that kite to the flying carpet in the Disney version of Aladdin. A wordless flying object that takes our hero in and out of danger? Check, check, and check. Of course, Disney had the advantage of being able to show audiences the kite's body language. Messer has to somehow convey a personality hidden within red silk and spars without relying on that characters' speech. He accomplishes this primarily through shudders or the subtle tightening of a tail. It makes sense in context, but it couldn't have been easily to do.
The book follows the standard zero to hero format, with a twist. Under normal circumstances, when you begin a book and the hero has a dream, you want that dream to come true. In this particular case, our hero has a dream that must be beaten out of him and replaced with a much bigger and better dream. How many books for kids can you name where the hero starts out with the wrong desires? What happens to a dream deferred? You get a better book out of it, that's for sure. It also gives your hero a chance to change and grow. All this ties in nicely to the doppelgangers Oliver encounters or hears rumors of. In one case, he's clearly a better person than his doppelganger, in spite of the fact that that particular "Oliver" has a talent he so desperately desires. In another case, there's a possibility that he is a less heroic doppelganger than another Oliver.
I think it worth noting that in the end Windblowne avoids what I'd like to call the Back to the Future Part II conundrum. Generally when a protagonist is leaping back and forth between worlds or times it can be difficult for the audience to follow. Add in the fact that half your characters share the same names and what you have is a near miracle if at no point you've completely baffled and bamboozled your reading fans. Messer, however, eludes confusion and the reader never has any difficulty knowing who the hero is, who the villains are, and where they've all gone from one moment to the next.
The eco-friendly message of everything being connected / we are one / even the smallest change makes a difference, etc. etc. can get a bit nauseating if done poorly. Eco fantasies can be the worst of the worst too. Because in those cases not only are the books messagey they're allegorical to boot. Nothing's worse than preachy fiction for kids. Messer's talent then is to take a story that could be intolerable on the printed page, and actually makes it fun and lively. I'm not saying that there aren't some message-like elements to the story. There are a couple. But in the end the story and writing stand out strongly.
I think that there's a perception out there that fantasy is the lazy man's answer to writing for children. Certainly there was a time when you couldn't throw a dart without hitting a Harry Potter knock-off. These days that kind of fantasy has slowed down and the genre has reached a kind of even keel. Smart fantasies with their own particular peculiarities are on the rise. Windblowne represents a return to original world-building fantasies, the kinds that could even be called science fiction if you squinted at them the right way. Best of all, it stands entirely on its own, no sequel required (though undoubtedly its fans will be besieging the author for more of the same). Mr. Messer's debut is a sturdy beginning and marks the start of good things to come. He'll garner many a fan with this book, and hook adults and kids alike with his one-of-a-kind point of view. Recommended and then some.
For ages 9-12.
December 8, 2009
In the town of Windblowne, kite-flying is no hobby. It’s an obsession. It’s an art. It’s at the core of the identity of its quirky inhabitants. People here spend all year waiting for the legendary Ye Olde Festival of Kites where they might see kites designed as enormous dragons or entire schools of fish or even carrier kites that passengers ride in. And then there are the fliers. These brave souls take their kites up to the crest of the mountain above Windblowne and jump, attempting to ride the fierce winds and beat a record that’s stood for over fifty years.
Like everyone in Windblowne, Oliver dreams of beating that record. Too bad every kite he flies ends up in humiliating displays of destruction. Oliver is a terrible kite flier. He’s an even worse kite-smith. He’s also awkward and bumbling and delusional, swinging from being painfully aware of his limitations (which are many!) to being wildly over-confident of his perceived talents (which are few). He could easily be the best protagonist I’ve read about in years!
As flawed as he is, Oliver is a deeply endearing, heroic, and hilarious character who I couldn’t help but cheer for throughout this page-turning adventure.
While Messer has many gifts as a writer—his craft is superb, his story excellently plotted, the world wildly original—what really grabbed me was the humor. Oliver is side-splitting funny. The villain Lord Gilbert (who is the evil version of Oliver’s Great-uncle Gilbert in an alternate Windblowne) kept me in stitches. When this evil inventor captures Oliver, he introduces himself with: “I, of course, am Lord Gilbert, thought you may refer to me simply as ‘Lord,’ if you wish. Although perhaps you could call me ‘Lord Great-uncle,’ as I shall be more family to you than he ever was. No, that sounds absurd. ‘Lord Gilbert’ will do.”
The best authors have a unique and captivating ‘voice.’ Lemony Snicket. Neil Gaiman. Roald Dahl. Messer has this sort of ‘voice.’ It pulls you into his weird and wonderful world. It bonds you to the characters — heroes and villains alike. It makes you eager for more of his books. I know I am.
And I’ll never be able to fly a kite again without wondering if I’m about to be yanked into the sky to a world of multiple moons, mad scientists, and madcap adventures.
Like everyone in Windblowne, Oliver dreams of beating that record. Too bad every kite he flies ends up in humiliating displays of destruction. Oliver is a terrible kite flier. He’s an even worse kite-smith. He’s also awkward and bumbling and delusional, swinging from being painfully aware of his limitations (which are many!) to being wildly over-confident of his perceived talents (which are few). He could easily be the best protagonist I’ve read about in years!
