FABLEHAVEN

FABLEHAVEN by Brandon Mull

It's easy to see why kids gravitate to a story like this. It's fantasy in all its glory punctuated with high points of adventure and battle.

Seth and Kendra are dreading spending time with their Grandpa and Grandma Sorensen at their remote home. After all, their grandparents have hardly been involved in their lives, and when they are, the visits are very odd.

Traveling the lengthy drive up to the large house, it's clear, as they pass through the gates, they've crossed into another world. The place abounds with gorgeous gardens and beautiful landscaping. Butterflies, hummingbirds, and other wildlife flutter happily along. But Fablehaven, as the estate is called, is even more than meets the eye. It's actually a sanctuary for all types of mythical creatures, both good and evil, designed to preserve them in the modern world. Boundaries are in place to promote order, but when laws are broken or certain holidays come around, serious, sometimes dangerous, chaos ensues. It is at this point that Fablehaven picks up the pace and gets rolling.

On the night of Midsummer's Eve, Seth breaks the rules, and the order that typically reigns at Fablehaven is thrown out of balance allowing evil to take over. The only way to right the wrong is for the one human left in human form to preform the bravest act known at Fablehaven risking their very life in the process.

There are some great elements to this book.

Seth is what we would consider a "stereotypical boy" constantly pushing the boundaries There is always a swift, natural consequence that comes about because of these decisions. The boundaries have been put in place for very clear reasons.

Another is the "stepping up" when dire situations happen. The willingness to possibly sacrifice oneself for another shows up multiple times.

There is also the beauty of a relationship formed between grandparents and grandchildren.

However, there are several elements to be aware of before reading Fablehaven.

HEADS UP -

-This book is full of magic.

-The book mentions spells and the usage of the "black arts."

-There is a witch named Muriel that Seth and Kendra go to more than once for help even though she is clearly evil.

-There is a quote at one point that I find troubling. "No mythology or religion that I know of holds all the answers. Most religions are based on truths, but they are also polluted by the philosophies and imaginations of men."

-There is a main demon named Bahumet that has to be defeated.

-The fairies at one point are referred to as seraphim.