Winterling

When I asked my daughter how many stars to give this book, on a scale of one to five, she said ten. Thinking she'd misunderstood, because, well, she's eight, I reiterated that it was a scale of one to five. She exclaimed, "I KNOW! I meant it's OFF THE CHARTS!"

Spring is about life and green buds and birdsong, not about hunting a living creature to a bloody deathEnjoyed it. Sarah Prineas wrote this book in such an imaginative way that. Just WoW! Her imagination is great. WORLDBUILDING In this book we are not introduced to the world upto my expectations. As much as I remember, this book doesn't even tell us the name of the world. But still author has given enough to keep reading this book.Rules of the World This world has the rule of THREE. Three has th [...]

This was a solidly OK book. The characters had potential, but felt flat. The flap told me to expect "boundless curiosity and wild spirit" from Fer, the main character. Honestly, this description had more spunk and energy than I felt while reading the text. I'm having a hard time writing this review because I REALLY wanted to love this book. After all, both Ingrid Law (author of Saavy) and Kristin Cashore (author of Graceling) said lovely things that were quoted on the back cover. I'm a librarian [...]

Meh. Hits all the right buttons, what with the bold female lead, who is a healer and a vegetarian, the cute mysterious boy, the portal, the noble dead parents, etc. But, um, workmanlike? I never felt the heart. Not sure the author actually loves her characters and the world she's building, or if she just writes books.And the fact that we always know more than Fer does is confusing; it's like one spoiler after another; we don't get to figure things out as we go along with Fer.And I don't understa [...]

2012 you say?? That's a looong time from now. 2011 needs some Sarah Prineas![Dec 2011 update] has been preordered, from the US. November 8th in the UK? Sorry, Quercus, not a chance.(See my profile for my 'policy' about rating books.)I hadn't quite taken on board that this was a portal fantasy, rather than completely invented world like the Magic Thief books, so was very surprised when the protagonist thought about whether there'd be tofu for dinner. :) It's nice to know that Sarah Prineas can wr [...]

I'm s sucker for beautifully illustrated middle grade cover art. In fact, this was the draw for me to pick up this book. Luckily, the story was solid, too. Pitched as a middle grade fantasy, Winterling didn't fail to entertain, with evil villain called "The Lady", pucks, shape shifters and a magical land of fairy-like creatures, this story oozes fun. World building worked perfectly for the age group the story is intended for, not overly complex but not completely simple either. The main characte [...]

I loved every moment of this book, and really the only thing holding it back from a four-star review is a lack of polish. Fer is an engaging character, and the world she inhabits has that magical, fresh quality about it I treasure so much in middle grade books. The world-building feels authentic, almost like if you look at the world in a different way it might even be real.However, the book suffers from a lack of polish. Fer's situation with her grandmother, called Grand-Jane, is difficult and s [...]

I got a copy of this book for review through the Vine program. It was a wonderful and magical middle grade fantasy full of adventure and magic. Something that can be enjoyed by anyone who loves fantasy and adventure.Fer has always felt like she doesn't quite belong in this world. In the woods one night she rescues a boy, except the boy isn't exactly human. The boy invites Fer into the Way and into a dangerous fairyland. Fer feels strangely at home in this other place but senses that something i [...]

Read on February 28, 2015A very quick and cute read. My only problem with Winterling is that it's just too unbelievable for me. Oh no, not the magical world or the creatures inhabiting it. I found it very difficult to understand the characters who kept switching their mindset to conveniently further the plot.For instance, in the beginning, Fer's Grandmother tells her she is in danger and that she shouldn't wonder around on her own, but wouldn't share why or from what Fer should be afraid of. Obv [...]

Winterling is a wonderful book that everybody should read. It's about a teenager named Fer who is an outsider in her own world. she has always felt like she hasn't belonged- in school, she has no friends, and kids unrelentlessly bully her. At home, she has an odd, strict grandmother under the name of Grand-Jane who doesn't let Fer go out and do anything, even explore the farmlands and woods safely in range her own house. Fer is a prisoner to her own home. Fer, a free spirit, wanders off one day, [...]

An enjoyable read. I felt immersed in the fantasy world, and really enjoy Prineas' style of writing. The characters were interesting, and Fer makes a good heroine--strong and confident (without it feeling like the author is trying too hard on the "girl power" front) but also empathetic and questioning. I really liked the character of Grand-Jane and wanted to know more about her; it's nice to see a book with an older character being such a central figure. The ending was a bit anticlimactic and un [...]

Excellent serious middle grade fantasy, fall about loyalty and family and healing. (I say serious not because it's grim but because it's not a laugh-a-minute, you know.) If you're looking for a fae book with tricksy, murdery fairies, which as I know is a subset of genre that always needs more entries, this is a good one.

There's nothing like a nasty villian. A witch queen? A crow lady? Mor, the villian in this story, is all of those things, murdering the true heir to the land and stealing her magic thus causing the seasons to stop. Winter is constant and the only way to bring spring is to sacrifice an animal or human in a ritual known as The Hunt that renews Mor's power. Don't be fooled by the constant winter and thinking this is another Snow Queen. Mor is more closely linked to Morrigan from Celtic mythology, t [...]

I seriously read this book in one day flat (I just couldn't put it down!). It was a really bad idea to fly through it so quickly, because now I've got that hollow "I know the length was perfect for this story, but I'm so hungry for more I wish it was two or three times longer" feeling.As you may have guessed by now, I absolutely LOVED Winterling! =D I really, really hope she writes a sequel (or two or three, or maybe five or six) because I just have to know more! It's apparent that Sarah Prineas [...]