As flawed as he is, Oliver is a deeply endearing, heroic, and hilarious character who I couldn’t help but cheer for throughout this page-turning adventure.
While Messer has many gifts as a writer—his craft is superb, his story excellently plotted, the world wildly original—what really grabbed me was the humor. Oliver is side-splitting funny. The villain Lord Gilbert (who is the evil version of Oliver’s Great-uncle Gilbert in an alternate Windblowne) kept me in stitches. When this evil inventor captures Oliver, he introduces himself with: “I, of course, am Lord Gilbert, thought you may refer to me simply as ‘Lord,’ if you wish. Although perhaps you could call me ‘Lord Great-uncle,’ as I shall be more family to you than he ever was. No, that sounds absurd. ‘Lord Gilbert’ will do.”
The best authors have a unique and captivating ‘voice.’ Lemony Snicket. Neil Gaiman. Roald Dahl. Messer has this sort of ‘voice.’ It pulls you into his weird and wonderful world. It bonds you to the characters — heroes and villains alike. It makes you eager for more of his books. I know I am.
And I’ll never be able to fly a kite again without wondering if I’m about to be yanked into the sky to a world of multiple moons, mad scientists, and madcap adventures.
October 11, 2012
In this fantasy, it is Kite Festival time in Windblowne, where Oliver lives in a tree house community. The most respected art and trade is kite making and a skilled kite flyer is revered. Our young hero, Oliver, is a clumsy kite maker and poor kite flyer who feels like a misfit. In an attempt to improve his skills, he goes in search of his long-lost, eccentric master kite maker and flyer Great Uncle Gilbert. He is sure he will no longer be embarrassed by his lack of talent if his uncle helps him. Instead, his uncle talks nonsense of impending doom and refuses to help Oliver build a kit for the festival competition. Instead, his uncle warns him to avoid some unnamed him, whoever he might be. For Oliver, this just confirms that he was the only sane person in his family. Soon Oliver is wrapped up in a mystery. There is something terribly wrong with the trees and he suspects his uncle is trying to do something about it. Before Oliver realizes it, he’s talking to his Uncle’s kite and the kite seems to respond. This red kite exhibits a personality and emotions as Oliver develops a relationship with it. The kite flies away, pulling Oliver with him and leads him on an irreversible path. They travel to an alternate world where he finds a nearly identical Oliver and Great Uncle Gilbert. This other Windblowne isn’t quite right and this uncle, in his thirst for power, calls himself Lord Gilbert. This alternate world uncle is an inventor with no respect for nature and an obsession with inventing and technology. Oliver quickly realizes he must do something to save the trees in this world in order to save the trees in his home world. Oliver and the red kite escape the evil uncle and find other, different Windblownes as they search for his good, Great Uncle Gilbert. With his Uncle’s help, he is sure there is a solution to save the trees and therefore all of the Windblowne’s, too. Within this cautionary tale about respecting nature, not all word choices will be familiar to young readers, but are understood with context clues. Throughout the novel, Oliver grows from a child who feels he is the only one amongst all the worlds without talent to the only one with the special skills necessary to save all the Windblowne worlds. Oliver is a relatable character everyone can embrace in this thought-provoking adventure.
October 19, 2015
People of Windblowne are always making fun of Oliver. No matter how hard he tries, every kite he builds breaks apart, he has simply no luck and as it seems no talent either.
His last hope is his Great-uncle Gilbert, but he hides something and he seems just as mad as the rest of Oliver's family.
Only that he isn't mad. And Oliver learns it the hard way.
I won't comment on the plot. My only statement about it is that it is magical.
It felt like the wind took me with Oliver on his adventures. Thanks to the utterly beautiful write style of the author I saw the oaks in front of my eyes, I heard the different voices of the wind and felt its touch.
It was magical, it was wonderful.
I loved Oliver and his talent that was indeed not making kites. His talent was far more beautiful and inspiring. I loved Oliver's development through the whole book. I loved the fact that he underestimated himself at the beginning and grew stronger and stronger afterwards.
I loved the crimson kite. Yes, you are reading right, I loved a kite. It had a personality actually. The kite was strong and it was determined and I think it grew very close to Oliver.
I loved every word, every sentence of this book. I loved all the characters.
This book was like a fairy tale. No, it was a fairy tale.
It gave hope and faith and so much more...
I highly recommend it to everyone who is a bit exhausted with all the romantic and YA books.
Relax, have a cup of tea and read this book, you will not regret it!
November 20, 2010
Windblowne isn’t just the title of this week’s book, it’s the name of the fictional town in which our story takes place. Windblowne is on a mountain and the residents live in tree houses—I like to imagine Endor without the Ewoks (it wouldn’t be the same). As their name implies, the winds are plentiful in Windblowne and each year the non-Ewok residents hold the Festival of Kites. There are prizes to be won for events such as distance jumps in which residents leap off a peak of the mountain and fly a distance using their kite. The survival rate is higher than you’d think, the festival provides tourism income, and the residents compete fiercely to build the best and brightest kite.
