Elizabella's twin brother disappears and shortly after, Benjamiah Creek appears in Wreathenwold. While her father welcomes Benjamiah, Elizabella sees him as a poor substitute for her brother who is missing. However, the two form an uneasy alliance searching for clues that Elizabella's brother may have left behind. Benjamiah just wants to go home, where life is normal, not filled with danger and the constant risk of being lost forever in the labyrinth that is Wreathenwold!

This novel starts very slowly. I often tell my students to read 30 pages of a book before they give up on it. It took 60 pages before I was committed to the story. From that point on, excitement abounds!! Elizabella and Ben have to turn to theft and deception to wrestle clues from Wreathenwold, outwitting mythical beast and deadly enemies. My concern is whether kids will slog through the first part of the book to reach the dynamic middle and ending!

Such a fun middle grade read. The characters were well written and the story flowed seamlessly. This is a book you find yourself immersed in. The story starts slow but picks up quickly. The names of the main characters are a small distraction as well. I was tripping over them while reading aloud. Probably easier to flow over while reading to yourself though.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This books reminds me of The Wayward Children series with a door opening to another world. Benjamiah is thrust into a whole new world and finds an unlikely friend in Elizabella. They go on an adventure and find more than they bargained for.