I really did enjoy this read. For me, it was a solid 3 stars and that’s a good rating. It means I was entertained and would likely recommend to others.

This was a tough one for me. I thought the concept was great, the execution was not as much. I wanted to really be invested but there were some things that just didn't hit. It definitely to me was not YA it was the younger audience. I also felt it seemed like there could have been better development of the characters.

This book starts with a good premise but is poorly executed. The time jumps are a little sketchy, and sometimes the plot it’s self is shaky.
This is an exceptionally long book but that could have been condensed down to less pages.
The concept is eerily similar to that of the television series Once Upon a Time, which gave a familiar feel but again, was poorly executed.

While the concept of this book was interesting I found the character bland and it was written more like a Middle-Grade rather and a Young-Adult book. I am personally not fond of MG books so that is probably the largest contributing factor to me not enjoying the story.

This book was so wonderful I can’t even begin to describe it. A story that takes place in the present and the past with fairytale character that the reader is very familiar with but with a few twists to the story.

Crescenzo is the son of toy maker and craver. The life in the suburb of Virginia is the only place he has ever known and where his mother and best friend disappeared without a trace. Enzo never believed that his father’s works were anything special until the man himself goes missing. Together with this childish adult of a neighbour, Pietro, whose family also went missing, they set off on an adventure to bring together the counterparts of the figurines left by Enzo’s father and hopefully bring them home, safe and sound.

It has to put this book down. I completely fell into the story and its characters even though I didn’t like the main character so much in the beginning. But I will get to that in a bit.
The story-line is well thought and developed even though I did get a bit lost at times with all the information that was provided. There are four different timelines in the novel: the recent past, the distant past of the fairy tale world also called the Old World and the present of both worlds. The present shows that is happening in both worlds simultaneously while the recent and distant past of the Old World reveal and explain the events that lead to the darkness that the fairytale world is drowning in and the disappearances of the families of Enzo and Pietro. In my opinion, I thought to the book was a bit too “crowded” at times, which made it a bit hard to keep up with. Luckily the characters made it a bit easier to follow and, in addition, Devlin didn’t leave loose ends and the plot is very much engaging. I did find similarities to the TV series Once Upon a Time but the characters are unique and the concept is very fresh.

The characters in this novel are quite a lot: from Pinnochio, Peter Pan, Mulan, Alice from Wonderland, Hansel and Gretel, Prince Charming to Captain Hook, the Evil Queen, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Quasimodo, the list goes on and on. However, Devlin did an amazing job in going in-depth into these characters and they all seemed very real to me.

What I really enjoyed about this novel, not counting with settings and characters, was how the author presented this magical world. Much like in the real world, the thirst for power and corruption lead the fairy tale world into dark times. At the same time, the author shows that hope can shine even in the darkest places and that everyone has the power of forgiveness. These aren’t the typical loving and happy fairytales: some of the characters decided to leave the Old World and after years of being “human” with homes and families, someone is determined to destroy that peace by kidnapping the adults and leaving their children to go through the trials that searching for their parents includes. However, the reader soon learns that friendship is a powerful bond and tool and that love for the family can overcome even the strongest of foes.

I really wanted to like this book more. I just really struggled to become invested in the story.

Unfortunately I found the way the story was written (Present day in the 'real world' and the past in 'fairytales' was very jarring), and, for me, too reminiscent of the TV show Once Upon a Time.

The characters also would vary from modern slang to a more formal way of speaking... and then back again with no rhyme or reason.

Sadly, this story was just really not for me. It also didn't hold my son's interest very well as we tried to read it together.

This was an odd one for me. The story itself ranged between 4 and 5 stars. Sometimes the writing was awkward or terribly cheesy, making it a three star read. The thing that nearly killed it, rating-wise was that I was given a free electronic ARC version of it to read from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review, and it was TERRIBLY formatted. Dialogue from one character to another was squished on the same line. Wordsdidn't have spaces betweenthem and

sentences had these awkward paragraph breaks right in the middle of them. Also, there was no indention at the beginning of paragraphs. It was tough to wade through, but I checked the "Look Inside" feature on Amazon, and those problems don't seem to exist in the Kindle or paperback versions. So, I'll try to focus on the story.

The book tells three different stories in a way, starting with present-day our world and three years ago in the Woodlands. Then it picks up a third story of 25 years ago in the Woodlands (fairytale world) that follows the MC's father and his friends as children. I didn't find it confusing. I thought the reveals worked pretty well for the most part, weaving together in a beautiful way.

The first few scenes of the book are REALLY cheesy. When the action picks up with Hansel in the Woodlands, it REALLY draws you in. Then some action happens with the present day crew, and you're pretty much hooked. When the 25-years-ago story comes in, it's mostly fascinating. You can't really be scared for the kids because you know they all survive, but it's fun. Throughout the rest of the book, there continue to be lame, cheesy, or awkwardly written sections, but they are mostly few and far between, not ruining the whole story. As I was reading, I was thinking this was a 3.7 star read, still making it a rounded 4. But by the end, with how everything came together...it really captivated me. I definitely want to read Devlin's next books in this series. I worry that they won't be as good because they'll lack the complexity this one had with the three storylines and steady reveals, but we'll see.

