Review by Booklist Review
Most young readers have felt the desire to be magically transported into a book, and in Burt's debut, that's what happens to 12-year-old Una Fairchild. She travels to the land of Story, where students at the Perrault School take classes to become a fairy-tale archetype: a brave hero, a wicked villain, a lady in despair. (Comparisons to Hogwarts, anyone?) Una finds herself plunked down into a practical examination, where Perrault student Peter is playing the part of Hero. The two soon discover she has been written into the tale, which is strictly forbidden ever since the Talekeepers seized rule from the enemy Muses. But change is afoot in Story, and deep, dark forces are plotting to rise again. This is a richly imagined world, and readers will enjoy the mind-bending fun of puzzling together small details. Just don't expect a neat ending; sorry, it's a cliff-hanger. If fans are impatient for the sequel, hand them Cornelia Funke's similarly themed Inkheart (2003) or Roderick Townley's The Great Good Thing (2001).--Kelley, Ann Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Burt debuts with an appealing fantasy built on the book-visiting daydreams of diehard readers. The life of chronically overlooked fosterling Una Fairchild, age 12, changes when she discovers a book with her name on the cover and begins to read. She wakes up in the world of Story inside the book, where she meets Peter, a Hero-in-training at a school where everyone is learning to be characters in the timeless Tales. But all is not well in Story-the Muses who once wrote the Tales are defeated and dead, and the tyrannical Talekeepers now control all books and information. Una and Peter's determination to find out what's in the hidden books lands them in the middle of a brewing revolution in which characters tired of rehashing the stereotypical Tales seek their Backstory and their freedom. Burt's concept isn't unique, but her strong writing and interesting characters make Una's journey enjoyable. The fantasy elements and meta-references are engaging, and the overall result will have readers on the lookout for the planned sequel. Ages 8-12. Agent: Laura Langlie, Laura Langlie Literary Agency. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-7-Having grown up in foster homes and feeling as though she never quite belonged, Una Fairchild is not too distraught when she is transported to the land of Story (by a book, of course), a place populated by characters from fairy tales, folklore, and fiction. With the help of Peter, who is studying to be a Hero, and Sam, a talking cat, Una discovers that she has been "Written In." Until she figures out who wrote her in, and why, she is in danger-and so are all of the Tales of Story. With its unique twist (her roommate, for example, is a snooty Snow White), Una's adventures should charm those who enjoy fairy-tale reboots, and the cliff-hanger ending could ensure demand for a sequel.-Laurie Slagenwhite Walters, Peachtree Montessori International, Ann Arbor, MI (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Una is "Written In" to the land of Story, where children train as characters. She and friends Peter and Sam (a cat) investigate her mysterious arrival and unearth the administration's lies about missing Muses and a king no one remembers. Storybook themes and a game heroine may win Inkheart fans. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Inkheart, A Wrinkle in Time--its high concept could have cinematic potential, with deeper character development and less contrivance. (Fantasy. 8-12) ]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
