Dandy the Highway Lion by Stephanie Sorrell

The illustrations by Elisa Paganelli bring an extra spark of joy and I highly recommend this to competent middle-grade readers, teenagers and adults alike.Ī big thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan for allowing me a review copy. There were moments when I wondered how the plot was all going to fit together but, rest assured, the end brings twist and twist, proving that nothing has gone unplotted.Īs a reader and a lover of fantasy, there is nothing more exciting that being introduced to a new world and this is something truly special. Her peer group are fun and endearing and her burgeoning friendship with Hal reminded me very much of Colin and Mary in the secret garden. Yet, through the world of Greenwild, Pari Thomson celebrates the wonder and beauty of the natural world and, through the magical elements of the story and the amazing descriptions, brings a fresh sense of awe, hope and possibility.ĭaisy is a great main character uprooted, uncertain but driven by the love for her mother. The ecological themes are clear to see throughout the novel: the destructive impact humans have on the planet, the urgency needed to turn things around and the grief of what we have already lost. Mixed with a menagerie of friends and animals, a moonlight market and dangerous missions, it made me feel I was curled up in the safe branches of an oak tree one minute and facing a poison-tipped arrow on the next. There's safety in the arms of Artemis and deadly danger in the form of Craven. From tropical glasshouses to larder trees to a sighing forest to carnivous plants, each chapter is a jungle of discovery and delight. Rich and imaginative with enthralling descriptions, this is a story that reaches out with it's magical tendrils, takes root in your heart and mind and pulls you in to a fully immersive adventure. For she is not the only one missing and it soon becomes clear that the Greenwild and the world beyond is under deadly threat and everyone has something to lose. Taking refuge in this magical world, awestruck Daisy begins to make friends who agree to help her in her quest to find her mother. Escaping boarding school, she follows the only clue she has and discovers the door to Greenwild. But when her mother embarks on a trip alone and doesn't return, Daisy's world is upended. Aimed at a middle grade audience, it is a portal fantasy which focusses on 'green magic', with echoes of the secret garden.ĭaisy has spent her life travelling from place to place and living in her mother's shadow.

There's a lot of talk about this upcoming series and no wonder! Greenwild: The World Behind The Door is superb.

Dandy the Highway Lion by Stephanie Sorrell