I absolutely loved this book! The premise immediately hooked my interest and it was filled with twisty characters and such intense plot!

I do love a bit of found family and some strong female characters and this book certainly delivered on that! I really enjoyed this one, the writing was brilliant and the world building was fantastic!

The author really created a world and a story that pulls you in and keeps you hooked and characters that you can wholeheartedly support and root for!

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the retelling elements of this and it was super quick to get through.

It's my second book by this author and I can't wait to read more!

Not for me but I can see how well it is written and how much it will appeal to readers. Might try again at a later date

I absolutely loved Wilder than Midnight. With twists on lots of classic fairytale stories, this book was magical, engaging and full of adventure. I really loved the friendships developed between the 3 female protagonists. This was refreshing and joyous to read.

I was worried that this was including too many fairy tales at one point, but everything was there for a reason and it all slotted together really well. My daughter and I both loved it.

I am powerless to resist a cute fairytale-esque middle-grade, so of course I was always going to snatch this book up. The cover illustration is so inviting and I couldn’t wait to dive into the female-led magical adventure inside.

Silverthorne is full of secrets and folklore and no one knows everything that goes on there. Wild Rose was raised by wolves and the Forest Folk. Saffy is the huntsman’s daughter who longs for adventure. Aurelia is locked in a tower and wants nothing more than to escape. Can these fierce girls band together to each get what they want and change Silverthorne for the better?

As a fairytale magnet, I was thoroughly swept away right from the start. I wanted to discover all the secrets of Silverthorne and hear the stories of everyone who lived there. The fairytale parallels kept coming and it was so much fun to watch how Burnell weaved them into the narrative.

There’s a point where Verity, Queen Bee of the forest and promised to the prince, stumbles across a cottage inhabited by a ‘bear’ family. It literally plays out exactly as Goldilocks and the Three Bears does and there was something so joyful about returning to that story under a different guise. The ‘bear’ family become quite important to the story and I loved how they were much like the traditional characters but I adored how they were different!

Wild Rose was born with an arm ending just below the elbow and because of this, she is cast out of regular society and branded a witch (as a baby!). Much of what Wild Rose stands for is about celebrating difference and not letting her disability hold her back. The main message of the story is about equal treatment and acceptance of everyone, regardless of how or where they were born, which was a really lovely continuous thread.

Aurelia has lived the same life as Rapunzel, although the truth of her story is quite different. She is desperate to be a part of normal life and I think a lot of people might see their lockdown selves in her. Plagued by loneliness, the arrival of sassy girls in her life is probably the best thing to ever happen to her. I love the fact that this is the way that Burnell decided to remedy Aurelia’s loneliness, rather than just give her a love interest.

Wilder Than Midnight is a wonderful take on stories that we’ve all known forever. With elements of Sleeping Beauty, Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Goldilocks and maybe even a few stories that I’ve never heard of before, it’s a magical ride with wild, determined girls championing acceptance at its forefront.

This book is set in an old-ish fairy tale fantasy world with pretty interesting characters. It's divided into three parts, and each starts with some fairy-tale legend being told. And little by little the legends fill themselves and it merges into one. There's this girl named Wild Rose with a missing limb who when she was born her mom send her to die but the huntsman saved her and left her in the protection of the forest folk and wolves. There's also Saffi a girl who lives in the village near the forest and loves to break the rules. And later on, there's the princess Aurelia who is locked in a tower because of a curse she holds. Their stories are intertwined with each other, and the revelations and quests. Wild Rose wants to go out of the forest and see the castle. Aurelia wants to go to the forest and leave the castle. Saffi wants to be pretty and break the rules.
I'd say the way it was written was pretty lovely though it did get boring sometimes. The legends were interesting and I liked how they kept me guessing. I loved the disability rep (especially as the author has the same too, so it's quite sweet) and the lessons. I loved the friendships and how the curse didn't really need a kiss from a boy. I'd say as a premise and idea it was so wonderful and cottage core. I'm happy that I read it, I just wish it wasn't as confusing and longed out. The last ending was so odd I didn't understand who those characters were...

Wilder than Midnight is Cerrie Burnell's latest book....

I LOVED IT !!!!

It's characters were both mysterious and inspiring. I really liked the fact that it was the same story, but split into several points of view. Wilder than Midnight transported me into an extraordinary, incredible fantasy land, and kept me there until the book was finished and long after. I often visited this book in my mind, picturing what the characters would of done in real life. I would recommend this to mystical / adventure fans if I had to choose, but really I would give this book to anyone who had good taste.

