The Creature of the Pines

Most Helpful Review

"This book is exactly what's promised in the blurbs and summaries, but much more as well. Allow me to explain.How many books have you read based on the premise that the hero kids are part of a society that protects mythical beasts? I can think of literally a dozen such books that I've read in the past two years. Almost all of them were fun on some level, although lots of them leaned either to the wacky side or were Young Indiana Jones-ish. This book looks and feels like them, and the cover seems to confirm that impression. We even start on a standard track - diffident and slightly introverted rule-following Elliot Eisner starts at a new school and meets up with wacky extroverted free spirit Uchenna Devereaux. Man, I felt like I could phone this one in. But wait.Elliot and Uchenna are a crackerjack team. They trade off one-liners and deadpan throwaway lines, and there's a hip edge to the cross-talk that I've never read in a book aimed at this demo. They needle and tease each other, keep each other in line, and talk each other up. This is insta-chemistry and the personality and character jump off the page. Elliot isn't trapped in the standard worry-wort character box and Uchenna isn't bound to forever be the manic pixie dream girl. Some of the humor is just a touch edgy, (descriptions of the kids' teacher), and a lot of it is subtle and understated, (which I think even young kids get.) Who expected this?Plus, adults sound and feel like adults. The main action involves Professor Fauna taking Elliot and Uchenna's class on a trip to the New Jersey Pine Barrens. (He's the Gandalfy guy in the background of the cover.) Fauna is sort of world weary and crabby and fed up with kids, and his burnt out curmudgeon trip to the Barrens is a riot. Again, where did this subversive anti-adult come from? But then we switch gears. We visit Dr. Griselle Thomas, the old lady who lives in the middle of the Pine Barrens. She's lovely. She talks about the history and the flora and fauna of the Barrens, and the kids on the trip and the reader are transfixed. (Later on Fauna will loosen up and be the exasperated mentor figure, which is fine.)We finally get to the Jersey Devil, and then have some action stuff, and then encounter the two brothers who will be the series villains. Right at the end we learn about the Unicorn Rescue Society. But what's this? Usually books like this do some long complicated monologue early on to set up the Whatzis Society premise, and then things unfold. Here we get totally invested in the whole creature experience, explore the Pine Barrens, have an adventure with a Jersey Devil, and then just tack on the Society as an appetizer for the next book. Does no one here know and know how to follow middle grade book/plot rules?The illustrations are crisp and clever. They support and enhance the story, help set the mood, and help young readers visualize what's going on. Can't ask for much more than that.Anyway, my point is that this book is not by the numbers, it is not a pale imitation of anything else, and it freshens up and subverts most mythical animal story conventions. (Sort of what Gidwitz did with the whole "Grimm" experience.) It's funny and it features memorable characters. It might get a little heavy handed at some point in the message department, but it didn't go there too much in this volume. I'm up for a long life to this series.(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)"