Book Review: Into The Faerie Hill

From the publisher:

The moment Alfred arrives at his granny’s cottage, he feels like he’s being watched. The surrounding forests teem with unfamiliar life – even odd little faerie creatures only Alfred can see. It’s only when free-spirited Saga bursts into his life that he learns to appreciate the strange beauty around him.

But this special world is under threat: Alfred’s dad is working on a project to dig a giant motorway tunnel through the landscape. As he joins Saga in the protests against this project, Alfred draws ever closer to the perilous world of the faerie creatures, following a thread that will lead him deep into mysteries from his family’s past.

My review: I knew from the first page that I would love this book. The writing is so engaging, I was completely immersed in the world, with settings combining the beauty of nature with a sense of danger. From the first page when Alfred views Granny’s cottage nestled against a limestone cliff:

‘Tree roots formed deep lines in the rockface. They looked like pointy teeth, ready to gobble the cottage in a single bite.’

From the worried coolness of Granny’s welcome to something scuttling in the hedgerows, the strange and slightly terrifying wood carvings that adorn the cottage, and Granny’s insistence on leaving milk out for the …hedgehogs, it’s a creepy start to Alfred’s two week stay while his Dad works on the nearby motorway project. Fortunately he meets Saga, a girl his own age, with a tree sprite companion that everyone else (apart from Alfred) thinks is a toad. Saga immediately co-opts Alfred into her project to stop the motorway project tunnelling through Faerie Hill while agreeing to help Alfred find out about his mother, who he has never met and knows little about. I don’t want to give spoilers but suffice it to say the children have to venture into Faerie Hill…

Both Alfred and Saga are endearing characters. Thanks to his Dad’s job, Alfred has moved a lot – ten different cities in six countries over three continents – which has left him feeling an outsider, and unable to fit in. Saga, on the other hand, is full of confidence and revels in being different. She’s quirky and clever and a super foil to more introverted insecure Alfred. I empathised immediately with Alfred, his desire to be invisible, his longing to find about his mother, and his fears and insecurities. I loved his determination and his growing realisation of the true meaning of belonging.

With plenty of heart, an exciting story, sinister faerie folk and a family mystery, not to mention wonderful characters, this is a story not to be missed. Highly recommended.

In case you missed it, last week’s post was an interview with Into The Faerie Hill‘s author, H.S. Norup – you can read it here. Also check out my reviews of H.S. Norup’s other two middle grade stories – The Missing Barbegazi and The Hungry Ghost.

If you’ve read this book (or even if you haven’t), I would love to hear your thoughts. TOTP also welcomes compliments though he thinks this picture isn’t his best shot…!

Valinora Troy

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23 responses to “Book Review: Into The Faerie Hill”

  6. This sounds like a great read, and I suspect I would relate a lot to Alfred’s personality! And it’s fun to see this follow-up to last week’s interview. Thanks so much for the thoughtful review, Valinora!

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  10. I haven’t read this one, but your enthusiastic review has put it on the top of my future read list. The setting, characters, and story line all sound perfect. Thanks for featuring your review on last week’s MMGM.

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