Enter Oliver, who is about as skilled with his kite as the ninja is with a stunt kite. He hasn’t got a hope of placing in the festival and so he will forever be known as a loser. But, he’s got a great uncle who was a former champion kitesmith, who his parents have never mentioned before because they’re “crackpots.” Great-uncle Gilbert is a bit of a crackpot himself and Oliver worries over his own sanity, which is a point of some importance as the story continues.
Messer never quite comes out and says "here is the deal with Windblowne," and I really admire that choice. Windblowne is not a real place, of course, and there are some almost magical qualities about it that Messer reveals only as they become relevant to the story. There is no chapter detailing that Windblowne exists on another planet or is the home of a magical tribe forgotten by history, only subtle and some not so subtle hints along the way as to what sort of place Windblowne is. For example, Messer nonchalantly drops in lines like, “The two moons gleamed beyond.” Two moons? Gory, what sort of place is this?
Great-uncle Gilbert specializes in kites unlike any ever sold a K-mart. He has fighting kites and a kite with jaws to eat other kites. One kite in particular befriends Oliver and becomes his traveling companion. This plain crimson kite is capable of flying Oliver off to faraway lands—more on that in a moment. But first, from a craft perspective, it’s fascinating to see how Messer is able to give a typically inanimate object such as a kite personality, even though it is incapable of speech. Here are the kite's parts of a conversation held with Oliver, minus Oliver's lines:
The kite hovered warily.
The kite buzzed, tail lashing like a whip.
The kite's sails sagged mournfully.
Windblowne is a wonderful adventure and you’re going to love it. It’s a fun yarn that reminded me a bit of A Wrinkle in Time in that it’s great middle grade science fiction. I really can’t tell you anymore about the book without spoiling some of the surprises. If you’ve read the book or you’re willing to put up with a few minor spoilers, read on. Otherwise, your review ends here: Windblowne is one to put at the top of your reading list and make sure you come back around on Thursday to see Stephen Messer face the 7 Questions.
Those of you who are okay with a few spoilers won’t mind knowing that Great-uncle Gilbert’s plain crimson kite is capable of dragging Oliver to another version of Windblown in a parallel dimension. Yes, there are multiple dimensions and multiple versions of Windblown. There are beams that run through all the worlds and in the center of those beams stands a great Dark Tower in a field of roses. Okay, I made that last part up, but give yourself a pat on the back if you’re cool enough to be familiar with the reference from an amazing series of books for adults. You have not forgotten the face of your father.
In another version of Windblowne is another version of Great-uncle Gilbert called Lord Gilbert (way better title), and he explains the situation thusly: "It seems that in his primitive way, he had a kind of native cleverness, and he was able to construct one of these kites"—he spat the word with derision—“in such a way that it could carry someone—only someone small, such as a child—across the Way Between Worlds and between Windblownes, without harming the passenger."
Lord Gilbert busts Oliver’s crimson kite, stranding him in the new world forever to work as a slave repairing kites with another world's less likable version of Oliver. Worse, Lord Gilbert has banished Great-uncle Gilbert on a hell-world. Oliver must fight to save Great-uncle Gilbert and to return to his one true home world. It’s gripping drama and the pages turn themselves. I especially loved all of the different versions of Windblowne Oliver visits. Its fun to imagine how different variables might forever change a world in another dimension. Is it possible there could be a Historical Romance Ninja in a parallel dimension I could meet if only I had a magic kite?
That finishes out the review for everyone. And now, as I do every week, I’ll leave you with a few of my favorite passages from Windblowne:
Vivid banners fluttered in the windows, advertising special Festival discounts. Oliver knew the discounts were a sham. All kiteshops doubled their prices during the Festival.
Oliver began to pound on the door to the beat of I-need-a-kite, I-need-a-kite.
At first he feared that even this book would not be enough to hold down the kite-eater, but no matter how much it twisted and fought and snapped its jaws, it could not escape the sheer weight of The Social and Cultural History of the Lower Wayfeld Valley in Late Mid-Age Macherino. Oliver knew the feeling well.
Oliver had always talked to his kites, but he'd never had the impression that one of them might be listening. Or if they were, it was only so they could do the exact opposite of whatever he asked. For example, "No, please, not in the tree" was interpreted to mean "Please dive directly into the tree," or "Watch out for the crowd of people" meant "Smash into the crowd of people in order to humiliate me as much as possible."
To read an interview with author Stephen Messer or to read interviews with other authors and literary agents, log onto my blog at www.middlegradeninja.blogspot.com
Enter Oliver, who is about as skilled with his kite as the ninja is with a stunt kite. He hasn’t got a hope of placing in the festival and so he will forever be known as a loser. But, he’s got a great uncle who was a former champion kitesmith, who his parents have never mentioned before because they’re “crackpots.” Great-uncle Gilbert is a bit of a crackpot himself and Oliver worries over his own sanity, which is a point of some importance as the story continues.