When I saw the blurb I can't say I was overly impressed, but I do like me some faeires and the author wrote another series, The Magic Thief, which I enjoyed, so I figured I'd give it a shot. In the end, it's a cute story with a strong role model for girls, but there's nothing particularly stand out about it.I do like the way that Prineas takes faerie lore and both manages to stick with it generally, but also change it enough to make it her own - like the Mór being an analog to the Morrigan, wha [...]

I always have a hard time rating children's books. I feel like any evaluations or recommendations should be done at the target level. I can't say this book is 3 stars because of some plot issues that I noticed or the simplicity of the writing, because a child reading 4-5th grade level material would not be bothered by these things.So, I can easily see any child 5 staring this puppy. It's excellent. The was thoroughly invested in the story and the characters. My heart raced at the appropriate mom [...]

Update: I wrote a blog post about "Winterling and the Girl I Was": jennreese/2012/01/readI had the good fortune of reading this book in manuscript form. I instantly fell in love with Fer and her adventures. Prineas creates a rich, wild world every bit as enticing as her city of Wellmet in the The Magic Thief series. Fer, in her patchwork coat, is a great heroine -- not the stereotypical plucky girl, but heroic in her own unique way. Can't wait to get more of Fer and Rook in book 2!!!

Lucky boy that I am, I got an early look at Winterling, and this is the blurb I volunteered:Sarah Prineas conjures a world of frost and snow and magic and peril. At the core of a story that doesn't skimp on thrilling chases and dangerous secrets, we have Fer, a compelling hero readers will care about and root for. Joining Fer is a fascinating cast of allies and enemies, from grouchy Rook to snarling wolf people. Winterling captures the best elements of classic fantasy tales and puts them in a fr [...]

Winterling by Sarah Prineas is a magical tale of friendship and righting old wrongs – a testament to the value of life. Winterling opens with a bang as the prologue begins with a dog running from wolves and ending up in our world.Read the rest of my review here

Hmm.

Rating: 4.3 stars

1/23/18 $1.99 for Kindle.

Overall, a solid read. I sat down and finished it in maybe 5 hours, and it was just what I needed to suit my mood. I'm sure you've all heard variations of the story before: ordinary, if not somewhat odd, girl discovers a portal leading to a magical world that needs her help. Still, it was well-written with an interesting idea or two that I haven't seen before.I agree with criticisms that the heroine is really slow on the uptake, especially since the author reveals certain important truths to the [...]

4.5 stars really (because Rook is awesome)Originally posted here.Here it is, the first of my Most Anticipated Reads of 2012. Winterling by Sarah Prineas was well worth the anticipation. This is one of the books that just fit me and my mood perfectly.Yay for heroines who ask questions! Again. And again. And again. Until they finally get the answers they need. Also, yay for heroines who persist in what they know is right even when others say it is a lost cause. Fer had me smiling through the entir [...]

FTC Disclosure: I received an Advance Copy of this book from the Vine program in exchange for an honest review.Winterling by Sarah PrineasFrom the back of the book: With her boundless curiosity and spirit, Fer has always felt that she doesn't belong. She hears the call of the wild wood, of the secrets it whispers to her. But when her grandmother reveals clues about the disappearance of her father and his mystical bond to her mother, Fer begins to unlock the secrets about the parents she never k [...]

After reading the reviews on the internet (GR) and looking at some sample pages from the author's previous novels I selected to receive WINTERLING as an ARC. And I really, really wanted to like this book because the the storyline sounded so good, but unfortunately book and I didn't click.POSSIBLE MINOR SPOILERSThe problem I had with the book was that I found the plotting mechanical and contrived. I'll site the first example that comes to mind to let you know what I mean. We aren't long into the [...]

I have nothing bad to say about this book, thereby making this the first 5-star rating I've given to a book this year. This YEAR, you guys. The comment I made about it at page 56 remains true--the whole thing irresistibly reminded me of "Little White Horse," except much less awkward, and I really enjoyed it. Throughout, the world feels believable and appropriately magical. I loved Fer. She sets off to save this fantasy world and never once compromises her own principles or worries about the fact [...]

Winterling is a lovely story of Fer, a girl who stumbles upon another world and her place in it. While walking in the woods one night, Fer notices something different about the pond near her home. Instead of reflecting the crescent moon she sees in the sky, the pond shows a full moon. Without knowing it, Fer opens the way to another world that night at the pond. She eventually visits the other world and encounters people who are part creature/part human, amongst other things.Fer is a well-writte [...]

I have to confess that I picked this book up because of the cover. I love that cover, I mean a gorgeous black horse with blazing red eyes. I found it very intriguing. I wish I could say the book lived up to the cover, and it does come close, but there were a few things I would have liked to see more of. I would have liked to see more character development. I did like Fer and I admired her spirit and pluck, but I didn't feel a really strong attachment to her. Rook was an interesting character, a [...]

Cute, quick and easy to read. This book was fun and entertaining and I liked reading it. :)Jennifer (or "Fer") is often pestered, teased and even bullied at school. Because of this, Fer often feels like she doesn't fit in. And she is right on more levels than she knows After having a rough day at school, Fer decides to take the long way home so she can enjoy the outdoors more than usual since her Grand-Jane keeps her under lock and key at home. Upon coming home, Fer's Grand-Jane gets angry and s [...]