Member Review
Review by
Teresa M, Reviewer
Thank you to NetGalley, Cornelia Funke, and Pushkin Press for the opportunity to read Reckless I: The Petrified Flesh in exchange for an honest review.
I have had the pleasure of meeting Cornelia Funke, and she is such a joy! I have also read most of her books. Even though I have had Reckless since it came out, it is one of the few I never got around to reading. The English version of Reckless was actually released in 2010, and after seeing the reception of the novel, Funke decided to revise and republish the novel. I compared the pages of this version (English 2021) with that of the 2010 version and not a single page is the same. All the information and the story is the same, though the details and ways the characters are presented and developed are more elaborate.
Jacob Reckless found his way into the Mirrorworld. In this world, he is a treasure hunter for fabled items, such as a glass slipper or Rapunzel's hair, and holds company with a shapeshifting girl named Fox. When his younger brother, Will, finds his way into the Mirrorworld as well, Jacob must put his alternate fantastical life on hold. Will gets attacked by Goyl, human-like beings with stone skin. The Goyl were cursed by a Dark Fairy (that Jacob happens to know), and when Will starts becoming a Goyl, Jacob must find a way to revert the curse that is turning his brother into one of the stone people.
Clara, a friend of Will's, also finds her way to the Mirrorworld and joins Jacob on the quest to save his brother. Along the way, they must avoid more Goyl, make the right deals with the right beings, and be very careful how they approach a situation, lest they be killed or become Goyl themselves.
This is a fantastical journey that could be find for middle grade or high school readers. There are a few bits of older teen content, though the whimsical magic and fantasy of the book almost has a bit of a Narnia feel to it that will take its readers on a fantastic adventure.
I have had the pleasure of meeting Cornelia Funke, and she is such a joy! I have also read most of her books. Even though I have had Reckless since it came out, it is one of the few I never got around to reading. The English version of Reckless was actually released in 2010, and after seeing the reception of the novel, Funke decided to revise and republish the novel. I compared the pages of this version (English 2021) with that of the 2010 version and not a single page is the same. All the information and the story is the same, though the details and ways the characters are presented and developed are more elaborate.
Jacob Reckless found his way into the Mirrorworld. In this world, he is a treasure hunter for fabled items, such as a glass slipper or Rapunzel's hair, and holds company with a shapeshifting girl named Fox. When his younger brother, Will, finds his way into the Mirrorworld as well, Jacob must put his alternate fantastical life on hold. Will gets attacked by Goyl, human-like beings with stone skin. The Goyl were cursed by a Dark Fairy (that Jacob happens to know), and when Will starts becoming a Goyl, Jacob must find a way to revert the curse that is turning his brother into one of the stone people.
Clara, a friend of Will's, also finds her way to the Mirrorworld and joins Jacob on the quest to save his brother. Along the way, they must avoid more Goyl, make the right deals with the right beings, and be very careful how they approach a situation, lest they be killed or become Goyl themselves.
This is a fantastical journey that could be find for middle grade or high school readers. There are a few bits of older teen content, though the whimsical magic and fantasy of the book almost has a bit of a Narnia feel to it that will take its readers on a fantastic adventure.
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