Messer never quite comes out and says "here is the deal with Windblowne," and I really admire that choice. Windblowne is not a real place, of course, and there are some almost magical qualities about it that Messer reveals only as they become relevant to the story. There is no chapter detailing that Windblowne exists on another planet or is the home of a magical tribe forgotten by history, only subtle and some not so subtle hints along the way as to what sort of place Windblowne is. For example, Messer nonchalantly drops in lines like, “The two moons gleamed beyond.” Two moons? Gory, what sort of place is this?
Great-uncle Gilbert specializes in kites unlike any ever sold a K-mart. He has fighting kites and a kite with jaws to eat other kites. One kite in particular befriends Oliver and becomes his traveling companion. This plain crimson kite is capable of flying Oliver off to faraway lands—more on that in a moment. But first, from a craft perspective, it’s fascinating to see how Messer is able to give a typically inanimate object such as a kite personality, even though it is incapable of speech. Here are the kite's parts of a conversation held with Oliver, minus Oliver's lines:
The kite hovered warily.
The kite buzzed, tail lashing like a whip.
The kite's sails sagged mournfully.
Windblowne is a wonderful adventure and you’re going to love it. It’s a fun yarn that reminded me a bit of A Wrinkle in Time in that it’s great middle grade science fiction. I really can’t tell you anymore about the book without spoiling some of the surprises. If you’ve read the book or you’re willing to put up with a few minor spoilers, read on. Otherwise, your review ends here: Windblowne is one to put at the top of your reading list and make sure you come back around on Thursday to see Stephen Messer face the 7 Questions.
Those of you who are okay with a few spoilers won’t mind knowing that Great-uncle Gilbert’s plain crimson kite is capable of dragging Oliver to another version of Windblown in a parallel dimension. Yes, there are multiple dimensions and multiple versions of Windblown. There are beams that run through all the worlds and in the center of those beams stands a great Dark Tower in a field of roses. Okay, I made that last part up, but give yourself a pat on the back if you’re cool enough to be familiar with the reference from an amazing series of books for adults. You have not forgotten the face of your father.
In another version of Windblowne is another version of Great-uncle Gilbert called Lord Gilbert (way better title), and he explains the situation thusly: "It seems that in his primitive way, he had a kind of native cleverness, and he was able to construct one of these kites"—he spat the word with derision—“in such a way that it could carry someone—only someone small, such as a child—across the Way Between Worlds and between Windblownes, without harming the passenger."
Lord Gilbert busts Oliver’s crimson kite, stranding him in the new world forever to work as a slave repairing kites with another world's less likable version of Oliver. Worse, Lord Gilbert has banished Great-uncle Gilbert on a hell-world. Oliver must fight to save Great-uncle Gilbert and to return to his one true home world. It’s gripping drama and the pages turn themselves. I especially loved all of the different versions of Windblowne Oliver visits. Its fun to imagine how different variables might forever change a world in another dimension. Is it possible there could be a Historical Romance Ninja in a parallel dimension I could meet if only I had a magic kite?
That finishes out the review for everyone. And now, as I do every week, I’ll leave you with a few of my favorite passages from Windblowne:
Vivid banners fluttered in the windows, advertising special Festival discounts. Oliver knew the discounts were a sham. All kiteshops doubled their prices during the Festival.
Oliver began to pound on the door to the beat of I-need-a-kite, I-need-a-kite.
At first he feared that even this book would not be enough to hold down the kite-eater, but no matter how much it twisted and fought and snapped its jaws, it could not escape the sheer weight of The Social and Cultural History of the Lower Wayfeld Valley in Late Mid-Age Macherino. Oliver knew the feeling well.
Oliver had always talked to his kites, but he'd never had the impression that one of them might be listening. Or if they were, it was only so they could do the exact opposite of whatever he asked. For example, "No, please, not in the tree" was interpreted to mean "Please dive directly into the tree," or "Watch out for the crowd of people" meant "Smash into the crowd of people in order to humiliate me as much as possible."
To read an interview with author Stephen Messer or to read interviews with other authors and literary agents, log onto my blog at www.middlegradeninja.blogspot.com
June 4, 2021
This book wasn’t my favorite. Although it was pretty well written, I just found it to be kind of boring. None of the characters were very memorable and the whole story was pretty slow-paced. I often found myself skimming pages because I found the book to be difficult to get into.
August 29, 2023
Was a unique and creative story.
March 12, 2025
Delightful tale of love and redemption
November 13, 2015
Okay, after reading Windblowne by Stephen Messer, now I really want to go an fly a kite. I used to love flying kites as a kid in the city of Houston. We would tie a lot of strings together and make out kites fly so high that you could barely see them. It would take over half and hour to reel them in. Other times, we used to tape razor blades (yes, I know this was dangerous) along the edges of out bat kites and have kite fights, shredding each other's kites. Later, when I was an adult, I bought kites that you could control with two strings, and really enjoyed flying them in San Francisco Bay winds.
