The Door in the Forest [Hardcover]

Roderick Townley (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 22, 2011 | Age Range: 8 and up | Lexile Measure: 600L (What's this?)

At the mid point of three towns, in the center of three streams, in the heart of a forest, lies a mysterious island. Encircled by quicksand and sewn shut by vines, it is impenetrable to all but the poisonous snakes patrolling its waters. But Daniel is determined to get there, along with his friend Emily.

Emily is a bit mysterious herself. A girl who seems to know more than she can say, whose mother was taken away by government troops, and whose eccentric grandmother reads the future in her bubble bath.

Enter the soldiers. Their menacing commander is terribly interested in sleepy little Everwood. Is he searching for something? A treasure map? The island? The girl?

Roderick Townley spins a magical tale of lies and truths, of secrets kept and secrets revealed.

Sooner or later, we all must step through the door in the forest.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[A] moving fantasy . . . Townley provides revelations that are both comic and awesome. Reminiscent of the work of Diana Wynne Jones, this lovely tale should impress young readers."
—Publishers Weekly

About the Author

RODERICK TOWNLEY has taught in Chile on a Fulbright Fellowship, worked in New York as a journalist, and now devotes his time to writing. His highly acclaimed novels include The Blue Shoe, The Red Thread, Sky, and the three books of the Sylvie Cycle: The Great Good Thing, Into the Labyrinth, and The Constellation of Sylvie. You can read more about his work at RoderickTownley.com.

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Product Details

• Age Range: 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (March 22, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375856013
• ISBN-13: 978-0375856013
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 1 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,797,425 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A creative, well-executed read April 8, 2011

By justjan VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Mr. Townley starts off with an intriguing sentence: "Some people claim it was enchanted, others swore it was cursed; but, really, it hardly mattered what you thought because you couldn't get to it." And he proceeds to take you on an engaging journey from `There' to `Here' and `Now'. He weaves his tale of rural eccentrics with believable dialogue and effective descriptions so that you always know where you are and how you got there. His writing style allows the story to flow without awkward stops and starts and carries you along, second guessing the next adventure.

This is an ideal story for young adults as it centers on the experiences of 14 year old Daniel, who could not tell a lie, a dreamer that yearned to explore the "forbidden place where no one had ever been", and his scholarly 10 year old brother Wes, and, most necessary, his new enigmatic friend, Emily, that had come to stay with her grandma Bridey Byrdsong, who could read the future in the bubbles of her bath. This trio slowly builds a relationship of trust and confidence that enables them to step through the door in the forest and eventually unravel the secrets that swirl around them, saving the town and themselves from ruin.

This is an ideal story for adult readers because it is realistic, even in its fantasies, and enjoyable in its creative and forthright writing style. While maintaining a lyrical descriptive approach to the surroundings, his prose is economical but well thought out and reads very well indeed.

I would definitely recommend this book to, well, anyone who enjoys a bit of fantasy and mystery, a bit of adventure, the triumph of good over evil, and a look into the secret places.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Scary and Fun Fantasy. July 27, 2011

By Skylark Thibedeau VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Daniel has an unusual problem, he cannot lie. He definitely tries but gets ill before he can. This causes him all sorts of trials and embarrassments. Daniel lives in Everwood a small rural village who's remoteness has spared the village from the terrors of the 'Uncertainties' which sound like the anarchies some countries faced after WWI. Everwood itself is touched by enchantment. There is an island which is separated from the village by a river full of poisonous snakes. Any boat that attempts to cross to the island begins to fall apart and the unlucky soul finds themselves sucked down into quicksand or set upon by snakes.

Daniel is mysteriously drawn to the island and dreams of oneday passing over to see what there could be waiting for him there.

Suddenly the Uncertainties come to Everwood. Refugees from the Cities begin to pass thru. A man come thru to deliever a girl Emily to her Grandmother. Daniel and his brother Wes are amazed to find this is the weird Bridley Birdsong. The Birdsong family being known for the strange happenings at their home over the years.

Soon government troops arrive looking for Emily. The Captian finding that Daniel cannot lie tries to use him to find suspected treason in Everwood and who is hiding Emily. With Birdie's help, Emily, Daniel, and Wes try to find the path to the Door in the Forest that leads to the enchanted island where the means for saving Everwood may lie.

I found this to be a nice story for all ages. The snakes are a little scary and so is the Captain who is probably the biggest snake of all. It is a fun story full of fantasy and adventure.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing. March 23, 2011

By Karen K. Hart VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

If it makes any sense, I'm not sure if the world in The Door in the Forest is supposed to be our own world and we are supposed to assume the magic in the book is/was in our world and we just don't know about it, or if it is supposed to be an alternate world that had similar wars/cultures/etc.
If it WAS supposed to be our world, some little circumstances here and there made me question the plausibility a little (yes, I know that it is a fantasy novel, but there is disbelief you can suspend to enjoy the story and then there is disbelief that can't be ignored). At one point, one of the characters observed that there weren't supposed to be white leopards in this part of the world. Well, if the leopards are SNOW leopards, I'm not sure a person in a culture like that of Everwood would have known about them back in this time period. If I remember correctly, the first photos of snow leopards weren't taken till the 1970s, and before that people thought that snow leopards might just be mythical. Then there was the casual use of the word "guys" by a kid to describe peers. Was that term used so long ago? Since I didn't know for sure, I could just put that question aside and ignore it, but I did wonder.
Anyway, all that aside, taken as a young adult fantasy, The Door in the Forest works pretty well. It may be a little darker than some books of the genre, but it is certainly not as dark as, say, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The Door in the Forest is a quick, exciting read. The characters are engaging; the island is intriguing; there's a lot to think about here. There are also plenty of unanswered questions, should Townley decide to write a sequel or series. Or the reader's mind can create its own sequel. The balance of conversation and description is pretty good, so that the reader can picture the scene and also be taken up in the plot.
This isn't the kind of book I'd read to my son or recommend to my peers, necessarily, but it is the kind of book that I would have eaten up as a middle-school bibliophile.