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| Little, Brown and Company |
Charles de Lint
Charles Vess
2013
The Summary
"Lillian Kindred spends her days exploring the Tanglewood Forest, a magical, rolling wilderness that she imagines to be full of fairies. The trouble is, Lillian has never seen a wisp of magic in her hills--until the day the cats of the forest save her life by transforming her into a kitten. Now Lillian must set out on a perilous adventure that will lead her through untamed lands of fabled creatures--from Old Mother Possum to the fearsome Bear People--to find a way to make things right.
"In this whimsical, original folktale written and illustrated by two celebrated masters of modern fantasy, a young girl's journey becomes an enchanting coming-of-age story about magic, friendship, and the courage to shape one's own destiny."
The Good
After reading A Circle of Cats, I checked out The Cats of Tanglewood Forest with the encouragement of a co-worker. I thought I would be stepping into the same old story--The Cats of Tanglewood Forest is, of course, an expansion of A Circle of Cats from it's small, short children's book to a middle-grade novel--but it's a complete reimagining of the world that Vess and de Lint created in their original book.
It was certainly worth reading, especially as I enjoyed A Circle of Cats. I especially liked the addition of Old Mother Possum. She was a wonderfully colorful character, and I enjoyed meeting her. Moreover, I loved the expanded involvement of one T.H. Reynolds, who acted as guide and guardian for the young Lillian during her journey.
I don't know why, but I felt compelled to read T.H.'s dialogue aloud with an exaggerated Southern accent. Think Colonel Sanders kind of southern or, better yet, Scarlett O'Hara kind of southern. it was a strange thing to do, I admit, but it just felt so right. Plus, I got a real kick out of it and I laughed my way through much of the book.
And, of course, I loved the artwork. Charles Vess outdoes himself with The Cats of Tanglewood Forest. He adds greater depth to the world and manages to breathe life into the characters, into the magical places to which Lillian must travel. It's spectacularly colorful, wonderfully detailed, and utterly beautiful. I was greatly impressed by his work, and I can't wait to find more from him.
Overall, The Cats of Tanglewood Forest was a great little adventure, and it's an excellent book for younger readers.
The Bad
Despite getting a little more insight into Lillian's odyssey through the verdant forests of Appalachia, I still didn't quite understand how her condition--that is, her being turned into a cat--became her fault? I mean, some of it I can see and I understand why she needed to learn lessons about this dangerous, magical world; however, I'm still a irritated by some aspects of her journey. Namely, her responsibility in it.
It bothered me, just a little.
The Ugly
Snakes.
Still snakes, but throw in the added danger of the Bear People.
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