What I really enjoyed about this book is that is was unlike any other story I have ever read. Right from the first chapter, I was grabbed by the tempest of words and couldn't stop reading. I just had to know if Oliver was going to save his great-uncle. I just had to know if Oliver was going to find a way back to his own world. I just had to know if Oliver was going to somehow defeat Lord Gilbert and his hunter kites. I just had to know if Oliver was going to be able to save the dying oak trees. I just had to know all these things and it was going to drive me crazy until I found the answers to my questions.
Windblowne is Stephen Messer's first published book and it is a winner. The pace of the story gusts along at a quick pace and the characters are wonderfully developed. The story is extremely intriguing and I was literally blown away with the entire experience. I read the book in bed before I went to sleep at night until I practically dropped it out of my hands because I was falling asleep and didn't want to stop reading. Then, I would get up early the next morning, lay in front of the heater, and read another fifty pages or so. I just couldn't get enough of Windblowne.
Young readers will find themselves breezing through this book as they gobble up the pages. They will fall in love with the idea of traveling through the air on the tail of a kite. The idea of multiple worlds with duplicate versions of the same person, usually with a slight difference, has always intrigued me. I have always been interested by science fiction stories about multiple worlds, and this one is terrific.
Overall, Windblowne is an excellent book that I absolutely loved. I sure home that Oliver braves the Night Winds for travels to other worlds in future books. With an infinite amount of worlds to visit, I am sure that there are more adventures to be found.
I rated this book a 9 out of 10.
What I really enjoyed about this book is that is was unlike any other story I have ever read. Right from the first chapter, I was grabbed by the tempest of words and couldn't stop reading. I just had to know if Oliver was going to save his great-uncle. I just had to know if Oliver was going to find a way back to his own world. I just had to know if Oliver was going to somehow defeat Lord Gilbert and his hunter kites. I just had to know if Oliver was going to be able to save the dying oak trees. I just had to know all these things and it was going to drive me crazy until I found the answers to my questions.
Windblowne is Stephen Messer's first published book and it is a winner. The pace of the story gusts along at a quick pace and the characters are wonderfully developed. The story is extremely intriguing and I was literally blown away with the entire experience. I read the book in bed before I went to sleep at night until I practically dropped it out of my hands because I was falling asleep and didn't want to stop reading. Then, I would get up early the next morning, lay in front of the heater, and read another fifty pages or so. I just couldn't get enough of Windblowne.
Young readers will find themselves breezing through this book as they gobble up the pages. They will fall in love with the idea of traveling through the air on the tail of a kite. The idea of multiple worlds with duplicate versions of the same person, usually with a slight difference, has always intrigued me. I have always been interested by science fiction stories about multiple worlds, and this one is terrific.
Overall, Windblowne is an excellent book that I absolutely loved. I sure home that Oliver braves the Night Winds for travels to other worlds in future books. With an infinite amount of worlds to visit, I am sure that there are more adventures to be found.
I rated this book a 9 out of 10.
July 8, 2011
Windblowne by Stephen Messer
Kites with personalities? Evil kites that hunt and maim and a beloved kite that guides, protects, and leads a boy to discover his talents and destiny?
Only a man who grew up flying kites in Maine and Arizona would conceive of a book in which kites fly between worlds and are harbingers of good and evil.
Windblowne incorporates the innocence and fantasies of every kite-flying child who stands on the crest of a hill and wonders where his kite might take him—but packs in worlds of meaning and nuance.
Upper elementary and middle school boys and girls will enjoy this fantasy about Oliver who lives in the world of Windblowne. In a community in which building and flying kites is prized, Oliver is a misfit.
Despite desperate attempts, his kites fail and his peers ridicule him. But Oliver has an uncanny ability to listen to the winds’ moans, cries and whispers that blow through the massive oaks populating his world. In addition, he possesses a keen sense of observation by which he creates internal navigational maps. These abilities remain unappreciated until the end of the book when he realizes the truth of his Great-uncle Gilbert’s words, “Your talents lay elsewhere.” Embracing his gifts enables him to accomplish far more than any of his peers.
Messer clearly layers the perennial struggle of good vs. evil into this story. When Oliver is unwittingly taken to another Windblowne world, he meets two characters which are counterparts to people he knows –himself and his great-uncle. If I were using this novel in a classroom, I would probe students to consider the nature of these anti-heroes/alter egos. Resultant discussions could focus on how good and evil are present in all characters—both fictional and real.
Having just published the July issue of Talking Story on Multiple Intelligences/Different Learning Styles, I have been thinking about the many different ways in which students learn and use their individual abilities. I recommend Windblowne as a book that will help students who grapple with embracing their own unique learning style and gifts.
Kites with personalities? You bet. It will be a long time before I forget a crimson kite which nods, trembles, and fights for truth and justice.
Happy kite flying.
September 8, 2011
I’m actually not sure where to begin this review. I mean, so many things about this book are unique. But, since a cover is what we usually see first, I’ll start there. Oh. My. Goodness. It blew me away (pun intended). The contrast of the moonlight and the red kite…amazing. The boy flying over the tops of trees, two moons, just enough clouds and dark objects here and there to make it a tiny bit creepy. Wow! I couldn’t wait to read it.
