Talking to Trees

by Kathryn Sullivan

The highly anticipated sequel to Amber Quill Press's best-seller and 2002 EPPIE Award Winner for Best Fantasy, The Crystal Throne...

Jody Burns takes her brother Peter's silvery bracelet because it looks good with her outfit. Little does she realize it's the key to another world-until a green-haired girl steps out of midair in the shopping mall and asks Jody to help in a quest to find a wizard or a demon-slayer and rescue her family from a great evil. Jody ignores Peter's warning about the land on the other side of the Watcher-until the haunted tree pulls her inside. Now she's trapped in a land where no one listens to her, and worse yet, there are no malls!

Peter Burns knows he can help his sister, since he and Jeanne Tucker have special powers in that other world. To aid Jody, they are prepared to return.

But the Watcher has other ideas...

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun and magical read! I loved following Jody into a world full of talking trees, wizard horses, and unexpected twists. The story moves fast, and the magic feels fresh and creative especially when Jody’s jacket starts growing leaves! Perfect for fans of fantasy with heart and imagination.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this is a sequel to her earlier novel, The Crystal Throne, the book stands alone without having read the previous story. Jody is a "here and now" teen who is very much into fashion and being with the "in crowd". Suddenly, she is facing a green-haired girl to seemed to come through a ripple in the crowded mall. Her friends take one look and turn up their noses as this new girl, whose clothes are anything but fashionable, walks up to Jody and asks, "Hero?" From there, the story takes some fantastical twists and turns, playing out Jody's unlikely role as a hero, which is something she is not. -- I can't quite give this five stars, mostly because of some minor editing glitches missed by Amber Quill Press's staff. But it is a very good read and certainly suitable for girls who love a good adventure. Oh, and their brothers, too.

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was alright. The world that this takes place in is very imaginative, but I found myself liking the first book way better. There wasn't really any major events, just a whole lot of walking around and talking.