Review: Fablehaven

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull, illustrated by Brandon Dorman, 2006. Chapter book, first in a series, ages 9 and up.
Four stars out of five.
This fantasy novel, set in the "real" world, follows a brother and sister, Kendra and Seth, dismayed at the prospect of a two-week visit with grandparents they barely know. After a few strange occurences, they discover their grandparents' estate is a sanctuary for mythical creatures (fairies, imps, trolls, satyrs, to name a few). The refuge has been passed to different caretakers for centuries. Kendra is the straight-laced one, and Seth is the troublemaker: his mischief ends up putting the sanctuary and the whole family in grave danger.
This book is very well-written and an entertaining read, the dialogue between Kendra and Seth is sharp & funny, and keeps the story going when it may otherwise seem too dark or scary. It does borrow from the Spiderwick Chronicles and Sisters Grimm series, and if you enjoy either, you will like this book. There is, of course, a sequel already in the works, however the story ends satisfyingly enough & can definitely stand on its own (although the reader will be eager for the next one). The fantasy world is very richly described and integrates well with "reality" in the book, overall, I found it a very enjoyable read. It is light and wryly humorous (a bit Pythonesque), as opposed to a heavy-handed fantasy epic.
This book would work as a read-aloud or read-along for slightly younger (ages 7-9) children as well, however, there are a couple of frightening moments (prompting discussion). A nice feature is a question & answer discussion guide for parents in the back of the book.

reviewed by Tina K., parent (and bookseller)