Author: Cornelia Funke
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
Pages: 400
Date Read: July 18th-20th, 2013
My Rating: 5 out of 5
Plot: Jacob Reckless has been escaping into the Mirrorwold for years now after his father's own disappearance into it as well. But one night Jacob is in too much of a hurry to go behind the mirror to notice his little brother, Will, following him. Once on the other side Will is attacked by a Goyl, stone creatures who possess a dark curse that whoever they dig their claws into grow skin like their own until they become one of them. Suddenly Jacob is in a race against time as he tries to find a cure to rid his brother of the stone that is growing in his skin...before it's too late.
My thoughts: When I first started reading this book I got this vibe that this story, despite the creepy atmosphere, was going to hook me; I just had to get past the slightly confusing parts at the beginning (which wasn't too hard) and dive right in! It was totally worth it!
The story kicks off with no explanation or background, it just starts. So you have to be "on your feet" (so to speak) ;) Right away you are introduced to 12-year-old Jacob Reckless who is sneaking out of his bedroom and into the study that houses the magical mirror that swallowed up his father. Then a few chapters later all of a sudden Jacob is watching Will who is on the ground writhing with pain. He then thinks back to the Goyl attack and how stupid he was to bring Will into the Mirror with him all these years (12 to be precise) and now he must find a cure for his brother that supposedly doesn't exist. And thus Reckless begins!
Who is my favorite character? Jacob. *sigh* I love Jacob Reckless! X) Cornelia did a great job with him! He is brave, cunning, handsome, and he really cares about his family. But he's already taken ;) He loves Fox. A beautiful shape-shifter who prefers being a vixen rather a human. She is always by Jacob's side since the day he rescued her from a hunting trap. But I'm not jealous, she is the perfect match for him. ;)
The over all feel of Reckless is dark and mysterious. The end is very satisfying, except for the fact that I was dying to read the sequel Fearless. :)
Concerns: I would not recommend Reckless for 10 and under for these reasons
1) It is way too scary and creepy for a 10-year-old
2) Jacob accidentally drinks Lark's Water, which makes you kiss the nearest girl (ugly or not; and it just so happens to be a pretty one) and described the kiss and keeps referring back to it.
3) Refers to Jacobs affair with the Red Fairy
I would only recommend this story for 14+
All in all Reckless was a thrilling fairy tale adventure! If you love Cornelia Funke's Inkheart trilogy you'll defiantly love the Mirrorworld series!
Happy reading!
Emily <3
