≡ PDF Wonder Light Unicorns of the Mist R R Russell 9781402279898 Books

Wonder Light Unicorns of the Mist R R Russell 9781402279898 Books

Download As PDF : Wonder Light Unicorns of the Mist R R Russell 9781402279898 Books

Wonder Light Unicorns of the Mist R R Russell 9781402279898 Books

I've been making my way through a long list of books recommended to me by a librarian friend of mine. Though "sword and sorcery" isn't my first genre of choice, typically, the semi-urban fantasy setting of this plot caught my attention. And I'm so glad I gave this a chance, because this was one of the more unique and emotional stories I've ever read.

Twelve year old Theresa, preferring to be called by her nickname "Twig", is going through an extreme rough patch in her life. Her birth mother is in jail, her father is deployed, and after being accused of seriously injuring her stepsister, her stepmother sends her off to a "troubled girls" camp located on a remote island. Notorious for supposedly being haunted, Lonehorn Island is the home of a loving foster couple, the five other girls they've taken in, and their horse ranch that they use to help give the girls a sense of stability, responsibility, and love and care. At first, Twig is reluctant to open her heart, or to even stay...until she manages to uncover the island's most guarded secret......it's the refuge for the last herd of unicorns left in existence. And when Twig finds herself roped into having to raise and protect a baby unicorn, she'll slowly discover a new sense of purpose, self worth, and an inner courage she never knew she had.

"Emotional" is probably the key word to use when describing this book. Between the characters and how the scenes are described, this plot runs the full gambit of feelings. The descriptions and prose are greatly detailed. You can easily picture the scenery, and get a sense of the emotion in said scenes, from the wonder of a unicorn being born, to the encroaching danger of the wild unicorn herd attacking the ranch, to the dark and foreboding woods. The unicorns themselves are beautiful and majestic, with the unique premise of them having retractable horns so they can hide amongst normal horses. Some of the classic mythology surrounding unicorns is used, while other typical 'facts' are debunked. The alternate world of Terracornus is only hinted at and just briefly glimpsed, and hopefully, we'll see more of it in the sequel.

Most of the characters aren't SUPER developed, but developed just enough that you can get a sense of their personality whenever they're "on screen". The other girls lean more towards one dimensional, but they don't play a huge part in the plot. It would've been nice to get at least one chapter that explained their backstories a bit more. Ben, the mysterious "ghost boy" and protector of the unicorns, has more of a past that we learn as the plot progresses, but he's primarily the stoic hero who helps our heroine learn how to ride unicorns and give plot exposition.

However, the opposite can be said of Twig, who rightly gets a TON of development. We learn her backstory in bits and pieces and tiny hints, and for a book primarily aimed at a younger audience, it isn't shy about bringing up tougher subjects like incarcerated parents, divorce, being unfairly judged, and feeling abandoned by your loved ones. It's perfectly understandable why she acts the way she does, and as time goes on, she learns how to let people in her heart again, how to trust, how to forgive, and most importantly, how to love herself. Just like the girls, the unicorns have also been abandoned in a sense, to which Twig finds kinship with them, and by fighting to protect them, she discovers her sense of self worth--that she DOES matter, and that there ARE people who love her.

While the premise of a young protagonist finding a doorway to a magical world isn't new, the main character and setting makes it fresh. Twig isn't a "chosen one"--she has to earn her title of "hero", and sees one of the best examples of realistic character development I've come across in fiction. I can't wait to read the sequel!


Tags : Wonder Light (Unicorns of the Mist) [R. R. Russell] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <span>Deep in the heart of a mist-shrouded island, an impossible secret is about to be discovered.</span><span></span><span></span> <span>Twig is used to feeling unwanted. Sent to live on a pony ranch for troubled girls on a misty,R. R. Russell,Wonder Light (Unicorns of the Mist),Sourcebooks Jabberwocky,1402279892,Animals - Dragons, Unicorns & Mythical,Social Themes - Friendship,Haunted places,Haunted places;Fiction.,Islands,Islands;Fiction.,Unicorns,Unicorns;Fiction.,Children's BooksAges 9-12 Fiction,Children: Grades 4-6,Fantasy & Magic,Fiction,General fiction (Children's Teenage),Juvenile Fiction,Juvenile Fiction Animals Dragons, Unicorns & Mythical,Juvenile Fiction Fantasy & Magic,Juvenile Fiction Legends, Myths, Fables General,Juvenile Fiction Social Themes Friendship,Juvenile FictionAnimals - Dragons, Unicorns & Mythical,Juvenile FictionSocial Themes - Friendship

Wonder Light Unicorns of the Mist R R Russell 9781402279898 Books Reviews

This book was so hard to review. I wanted to like it. I mean, middle grade story about a troubled girl who finds a herd of unicorns on an island she thought was haunted...

The writing itself is okay--neat and clean. And I did like Twig.

