I generally liked this book, but after reading the loads of "supplementary" material someone decided to shove in at the end, I have to say that I lost a great deal of respect for the author and his story. It was a bit like a magician who shows you all his tricks at the end; the magic dries up quick. But even before reading all the bad bits I think I liked Angela Carter better.

This story grabbed me from the start and pulled me in to the fantasy world. Is it real, fantasy, or a figment of a boys imagination? The story makes you wonder throughout each page you read. The remaking of old fairy tales we have all grown up with puts a interesting twist to the world the boy travels through trying to get back home. Is it real, or just his imagination? An amazing story all the way to the end! I highly recommend this book, that you won't want to put down until your done!!

David has been buried in his books since his mother's death. His father remarries and he and David move into the new wife's home. Typical story? Not this time. This story is written as a fairy tale, complete with a moral.

Feeling like a stranger in his new home, David eventually begins to hear his beloved books calling to him. One day, the Crooked Man, a sinister fiend with ghastly intentions appears in his room. The adventure begins!

One lonely night, David wanders into the backyard to the sunken garden, just as a World War II plane crashes nearby. Lured by his ddeceased mother's voice, he squeezes between the rocks in the garden, escaping his loneliness into a mythical land, one in which the stories in his treasured books intertwine. In order to escape this dangerous and frightening foreign land, David must learn the value of a selfless heart.

This is a tender story, with excellent and heart-warming characters and vivid settings. This book reminds me of C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but it retains its own flavor, style, and identity.