On another note, I saw some reviews that complained about the story being too complex to the point of confusion, having too many characters, and not feeling like YA. My opinions on these things:
While there were points when I wrinkled my nose at the inclusion of SO MANY DIFFERENT fairytales/stories (Peter Pan, Pinnochio, Hansel & Gretel, Mulan, Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, Merlin, Kaa, and Dr. Frankenstein), by the end, I LOVED it. Because you get to know everyone, and they are people, not caricatures. Overall, I enjoyed the large cast.
I would consider this book YA-adult because of the content and overall feel. It tries to be more YA with some of the dialogue (which I found mostly annoying). The MC in the modern day storyline is a 15 year old male who has believable moodiness and a hard time accepting the "fairytale" aspects of what's going on around him. But, the perspective changes from one character to another all the time, and only one other character is a teenager. Everyone else is an adult. So maybe half or more of the book isn't from a YA perspective. I'm not sure that teens would especially love this book unless they love fairytales/retellings. But I don't think it's straight up Adult either.

Overall, a fun read! Surprisingly unique and elaborate in how it went in directions I hadn't expected and brought it all back together so nicely at the end. Also, like I said, the characters weren't caricatures. There was a lot of depth and duality, especially with the more important ones. Hansel was probably my fav. The book is just about as much about him as it was Enzo, the MC.

Now that’s a summary and a half, and I won’t mind if you skimmed over it. Let me break it down. Pinocchio’s son is travelling with grown up Peter Pan to rescue people who have gone missing from the modern world who are also fairytale characters from fairytale land (or ‘the old world’ as it is referred to in the book). That’s about all the preamble you need to understand why I thought this book would be great.

For the most part this is a really strong story. We have likeable, well known characters presented in a non boring way, for instance I really liked the take on a grown up Peter Pan who is struggling with his maturity. There is an obvious villain from the start which I think is a key element in any fairytale and a wicked queen is always appreciated. I also enjoyed the way in which the story was told, you not only jump back and forth between the new world and the old world but you also go backwards and forwards in time. This makes for a very non-linear story which I think is what gives this book the real excitement you get from reading it.

Is this book just another OUAT but written in book form? Well, there are a large number of similarities, or instance, the inclusion of characters like Alice which in my book isn’t really a fairytale. However I think the fact that the story largely is told with Enzo as the main character means that there is a lot less romance than there is in OUAT. There is a little and it does smack a bit of insta-love but it’s a fairytale so I’m inclined to cut this a bit of slack.

If I had to make one criticism (and I do, it’s me after all) it would be that I think the dialogue was pretty weak in parts. There were a lot of speeches and conversations that felt really forced, kind of ‘I need to explain the plot but I can’t just tell the reader so I will have a character spell it out for them in an unrealistic conversation’ which is never done well in any book (or at least I haven’t ever seen it done well). But with a few tweaks to the dialogue I really do think this could have been excellent.

There are two more books in this series, the most recent of which was published in May, however I’m not in too much of a hurry to read them, partly because I just don’t have time in my schedule at the moment, but also this just isn’t the kind of book that left me crying out for more. It was perfectly satisfactory and I won’t say I didn’t like it, but I am sated, and there are a million more fairytale mashups to be read before I continue on in this universe.

My rating: 3/5 stars

By the way, I received a digital copy of this book for free from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The story line was very interesting, and a great twist on the fairy tale idea, while managing to not be too similar to Once Upon A Time. It was the characters that dragged this book down for me I'm afraid. I couldn't connect to any of them, and felt they were all a bit 2d, accepting things quickly, or their humour fell a bit flat. The story line I enjoyed a lot, it was the characters that let things down a bit though, which was a shame, as it had great potential.

I knew nothing about the book before I started, so my mind was BLOWN as I started to put the pieces together the more I read. 
Ultimately the book follows various fairy-tale and Disney characters, between this world and another, Florindale.
The main characters; Enzo (Pinnochios son), Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland's daughter as they fight to save their families who have mysteriously disappeared to a different land.

The chapters are broke up between place and time, set between Florindale 25 years ago, Florindale 3 years ago, and this world in the present day. I love broken stories, they break plots up brilliantly and love to figure the plot out as the story goes along.

The book was VERY fast paced and their was a lot going on... constantly. In some places it did move so quickly I lost where we where and what was going on. I found that most of the plot could be flesh out and explored more. I know its part of a series but the book could definitely have been broken into 2 different books and the story line could have been bulked up somewhat. 

I enjoyed the familiarity of the supporting cast, and there were sooo many;
The 7 Dwarfs
Snow While
Prince Charming
Quasimodo
The Beast
Alice in Wonderland
Pinocchio
Mulan
Hook
Hansel & Gretel
Peter Pan 
Wendy Darling
Merlin
Although most of us already know their stories, I really would have liked some more character development.
Although The Carver is YA it is very YA... in fact YYA. It was very childlike in parts and half way though I doubted if I would even finish it, luckily my stubbornness and a long train journey to London ment I polished it off in a couple of days. On the upside... my daughter would LOVE this series.