It only got better from there. When I opened that first page and started reading about a town named Windblowne, where everyone lives in tree houses built on limbs of luscious Oaks, where night winds often blow with gale-force, I was captivated. Immediately transported to this vivid world. A world where kite flying is life. And that means disaster for Oliver, because no matter how hard he tries, his kite never lifts off the ground.
With the annual kite flying festival days away, Oliver finds out he has a great uncle who was a master kite flyer years ago. If only he’d help Oliver build the strongest kite ever, Oliver might finally earn a little respect from the townspeople. But, when Oliver manages to track Great-Uncle Gilbert down, in a well-hidden part of the forest, he discovers a magical secret. There’s not just one Windblowne. There are possibly millions. Each with the same map of oak trees, but with different whispers of the wind.
An evil Great-Uncle Gilbert clone, named Lord Gilbert, is set on gaining power over all Windblowne’s, but this involved taking energy from the Oaks, and in turn killing them. Lord Gilbert zaps Great-Uncle Gilbert to a hell-world Windblownem when he tries to save the tress. This sets Oliver on a quest to find his uncle, uncover the secret of the whispering winds, and discover that if kite flying isn’t his talent, what is. Kudos to Stephen Messer for a truly original, capitivating story. This fantasy world is so rich, I actually feel the need to reread the book. The clues planted along the way were surely missed the first time around. But, now that I know what links the worlds, I’m excited to go back and see Stephen’s extraordinary ability to weave so many threads into one satisfying ending.
It only got better from there. When I opened that first page and started reading about a town named Windblowne, where everyone lives in tree houses built on limbs of luscious Oaks, where night winds often blow with gale-force, I was captivated. Immediately transported to this vivid world. A world where kite flying is life. And that means disaster for Oliver, because no matter how hard he tries, his kite never lifts off the ground.
With the annual kite flying festival days away, Oliver finds out he has a great uncle who was a master kite flyer years ago. If only he’d help Oliver build the strongest kite ever, Oliver might finally earn a little respect from the townspeople. But, when Oliver manages to track Great-Uncle Gilbert down, in a well-hidden part of the forest, he discovers a magical secret. There’s not just one Windblowne. There are possibly millions. Each with the same map of oak trees, but with different whispers of the wind.
An evil Great-Uncle Gilbert clone, named Lord Gilbert, is set on gaining power over all Windblowne’s, but this involved taking energy from the Oaks, and in turn killing them. Lord Gilbert zaps Great-Uncle Gilbert to a hell-world Windblownem when he tries to save the tress. This sets Oliver on a quest to find his uncle, uncover the secret of the whispering winds, and discover that if kite flying isn’t his talent, what is. Kudos to Stephen Messer for a truly original, capitivating story. This fantasy world is so rich, I actually feel the need to reread the book. The clues planted along the way were surely missed the first time around. But, now that I know what links the worlds, I’m excited to go back and see Stephen’s extraordinary ability to weave so many threads into one satisfying ending.
September 23, 2025
creative but lackluster execution
October 11, 2013
A very nice read, well written and imaginative, with frequent dashes of humour and a nicely determinded protagonist. I liked the blend of different genres (or maybe disregard for genre limitations), as the book mixes fantasy, a bit of sci-fi and pure adventure. And although things like ecological responsibility, growing up, finding your talents and finding your place in the world are themes of the novel, it doesn't try to beat you around the head with a MESSAGE, for which I am very grateful.
Sometimes Oliver seemed a little slow with catching up on what's happening, but younger readers or newcomers to the main idea behind the book probably won't have the same impression.
I felt the ending was wrapped up a tad too quickly as I wanted to know more about some things that happened (or were revealed to have happened), but it wasn't rushed or unsatisfying - on the contrary, it ended in a satisfying way with plenty of room for imagination and future possibilities for the characters. Nice! The more I think about it, the more I like the book. Recommended!
Edit: Oh, and as a PS for Dianna Wynne Jones fans: no, it's not quite like DWJ's books (someone should have called Chrestomanci!), it's less intricate and quirky and doesn't quite have her twinkly wit and that graceful nonchalance of weaving a story. Maybe not yet! It's really charming in its own way, though.
Sometimes Oliver seemed a little slow with catching up on what's happening, but younger readers or newcomers to the main idea behind the book probably won't have the same impression.
I felt the ending was wrapped up a tad too quickly as I wanted to know more about some things that happened (or were revealed to have happened), but it wasn't rushed or unsatisfying - on the contrary, it ended in a satisfying way with plenty of room for imagination and future possibilities for the characters. Nice! The more I think about it, the more I like the book. Recommended!
Edit: Oh, and as a PS for Dianna Wynne Jones fans: no, it's not quite like DWJ's books (someone should have called Chrestomanci!), it's less intricate and quirky and doesn't quite have her twinkly wit and that graceful nonchalance of weaving a story. Maybe not yet! It's really charming in its own way, though.