Wilder Than Midnight by Cerrie Burnell is a middle grade fairy-tale inspired fantasy. It is the story of a princess and a girl raised in the woods, of greedy royals and determined girls. It is a fast read, and an entertaining one, but I found that neither the plot nor the characters were allowed much nuance. I know it is a middle grade book, and there is certainly allowance for simplification with that age group, but there are so many wonderful middle grade books out there that do have that nuanced approach and are much more satisfying reads. I found the black-and-white morality, the predictability of the tropes and the lack of depth in the main characters didn't let me get emotionally invested in their fates and thus did not make Wilder Than Midnight stand out for me.

An exceptional tale featuring familiar tales of fae, fairy and fierceness. Twisted tales take on a new life in this epic book from the talented Cerrie Burnell

We all know the tales of princesses locked in towers, cursed by fairies and of dangerous forest folk and wolves. Cerrie Burnell takes these and twists them to even greater tales that just can’t be put down.

Three young women, shared encounters and a deep desire for freedom. The familiarity of Snow White, Rapunzel and Briar Rose all inter mingling is exceptional and with the new twists, turns and surprises, not to mention the mixing and mingling of the girls, this truly is wonderful storytelling.
The power of stories is firmly part of this tale and clear that Cerrie grew up loving tales and sharing them with her family.

First off, let's just applaud this awesome cover, I just love kids books and thier ability to have amazing covers... yes, I know, it is to attract the child with bold and bright, but it attracts this adult too!

The writing straight off is very descriptive and it just hooks you in with it.

If you love fairy tale retelling type of books, then you will love this, as the author works really hard to include many nods to various ones, they do this seemlessly and I found myself just zipping through the pages.

"Silverthorne is a place of secrets. A forest of twisting paths and tangled thorns. A castle with locked towers and whispers of tragedy. A village trapped between terrors known and unknown. But something is stirring in the leaves . . .

Saffy is a good girl, tired of being told to stick to the forest paths, and always follow the rules.
Aurelia is a hidden girl, locked in a castle tower, dreaming of escaping the fate she's told awaits her.
Wild Rose is a fierce girl, raised by wolves, full of spells and fearlessness and cunning.

Together, they will change life in Silverthorne forever."

The charecters are well written and definatly not flat, I enjoyed all three of these girls and as you read, you learn to actually care what happens to them. One of the charecters has a disability and it's great for inclusion and a great message to the child reading.

This book is intended for children, but as an adult who loves to read this genre, i found it entertainingly magical, this would be a great book to read to your child and enjoy the story together.


As with most of my reviews, the storyline is not revealed, as this will spoil the book and that just will not do!

Read it for yourself, read for your children or grandchildren, just read it and enjoy the adventure!

Wilder Than Midnight immediately enchanted me. The way Burnell writes is so beautiful, and I have never longed more to be running through the trees with a pack of wolves as Wild Rose does. The book borrows heavily from many well known fairy tales – Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Goldilocks, Rapunzel, the seven dwarves – but blends them together masterfully so that I enjoyed the references rather than feeling annoyed at reading yet another retelling.

The story centres around three girls, all born around the same time, who’s stories are woven in and around the woods. Wild Rose was taken from the castle as a baby, and because she was born with a missing limb, she was seen as cursed and given up to the forest. She was raised by wolves and the Folk of the forest, and even as a young girl she is the source of many legends. Saffy has heard these legends, but when she actually comes face to face with Wild Rose as she journeys through the forest, she discovers there is so much more to the story. Saffy is also the link between Wild Rose and Aurelia, the princess cursed to prick her finger and fall into slumber, locked away in a castle to keep her safe.

Each girl longs for freedom; freedom to leave the woods, freedom to wander freely, freedom to fly. And between the three of them, they might just come up with a way to get what they long for. This was such a girl-power story, with each character bringing a different talent, and learning to love one another in ways they hadn’t experienced before. If you’re looking for an uplifting, exciting, and artfully told story, this is the one!

Wilder Than Midnight is a heartwarming middle grade tale for young readers around 8 years old.

This magical tale features three strong heroines, disability representation and found family. These strong values are entwined perfectly with elements from multiple fairytales, bravery and enchantment.

This is a perfect bedtime read and, despite owning a free e-ARC copy in order to write this review, I will definitely be purchasing a copy for my boys.

“But a forest can hold many secrets. Promises murmured beneath a new moon. Pathways so twisted they defy any map. Dark truths hidden in the heart of a wolf. There are many strange tales that weave through a wood, and Silverthorn Forest was no exception.”

The writing in the this book is such a thing of beauty that it pulls the reader right into the story, wraps it’s sentences around you and takes you on a magical adventure.

Weaving together the story of three girls - Saffy, Aurelia and Wild Rose - this is a story unlike any other. Except, well, it draws upon old fairy tales - Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, the Three Bears, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty and twists them into a modern tale with mighty characters at the heart.

