Willa of Dark Hollow: Willa of the Wood, Book 2
By Andrea Beach,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Intense, exciting companion to environmental fantasy.
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What's the Story?
WILLA OF DARK HOLLOW is among the few remaining Faeran clan, a magical people who've lived in and cared for the forests of the Great Smoky Mountains for as long as there have been forests. The clan has scattered since a fire destroyed their home, and Willa doesn't even know where they are any more, or how many survived. But her connection to the forest, and the plants, animals, and trees in it, remains as strong as ever. When she discovers a new logging crew clear-cutting large areas of the forest and taking down ancient trees, Willa knows she's got to try to stop them. But how? She's only one 13-year-old girl, what can she do? And when her adoptive father is accused of murder and taken to jail, she and Hialeah, her adoptive sister, decide to split up so that Hialeah can help her father in town while Willa tries to find out what really happened to the murder victims. To find the answers, Willa will have to take care of an orphaned bear cub, find the dark source of the terrible creatures attacking the loggers, and confront the mysterious girl who's always nearby when the monsters attack. Above all, she's also got to stop the loggers before they completely destroy her beloved forest.
Is It Any Good?
This companion book keeps the emotion and intensity of the first book going strong. Willa of Dark Hollow, like Willa of the Wood, is an absorbing combination of page-turning action and heartfelt emotion. It's intended as a standalone companion book, but it's got all the earmarks of a sequel, picking up with the same characters about a year after the events in the first book. While the story can stand on its own, the characters may not seem as well developed to readers who start with this one.
Big kids and tweens will relate to Willa as she learns how the choices she makes and their consequences are guided by past choices, and how they'll affect the future, too. Lots of strong environmental themes about how everything and everyone in our world are connected, and need to be kept in balance. Best for readers who can handle intense but non-gory violence and spooky atmospheres. Keep a tissue handy at the end.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Willa of Dark Hollow. Is it too much? Were there times you were really scared or upset? What did you do to feel better?
What do you like about Willa? What are her strengths and weaknesses?
Did you read Willa of the Wood? If you did, which book do you like better, and why? If you didn't, would you like to now?
Book Details
- Author: Robert Beatty
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Activism , Magic and Fantasy , Adventures , Brothers and Sisters , Great Girl Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
- Publication date: May 4, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 384
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: August 20, 2021
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