The Beginning Woods

This is a sophisticated and well-crafted novel that will suit the dedicated reader. It begins with 'the Vanishings', cases where people have simply vanished for no obvious reason, and as the vanishings persist, the the greatest scientists' minds are put to solve the mystery. They attempt to do so by banning books and the imagination. But could Max, an unusual child who first appeared as a baby on a bookshelf, somehow be the cause of the vanishings? When Max's own adoptive parents disappear, he is ready to go and seek the answer he needs; to find out where he came from. To do so, he must head into the Beginning Woods, an untamed land of imagination, creativity, dark and light. This is a many-layered and lengthy novel that deserves careful reading. It sweeps up questions of imagination, identity, creativity, and ultimately, being responsible for our own journey in life. Max is a daydreamer who withdraws from the world around him; until he fully engages in his past, he has no future. While Max's questions slow the pace in the first part of the novel, the action picks up during Max's quest in the Beginning Woods where he discovers some wonderful - and some terrifying - characters; the Witch and her twin helpers; the ghostly girl Martha who wants her parents to remember her; the Wilderness, filled with strange and terrifying creatures; and the dragons, which help sweep it towards its dramatic conclusion. It is an accomplished, thoughtful read that draws you in to an incredible world and I look forward to Malcolm McNeill's next YA novel. 448 pages / Ages 11+ / Reviewed by Ellie Shepherd.

Suggested Reading Age 11+