But there were so many issues with pacing and presentation of information, like the transformation of Twig and the way things resolved far too quickly and easily when she finally tells the truth to her step-mom about the "incident." (BTW--the fact that that info was held in check for so long, then sprung at the weirdest of moments also bothered me.) Much of the book is like that--unrealistic reactions to situations by all characters.

Mainly, though, I felt the book just tackled too many things and it got jumbled. Twig has a druggie mom, and dad deployed to Afganistan, and a step-mom she can't stand, with (step?)siblings she apparently doesn't get along with either. Yet, none of those things are explore in any depth AT ALL. The unicorn/island stuff is also too large conceptually for the story itself. There is a whole other dimension that is barely addressed even though it's technically the center of the conflict of the story plot.

Finally, the unicorns themselves.

****SPOILER*******

Read this book only if you are okay with evil, cannibalistic unicorns with retractable horns.
It was a wonderful story and I could not put it down . This is a great book for middle grade students to inspire them to keep reading.
I love this book! If u love horses or anything else close to horses u need to read this! -) lov u R.R. Russell!!!!!
If you like magical enchanting things this is the book for you. I am a tween so I would recommend this book for ages 6 to 20. It's action packed with adventure. At the end something gets killed but besides that there is no violence. You'll never meet characters like Ben, Twig, Wonder and Indy
It was written for children and would be enjoyable for every member of a family. Whether read alone or by a parent to a child it was well written.
My nephew loved the book so much, as soon as he finished reading it, he FaceTimed me from my sister’s phone to tell me all about the book
Set in my very own Pacific Northwest back yard, this is the tale of a girl sent away from her family after a disturbing incident to a girls home on a misty and mysterious island. Issues of trust and truthfulness are explored. Without giving any spoilers, I will say that one of my favorite parts of this tale is how the young protagonist grows and accepts responsibilities for her own decisions. The fantasy elements are skillfully interwoven with the very real problems that tweens encounter today.
I've been making my way through a long list of books recommended to me by a librarian friend of mine. Though "sword and sorcery" isn't my first genre of choice, typically, the semi-urban fantasy setting of this plot caught my attention. And I'm so glad I gave this a chance, because this was one of the more unique and emotional stories I've ever read.

Twelve year old Theresa, preferring to be called by her nickname "Twig", is going through an extreme rough patch in her life. Her birth mother is in jail, her father is deployed, and after being accused of seriously injuring her stepsister, her stepmother sends her off to a "troubled girls" camp located on a remote island. Notorious for supposedly being haunted, Lonehorn Island is the home of a loving foster couple, the five other girls they've taken in, and their horse ranch that they use to help give the girls a sense of stability, responsibility, and love and care. At first, Twig is reluctant to open her heart, or to even stay...until she manages to uncover the island's most guarded secret......it's the refuge for the last herd of unicorns left in existence. And when Twig finds herself roped into having to raise and protect a baby unicorn, she'll slowly discover a new sense of purpose, self worth, and an inner courage she never knew she had.

"Emotional" is probably the key word to use when describing this book. Between the characters and how the scenes are described, this plot runs the full gambit of feelings. The descriptions and prose are greatly detailed. You can easily picture the scenery, and get a sense of the emotion in said scenes, from the wonder of a unicorn being born, to the encroaching danger of the wild unicorn herd attacking the ranch, to the dark and foreboding woods. The unicorns themselves are beautiful and majestic, with the unique premise of them having retractable horns so they can hide amongst normal horses. Some of the classic mythology surrounding unicorns is used, while other typical 'facts' are debunked. The alternate world of Terracornus is only hinted at and just briefly glimpsed, and hopefully, we'll see more of it in the sequel.

Most of the characters aren't SUPER developed, but developed just enough that you can get a sense of their personality whenever they're "on screen". The other girls lean more towards one dimensional, but they don't play a huge part in the plot. It would've been nice to get at least one chapter that explained their backstories a bit more. Ben, the mysterious "ghost boy" and protector of the unicorns, has more of a past that we learn as the plot progresses, but he's primarily the stoic hero who helps our heroine learn how to ride unicorns and give plot exposition.

However, the opposite can be said of Twig, who rightly gets a TON of development. We learn her backstory in bits and pieces and tiny hints, and for a book primarily aimed at a younger audience, it isn't shy about bringing up tougher subjects like incarcerated parents, divorce, being unfairly judged, and feeling abandoned by your loved ones. It's perfectly understandable why she acts the way she does, and as time goes on, she learns how to let people in her heart again, how to trust, how to forgive, and most importantly, how to love herself. Just like the girls, the unicorns have also been abandoned in a sense, to which Twig finds kinship with them, and by fighting to protect them, she discovers her sense of self worth--that she DOES matter, and that there ARE people who love her.

While the premise of a young protagonist finding a doorway to a magical world isn't new, the main character and setting makes it fresh. Twig isn't a "chosen one"--she has to earn her title of "hero", and sees one of the best examples of realistic character development I've come across in fiction. I can't wait to read the sequel!