Customer Reviews

Wolfproof

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Enhanced with thirteen black-and-white illustrations by John Murphy, award winning poet, author and teacher Maureen McQuerry's "Woolfproof" is the story of Timothy James, Sarah and Jessica, three ordinary middle school children who, with the assistance of a mysterious old woman and a magical wolf, find themselves battling with an ancient one-eyed evil from the world of Celtic mythology and the legend of the Wild Hunt. This adventure fantasy for young readers is a superbly crafted entertainment that will engage the attention of children from beginning to end. "Wolfproof" is especially recommended for school and community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections.

It is rare to come across a fantasy novel with such an original style as well as a compelling story. Maureen McQuerry's background in poetry clearly comes out in this novel as her attention to word choice leaves you with a great aftertaste. Wolfproof has very real characters that are easy to identify with, a gripping plot, and some clever insights into British and Celtic mythology. If you liked the Chronicles of Narnia or Harry Potter (or even if didn't!) then you will love Wolfproof!

I found myself stretched by this intriguing new author. Through her curious and wildly adventurous plot, I learned much of mythical characters and Celtic legend. Who could imagine the pain of transformation as a man gradually leafs out, toughens, and stiffens into a tree? The descriptions are engaging, the metaphorical languange entrancing, and the story moves ahead at a good clip. Although some of my questions were answered, I am eager to read on and discover all the reasons behind the mysterious hunt of Herne and the evil doings of Balor as they relate to young Timothy James. I am thoroughly entrenched on the side of Timothy, his sister Sarah, and friend Jessica as they move along in their surprising and important roles in the unfolding drama. Let the sequel begin!

Timothy is a nerdy boy who spends his time in the library and sees descriptive words as their Scrabble scores. His life is pretty normal until he is visited by a triumvirate of mythological characters. He is fascinated and frightened by their presence and the tells his sister he'd like to be wolf proof, "like bulletproof except for wolves"; to know no fear of the giant beasts and maybe even ride them. Little does he know his cryptic wish will soon come true.

In her first fiction book Marueen Doyle McQueery weaves a suspenseful and well-researched tale of imagination, English mythology and courage. Though aimed at the younger reader, the book will be enjoyed by adventurers of all ages. The rich characters and timeless pitting of good and evil will carry the reader through the 180 pages at a wolf's pace. An enjoyable ride it is.

Reading this story is like going on an adventure. With enjoyable characters and wonderful prose,Maureen's story is enchanting. Her words and descriptions are a joy to read. Kids will enjoy the fantasy, adults will ejoy the writing itself as much as the story. I can't wait for a sequel, and would love to see an entire series with these characters--they are easy to become attached to.

This excellent book was written by a new author, Maureen McQuerry. Her writing style is different from most of the other books I have read, but it is without any uncertainty one of the best books I have read in quite some time. She moves between different perspectives of each character. In between a character change there is a symbol. This is really unique, and can give a more in depth experience. It also enables the author to tell two or three perspectives in the same time frame.

The story takes place in a small town in England, in a present era. The two main characters are Timothy and Sarah James. Timothy is extremely bright, but not entirely popular with the rest of the school. Sarah is another case entirely, she is still very intelligent, but she is also popular. She is a ballerina, and she recently graduated from Enterprise Middle School. Timothy is still going to Enterprise. The book begins with Sarah's performance to get a scholarship to go to play with the London Ballet. Her parents accompany her to the audition. When they are gone, Timothy is left alone with a mad old woman named Mrs. Clapper. She always warns Timothy to close the door, because you never know what might come in. Timothy never took this seriously, but obeyed nonetheless. Later that night Mrs. Clapper fell asleep, so Timothy decided to test the theory. Apparently, Mrs. Clapper knew what she was talking about, two strange men and a woman entered Timothy's house. These people talked silently for a few minutes, and then left. When Sarah came home, she done brilliantly at her audition, and so her parents left to celebrate. That night, Timothy told his sister about the strange visitors that came to his and her humble abode. This was repeated that night, only instead of the three random people, there were many Morris Dancers, who just danced around their house.

The most popular girl in Timothy's grade is a snobby, self-centered girl named Jessica. Jessica is the niece of Mrs. Clapper. Jessica gets a note that just appears in her binder, that has the name Timothy James in it. She doesn't remember ever receiving that note, so she is curious to see where it came from. She meets Timothy at the library the next day. Timothy already has a hunch that these people have something to do with Celtic Mythology, so he has gone to the library to check it out. There is a lot more to this book, but nothing else I can tell without giving it away. I will let you read the book to figure out the rest.

I recommend this book to a younger teens audience, just because it is short, and to the point, but the story line is complicated, and a few exotic words are thrown in here and there. The book moves along at a very fast clip, and it is very possible to get lost in the climax. At more times than once, I found that I was so into the book, I was reading so quickly, that I wasn't even noticing half of the words on the page. This book is fantastic, and even older audiences would like it. I recommend it to everyone who thinks that they can keep up with it.

This is NOT just another fantasy story, but something fresh, creative and exciting. Timothy is now my friend. I've seen him somewhere before, and I look forward to more of his adventures to come. The author played to my imagination, led me through evil places and evil creatures, and left me wanting more.

I thought Maureen McQuerry's creativity in Wolfproof was amazing. This is a page turner that young adults are sure to enjoy. It brought me back to how captivated I was with A Wrinkle In Time. It is well written and will keep you on the edge of your seat!