No, this isn't the second great book I've read. yes, it is a very good book, one of my absolute favorites, but it isn't one of those game changing novels that caused me to pause Meyer Month. that book is Seraphena, which I'll be covering next. The reason I'm not covering that book today is because I'm not done reading it lol. I apologize for my scatterbrained posting schedule and strange reading habits, but one day we will return to Meyer Month. Someday......
When siblings Kendra and Seth are sent off to live with their mysterious grandfather for the summer while their parents go on a cruise, the kids could be less than thrilled. They barely know their Grandpa Sorenson, who upon arrival tells the two to never go outside the barriers of the backyard. Kendra find's Grandpa Sorenson's house to be a beautiful and enchanting place, willing to obey her grandpa's rules to make him happy, while Seth wants nothing more to explore the forbidden areas of the yard.
But when Seth's secret exploring goes too far, the siblings discover their grandfather is no normal man. The house and the property it resides on is actually the sacred reservation of Fablehaven, a place where magical creatures of all shapes and sizes reside to stay hidden from the human world, with Grandpa Sorenson as it's caretaker. A great evil has been growing in Fablehaven, one even Grandpa Sorenson and the rest of the Fablehaven staff can't handle. Seth and Kendra, bothersome as they may seem, might be the only hope Fablehaven has left, but can they stop the trouble they started?
My Thoughts
Seth is a pain in the arse and I don't know why he hasn't died yet. Ok, yes, I know those are fiery words to start a review with, but honestly he is. That little brat practically causes every problem in the book, and in the end it isn't even him who fixes it. Sure, he contributes to the solution, but Kendra was the one who solved everything, and thank god for her. Honestly if Seth had died or at LEAST gotten locked in a dragon pen, I don't think anyone would be mourning him much.
Besides Seth (who is the real monster in the book, no question) Fablehaven is one of my favorite books. It was the first book I did for my book club, and my friend liked the book so much she read the entire series. The story is set in a forest, and being someone who lives in a densely forested area, I can easily imagine Fablehaven being in my own backyard. A deep, lush forest, with sun constantly shining through the bright green trees, painting their leaves a near neon green. Save for the magical creatures, Fablehaven might as well of entered my world while I was reading it.
Atmosphere? check. It was enchanting. Characters? ehh... Seth, as I've already
covered, is a smelly little fart and deserves to fall in a ditch. But what about Kendra? What about the other characters? If I was to describe Kendra in one word, it would be "screamed". Kendra is always freaking out about something, whether that be a new magical thing, or Seth being a little hecker. But jeez, this girl just won't shut the heck up. She screams, she cries, she freaks the fart out. It isn't until the end of the book where Kendra accomplishes something without screaming, and that's cleaning up another one of Seth's messes. These two just go around in circles, making a mess, screaming, fixing it. I don't even know why Grandpa Sorenson even thought it would be a good idea letting them even set foot in his house.
Which brings us to our next and last small character analysis, Grandpa Sorenson. He's obviously the best character. Unlike SOME PEOPLE he knows what he's doing and how to tell wrong from right. He tries his best to be a good grandfather to Kendra and Seth, even if he does eventually let them onto the secret he owns a forest full of unknown beasts. Which makes me think of some questions. If Grandpa Sorenson knew that Fablehaven was an extremely dangerous place, why did he leave this weird puzzle to lead the kids to the truth? they're KIDS. And if evidence goes to show, they're not the best kids to be trusting with a place that contains literal demons. And if Kendra and Seth didn't see their grandfather often, why did Grandpa Sorenson think he could trust them, kids he barely even knew, to beat a demonic god? Sure, they solved your puzzle, but it's not like it was some booby-trapped labyrinth, it was a paper trail leading to a pan of milk.
If he can trust his grandkids with the dangers of Fablehaven, why didn't he tell his own kid? I think it was the dad that was Grandpa Sorenson's son, so why didn't he think he was a good enough child to throw into danger? Did he not want his own son to get hurt, but his son's kids are more expendable? Whatever the answer, I don't really mind. I'm mostly just overthinking it, as if Grandpa Sorenson had never told Seth and Kendra about Fablehaven, the book wouldn't even exist.
In the end, I think it wasn't the characters that made me like Fablehaven, but the setting and the story. It's quite a good fantasy novel, even if one of the main characters is a brat and the other one can't shut her mouth. It's a magical adventure, one that anyone can enjoy. That's probably the reason I chose it for my first book club book. If you're looking for a good quarantine read (ooh, that should be my next blog), than Fablehaven should be a nice one for you. That is, if your local bookstore is still open.
Keep Reading!
-Valkyr