Title: Fablehaven:

Author: Brandon Mull

Illustrator: Brandon Dorman

Genre: Children's Fantasy

Age: 9-12

Pages: 351 (paperback)

Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks

        Kendra and Seth are both being left behind at their grandparent’s house, thinking it would be the most boring summer of their lives. They are soon proven to be wrong. As it turns out, their grandparents are the caretakers of a magical haven, where creatures of magic can live in peace and harmony. As beautiful as it sounds, many dark creatures also dwell in the Haven waiting for a chance to pounce and set chaos! As Seth and Kendra learn more about the magical world that has been hidden from them for so long, their grandfather is taken away and the children must learn to fend off on their own as well as find a way to rescue Grandpa Sorensen from danger!

  
         Fablehaven has many creatures of interest and are very delightful to learn about. The different abilities and nature of each creature had me thinking, "Whoa this book is really great!" Yet the novel had many points that just disappointed me. The plot at times can be interesting enough but for most of the time I just wanted to put the book down and do something else. It wasn't the kind of book that I always wanted to read, just one more chapter! I also didn't like the way the author delivered his "action scenes." I mean if a terrible creature is going to destroy the haven, I'd like to feel a little bit concerned or excited but I just didn't really care. The characters weren’t exactly dull. Seth was arrogant, stupid, and did not learn from any mistakes he made. All in all a very frustrating character. Kendra was a bit of the opposite but I hated her as much. She was snobby and a little miss know it all, she was also very scared of every little thing. In general I just hated the characters. I'm not sure if that was a bad thing but I guess I at least felt something towards them. On the bright side, I liked the originality of it all. The creatures were great and the way the Haven was being kept together was fascinating. I wouldn't exactly recommend this, but if you're into a children's fantasy you could always give it a go!

Available on Amazon

Rating: 2/5