Beyond the Deepwoods

I remember when I first found this book, nestled away in my local library. I was around 10-11, and my dad pulled it out and said, "Ethan, this one sounds a lot like Harry Potter, why don't you give it a try? You love your fantasy and magical creatures". Almost reluctantly, I got it out because, really, I didn't want to be reading young adult books when the crime and gore section was right there, but I decided to settle down and give my dad's pick a chance. Oh. My. Gosh. I was taken on a whole new fantasy journey. I thought HP took me to a whole new world, when Paul Stewart and Chris Riddle had this beautiful book and series just sitting in my library, waiting to be discovered. I don't remember that last time I actively sat and read a book as quickly as this. We follow Twig, a young humanoid character on his journey across The Edge, a fantasy world full to the brim with creatures and animals that both terrify and amaze us. And amaze me this book did. I still remember my heart thinking at certain scenes, how I would sit and stare at the illustrations for hours, how I just could not get enough of it. I read it within two hours and was already back at the library, getting every other book in the series out. If you're looking for a young adult fantasy series, I highly recommend this one. It's absolutely brilliant. Stewart and Riddle can do no wrong whatsoever.