March 13, 2011
Oliver's singular dream to to build a prize-winning kite for the yearly kite-flying festival in Windblowne, a village whose homes are built in the trees. His artistic mother and literary father have no interests in that activity; the children in the village treat him like the village idiot, making fun of his awkwardness and lack of skills in building and flying a kite. This drives him to find his reclusive Great-Uncle Gilbert, a former champion and expert kite-builder. Gilbert boots the boy out and sends him away, admonishing him to stay away. But Gilbert's prize crimsom kite arrives in the night at Oliver's treehouse, summoning the boy to follow it. Following the kite leads Oliver into the horrid plot from which Great-Uncle had tried to shield him and far away from his home and family.
Messer has created an unusual fantasy based upon a layer of similar worlds peopled with those that Oliver knows and filled with the oaks he loves. Great-Uncle Gilbert's doppelganger is a megalomaniac who fails to comprehend that the oaks he is destroying in his own world are tied to oaks in other parallel worlds. Oliver, the child who has been unsuccessful at what he's tried to do in the past, is a young hero who must find his way in strange worlds.
Messer has created an unusual fantasy based upon a layer of similar worlds peopled with those that Oliver knows and filled with the oaks he loves. Great-Uncle Gilbert's doppelganger is a megalomaniac who fails to comprehend that the oaks he is destroying in his own world are tied to oaks in other parallel worlds. Oliver, the child who has been unsuccessful at what he's tried to do in the past, is a young hero who must find his way in strange worlds.
August 4, 2015
I'm enjoying it, but not quite loving it yet. Windblowne is a very cool place where everyone lives in these tree houses up in ancient oaks. Bridges connect the houses up in the air, but there is also a town on the ground below. The town's fame is connected to its winds and its annual kite flying contest, and one's popularity and status in town is connected to one's ability to build and fly kites. Oliver, who desperately wants to build and fly the amazing kites he imagines, just doesn't seem to have the talent and almost gives up on his dream until he discovers crazy great-uncle Gilbert, a recluse who is a master kite-builder, inventor, and (apparently) traveler between worlds. Great-uncle Gilbert has just been kidnapped by an evil relative from another world, and Oliver has been carried to find him by one of great-uncle Gilbert's amazing kites....I'll keep you posted.
Okay -- I think I returned it to the library before finishing it, but I finally checked it out again. I found the book very imaginative, and I liked the way it ended. I especially liked how Great-uncle Gilbert found the good and useful in each world he visited -- he was resourceful and excited about his discoveries -- and I love that!
Okay -- I think I returned it to the library before finishing it, but I finally checked it out again. I found the book very imaginative, and I liked the way it ended. I especially liked how Great-uncle Gilbert found the good and useful in each world he visited -- he was resourceful and excited about his discoveries -- and I love that!
December 1, 2012
This was such a surprise of a book - in too many fantasies, especially the younger the intended audience is, the ending is fairly clear about halfway through the book, if not sooner. This book was so creative, with twists throughout that made it hard to know what was going on at all, in a good way, much less determined the ending.
The pacing was a bit of a whirlwind, which would normally annoy me, but the plot was so creative I didn't mind, plus hey, the book is called windblowne after all.
The ending was very rushed, and way too tidy, but again, I didn't mind it too much. I did feel like the book was just getting going around chapter 18, and there's only 21 chapters in the entire book, so that's a shame as I was very much enjoying all the various characters and worlds and sub-plots.
Nonetheless, I very much enjoyed this quick read and oh! the kites' personalities were cute and surprisingly believable. So yeah, a really good debut novel.
The pacing was a bit of a whirlwind, which would normally annoy me, but the plot was so creative I didn't mind, plus hey, the book is called windblowne after all.
The ending was very rushed, and way too tidy, but again, I didn't mind it too much. I did feel like the book was just getting going around chapter 18, and there's only 21 chapters in the entire book, so that's a shame as I was very much enjoying all the various characters and worlds and sub-plots.
Nonetheless, I very much enjoyed this quick read and oh! the kites' personalities were cute and surprisingly believable. So yeah, a really good debut novel.
January 8, 2013
I had originally bought this book because the blurb described it as being inspired by Diana Wynne Jones, and, having read all that is commercially available of DWJ, I was eager to give something similar a try. I am happy to say that this book was both refreshingly new and yet still familiar. Stephen Messer has managed to capture, at heart, what made Mrs. Jones works so utterly readable by her devoted fans. It has all of the hallmarks of a classic DWJ novel: Disinterested or absent parents who are too wrapped up in their own lives to pay much attention to their children; travel between worlds; a bad guy who doesn't believe that he is in the wrong but is actually serving to better mankind; a few plot lines and an ending that are left for the reader to ponder; and a subtle magic that isn't readily explained, but just is. I can honestly say that if you enjoyed DWJ, that you should give Windblowne by Stephen Messer a try. I look forward to reading more from Mr. Messer in the future.