That being said I will be diving straight into the next one in the series because it is set in... WONDERLAND!!

Clever weaving together of many fairy tale characters, and past and present. Readers follow the teenage lead, Crescenzo, as he unknowingly pairs up with Peter Pan in search of their missing friends and family members. Their journey takes them to unexpected places.

2 1/2 stars rounded up...

This book was a little kitschy for my taste. I didn't necessarily like or dislike any of the characters.. except maybe Enzo. He was a little annoying. It tried to be humorous, but it failed and just became boring. It could be a cute story (maybe for middle schoolers), but the writing is sub par.

This book was as fantastic as I had hoped I loved the cover which definitely caught my attention. This book reminded me a lot of the series once upon a time which I love so I fell for this book from the beginning. Reading a fantasy book were you recognize characters from stories is fun and interesting to me I liked figuring out each character and their parts played. I especially liked the ending I'm dying to find out the new adventures the kids get into in wonderland. This was definitely a book deserving of five stars.

Received from NetGalley

I hate to write this kind of review, I just want to praise book, but I have to be honest too... so here it goes.

The premise of the book is really interesting, similar a bit to the TV show Once upon a Time. Few Fairy tale creatures living in our world, having families and getting old. But people start to disappear.

The plot line is good, I just didn't fell that pull, magic griping, where book pulls you in and I felt lost at times.

Maybe I'll give a try some other time.

This book was so much fun. It definitely has a campy feel but I'm okay with it. The author included so many fairy tale characters that at times it just feels silly and ridiculous but always fun. The main characters include: Pietro, the grown up version of Peter Pan, Pino, otherwise known as Pinocchio, who also grew up, Enzo, Pinocchio's son, Rosana, Alice of Wonderland's daughter, Mulan, Prince Charming, Hansel, a fairy princess named Violet and her father Lord Bellamy. Along the way you see many other nods to classic fairy tales, Kaa the snake of The Jungle Book, the seven dwarves, Snow White, Quasimodo, the Beast, Captain Hook, Merlin, etc.

The book has four different timelines. There is the present happening our world, the present happening in the fairy tale world (Old World), the recent past of the Old World, and the distant past of the Old World. The distant past timeline basically explains how the main characters set off the events that led to the present, how Peter and Wendy and Alice and Pinocchio all grew up. The recent past shows us the events leading up to the disappearances of Pietro and Enzo's family. The present timelines show us what is happening in both lands at the moment.

I really enjoyed the present and the recent past timelines. They were action and character driven and made you want to keep turning the page. The distant past seemed to drag at times, and I wasn't really sure it was a necessary inclusion in the book. The problem was that we already know the kids survive and grow up. Though no one loves an info dump, I felt it could have been explained in a single paragraph or quick prologue. There wasn't any tension to it because the present timelines show us what has already happened.

What really shined in this book was the characters. I loved Pietro, and pictured him as the boy that grew up and never really grew up. He is an almost 40 year old who plays video games, eats cheetos, and calls kids Dude. In the distant past he frequently says wrong words and leaves us with gems like this:

"Yeah! I'm being cereal right now."
"You mean serious?" Alice said.
"Yeah, that too."

I also loved Mulan's no nonsense warrior character. At one point (in a flash back) she tell's Prince Charming: "I'll make a man out of you." I found myself grinning and laughing out loud at lines like these. There are times when the dialogue does feel a little forced but overall I think this book is geared toward a younger audience who wouldn't see anything wrong with it. I love where all the characters who came to the new world ended up, Violet the movie star, Pinocchio the Carver, Prince Charming (Liam) the Renaissance Faire actor in green. It just seemed so fitting and all came together nicely.

The book ends on a massive cliff hanger, hinting that we can expect to see more of these characters and some new ones in another book. I'll be on the look out for it. I'd recommend this to younger readers, anyone who likes fairy tale re-tellings and is looking for a lite, fun read.

Thank you to Blaze Publishing and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book had so much, yet it was so very lacking of what makes a book great. What it had much of was fairy tale goodness, imagination and magical action on every page. What it lacked was depth and characters to carry the story, and without that it was a bit lost to me.

This book reminded me a lot of the Once Upon a Time TV series in the sense of fairy tale characters coming together and creating new stories. But in The Carver there was not a single character I cared about because everyone felt either cliché, flat or plain boring. My biggest problem though with the characters was not that they were uninteresting, but that they were so unbelievable. There was literally no distinction between teenagers and grown ups – they were all so immature. How could parents behave and sound exactly like the teens? It was incredibly annoying and hard to believe.

But it was an easy read. The pace was good and it took me just an afternoon to go through it. For me this was like watching something random on tv - interesting enough to keep on going but actually, perhaps, not really worth the time.

Definitely for the younger teen audience.

So much going on in this wonderful book! What a gem! This will for sure be a reread for me