Review: Futhermore by Tahereh Mafi
SYNOPSIS:
There are only three things that matter to twelve-year-old Alice Alexis Queensmeadow: Mother, who wouldn’t miss her; magic and color, which seem to elude her; and Father, who always loved her. The day Father disappears from Ferenwood he takes nothing but a ruler with him. But it’s been almost three years since then, and Alice is determined to find him. She loves her father even more than she loves adventure, and she’s about to embark on one to find the other.
But bringing Father home is no small matter. In order to find him she’ll have to travel through the mythical, dangerous land of Furthermore, where down can be up, paper is alive, and left can be both right and very, very wrong. Her only companion is a boy named Oliver whose own magical ability is based in lies and deceit–and with a liar by her side in a land where nothing is as it seems, it will take all of Alice’s wits (and every limb she’s got) to find Father and return home to Ferenwood in one piece. On her quest to find Father, Alice must first find herself–and hold fast to the magic of love in the face of loss.
REVIEW:
*Book Received in Exchange for Honest Opinion/Review*
This book was whimsical, playful perfection. Tahereh Mafi is one of my one-click authors, regardless of genre and age group. Her stories are enchanting and captivating and Furthermore proved to be just that. Furthermore is a captivating land where up is down and right is wrong and confusion is good. At first I was getting major Alice in Wonderland vibes, but I think that is mainly because I associate the name Alice with that. But do not be diverted, the story is completely unique and one of a kind.
I spent a good part of the book wondering what level of madness Tahereh must achieve to write such a puzzling but riveting story. I almost wished…no that’s a lie, I totally wished it would have been Young Adult instead of Middle Grade. I would have loved to see romance instead of friendship; however, I will totally accept friendship.
The writing style is different than what most are expecting, their is a narrator that is basically telling you the story. The narrator also liked to insert snarky, sassy remarks too. It was fanciful and I adored the witty chapter headings like, !!!!!!!!. They had me laughing out loud and grinning like a fool. The entire book was charming, Oliver included and the ending was a little bit open-ended, potentially for a second story? Only time will tell; however, don’t rely on borrowed time and make your choices fast!
While the book was playful and fun there was also an underlying message that will resonate with young readers. The entire story really is about self-acceptance and accepting who you are. In addition, it’s about learning to like yourself and the things you maybe don’t love about yourself. But most of all, never hide or be ashamed of your true talents. Seriously, you definitely don’t want to miss this story!
PRE-ORDER THE BOOK (Available August 30, 2016):