October 2, 2010
The more I think about this book, the more I like it. In Oliver's world kite flying is akin to life itself. You're nothing if you're not making and flying your own expert creations in the sky. Unfortunately for Oliver, he doesn't just lack the talent for it. He actively is AWFUL at it. When he discovers that his crazy Great-Uncle is a champion kite flyer, Oliver is sure that the older man can help him out. Instead, Oliver discovers a crazy series of multiple worlds containing multiple Olivers and multiple Great-Uncles. His only hope lies in the help of a unique red kite. I was skeptical at first but the book is a blast. Definitely fun and like nothing else I've read. Plus, I've got two words for you: sentient kites. How can you resist? - B
July 9, 2010
A great, great kids read. A town is preparing for their annual kite-flying festival, and the boy at the center of the story isn’t very good at kite making. He ends up tracking down his ostracized uncle, who acts strangely toward the boy. As the story goes on, the boy ends up being brought to an alternate version of the town where the kites are living beings and his uncle is lord of the town, and not a nice one either. It’s a very fun, strange, challenging book, and I’m glad I read it – excellent book all around.
February 24, 2011
Something tells me this story was originally much longer than it's current length. It just feels very, very edited. Very scraped clean. like all the toppings have been picked off my meat lover's combo leaving only the cheese. And cheese pizza is fine, but that meat lover's combo is divine. I just wanted a little more. It seemed like details came too fast and thin and then we were on to something else. Great, well-executed plot, the pacing was spot on, I just wanted more details, more character development, more setting info. That's all.
May 12, 2012
This is fantastic! Poor Oliver! However, I love that he finds his talent. Anyway, The kites described in the book sounds amazing! I love it in books when a non-human is given a personality. Here, it is the crimson kite. Honestly, this is not what I expected, I had read the blurb online that was given for the book and then, when I picked it up at the library, I read the back of the book and it felt like a completely different story. I dove in regardless. This book is beauifully written and conjures some awesome visuals. Loved it!
June 17, 2013
This was a really cool book, but I feel like I need to go back and reread it now that I am finished. It starts out with a really cool idea about kite festivals and fighting kites and building kites, which I will use when we read this next school year in my fantasy book club.
I say I need to reread it, as the story jumps between worlds quite a few times and many of the characters double up and you can get a little confused, or maybe I just got confused. I'm actually looking forward to rereading it with my book club next year.
I say I need to reread it, as the story jumps between worlds quite a few times and many of the characters double up and you can get a little confused, or maybe I just got confused. I'm actually looking forward to rereading it with my book club next year.
September 21, 2010
I loved the concept of this book. The idea of the nightwinds, people living in actual tree houses and traveling to parallel worlds via kite. Oliver is a broken boy at first. Putting all his self worth into a trait he will never possess. In the end, he learns the ever important lesson that we are all connected and we all have something to contribute. He also realizes that you often just have to accept people for who they are. An interesting unique fantasy.
January 12, 2012
I originally bought this book for the kite fliers in the family. After a couple of months of it sitting forlornly on a pile of unread books, I picked it up. It reminds me a bit of Interworld except for the descriptions of kites and how they're made (which will probably please the kite fliers if they ever get around to reading it) and the lack of super-heroness.
August 25, 2010
Oliver lives in a land that celebrates trees and kites. He has no skill at kite making but yearns to be an expert. He finds that he has a long lost uncle that is a kite making champion. As he goes on his way to meet him he is entangled in an adventure that crosses worlds. Soon Oliver is kite flying for his life and in an effort to save his beloved trees. Very whimsy but fun.
September 27, 2011
A fine attempt at executing a lovely idea but anything that compares itself to Diana Wynne Jones on the back cover has set itself an extremely high bar. I enjoyed the story but would have liked to have explored some of the other characters a little more as they seemed slightly neglected in favour of the world building. Nonetheless, a wonderful fantasy for 9-12s.
June 1, 2012
All Oliver wants to do is built a kite to fly in the annual Windblowne kite festival, but any kite that Oliver touches is doomed to destruction. When Oliver goes to visit his great-uncle, a champion kite-flyer and eccentric inventor, to help him with his kite-building plans,
he gets pulled into a wild adventure that takes him across parallel worlds, on the wings of a crimson kite.
he gets pulled into a wild adventure that takes him across parallel worlds, on the wings of a crimson kite.
January 6, 2013
It wasn't until I was about 2/3 through this book that I actually got 'into' it and even then, I was just meh...
I think what really put me off from the start was the fact that he proclaims this to be inspired by Diana Wynne Jones... puh-lease! This story was nowhere near entertaining, funny, mysterious or imaginatively descriptive as any work by DMJ.
I think what really put me off from the start was the fact that he proclaims this to be inspired by Diana Wynne Jones... puh-lease! This story was nowhere near entertaining, funny, mysterious or imaginatively descriptive as any work by DMJ.
July 11, 2010
A really nice coming of age multi-verse fantasy with a focus on kites. Writing is clean and crisp--easy to access and it makes it a fast read. Beautiful setting, nice world building, interesting characters and a satisfying ending.
October 10, 2012
It took me a little while to get into the story. There are only a couple of characters and one of each of them lives in millions of parallel worlds. This is a story about kites, traveling through time and conquering evil. Imaginative and a easy read. I liked it, but its not in my top ten.,
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