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Willa of the Wood

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Willa of the Wood
By Robert Beatty
Disney-Hyperion, 2018. Fiction.

Willa is a night-spirit and one of the few Wood Witches left in her Faeran clan. Like all the other children in her clan, she is sent out at night to steal from the day-folk under cover of darkness and take what the people won't miss. Willa is the best thief in her clan until the night her curiosity gets the better of her and leaves her hurt in the land of the day-folk. As she calls upon the spirits of the forest and the ancient connection her clan shares with the natural world, she is confronted by a realization that not all day-folk are enemies and not all Faeran are friends.

Having never read any Robert Beatty books, I was immediately enchanted by Willa and her forest world. For a young narrator, Willa's voice is clear, strong, confident, and believable. She speaks almost poetically about her forest and the magic of the world around her - and Robert Beatty is able to paint a vivid world that makes the real-life location of the Great Smokey Mountains come to life. This fast-paced, adventurous story is matched with depth and heart that will satisfy all readers of all genres and all ages. And for fans of audiobooks, this book is great to listen to.

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