Cerrie’s writing is truly exceptional and she crafts phrase after phrase that feels like poetry, but still tells a story that will have you turning pages and rallying behind the characters. Characters that young readers can look up to, who aren’t afraid to fight for the right to choose their own fate and and to write their own stories.

This book also features a main character, Wild Rose, who, like the author, was born with an arm that ends at the elbow - a mark that defines her future because of the way her ‘mark’ is perceived. But it’s not a weakness and the discrimination she experiences as a child shapes her future into the fearless and fearsome wolf she has in her heart.

Impeccably written. Quite simply this book is magic.

Within my little library in class, I have split the books into various categories – both to help the children to make independent choices as to what they might like to read and hopefully to help them recommend titles to one another. Some of my books fit very neatly into distinct categories and then there are those, like this new title by Cerrie Burnell, which are far harder to classify.

Described as a bold and evocative new adventure novel, this is so much more than that. With echoes of many favourite fairy tales, magic, inclusive characters and a bold and brilliant protagonist, this is a book so delicious that it will be gobbled up by young readers who will love its rich plot and wonderfully drawn characters as much as I did and who will want to return to its pages time and time again.

Our story opens with the birth of a child – usually a time of great celebration for the parents, but sadly the infant’s mother declares her new-born to be dead. Astonished at this sad news, the reader is able to breathe a sigh of relief when it transpires that the child is alive and well, but has an arm which has not fully formed – supposedly a sign of a witch – leading to her mother’s rejection. Fortunately for the baby, the huntsman to whom she is entrusted has a large heart and he takes her to the forest, placing her in the care of the wolves and the Forest Folk who then bring her up as their own.

Years later, the child – now known as Wild Rose – dreams of leaving the forest to cross into the nearby castle but has not reckoned on the power of the wood and its wolves to keep her hidden and prevent her leaving. Spying a girl in a red cloak, Wild Rose ensures she remains hidden, allowing the girl – Saffy – on her way. Unfortunately for Saffy, she loses her way while running an errand and finds herself lost and confronted by a striking bone-white wolf.

Running away, Saffy finds herself pursued by the wolf and its pack and is saved when she runs into Wild Rose, who asks for her cloak in return for saving her life. Now that she has been seen by an outsider, Wild Rose’s adopted family decide they must try to take further steps to ensure her continued safety but they have not reckoned on her determination to find out what lies beyond her forest home. As Wild Rose’s curiosity gets the better of her, she encounters others and finds herself with more and more questions, but what will she do when she eventually stumbles across the truth…

I love modern fairy tales and I know I am not alone in this. Although by the time they get to me, in Year 5, my charges tend to see traditional tales as too babyish for them to bother with, I know that in fact they love them and they will really enjoy spotting all of the references that have been included here. Where those stories we all remember from our childhoods tended to represent girls as, how shall I put it, week and wet and in need of rescuing or protection in whatever shape or form by a manly man, Wild Rose is a fabulous heroine for a modern audience. Intelligent, curious and most definitely able to hold her own when threatened, she does not need a handsome prince in her life and is a great role model to our girls.

I haven’t read any of Cerrrie Burnell’s other fiction titles, but very much enjoyed her non-fiction book I Am Not a Label, describing the lives of many great disabled individuals, which is what prompted me to request this from Net Galley. With the writer herself having what Wild Rose refers to as a little arm, her experiences of being different give this story that unmistakeable feeling of realism that come from own voices writing; with other inclusive characters within the story, this is the sort of fairy tale that I would want my children to read were they still primary school-aged.

A wonderful read for those in Year 4 upwards, this is a real delight and one which I am sure will be extremely popular with its target audience when it is published on April 28th. Enormous thanks must go to publisher Puffin and to Net Galley for my advance read ahead of this date.

Wilder than Midnight is a spell-bindingly magical adventure that utterly entranced me from the opening lines. I was transported into a world that I thought I knew - a world of fairy tales, of forests and castles, of wolves and witches - but instead, I found an intricately woven world, presented in a wonderfully fresh and original way, with a dream-like, lyrical quality that captured my heart and led me on the most breath-taking adventure.

A baby, born in a castle at the stroke of midnight with the Mark of the Witch, is left in Silverthorne Forest, to be raised by wolves and the Forest Folk. A baby, born at the stroke of midnight, and cursed by a wicked fairy, is locked in a tower until her betrothal. What tragic secrets and truths will be revealed should these children ever meet?

Saffy lives with her woodsman father and mother in a cottage on the edge of the forest. She is given a red velvet cloak in exchange for delivering a letter but, on her return home, finds herself lost in the woods and without her protective lavender. When Saffy finds herself hunted by a wolf pack, she is saved by a girl who has made her home with the wolves, and gives her the red cloak …

Wild Rose is at home in the heart of Silverthorne Forest although she is eager to explore beyond its boundaries and cross the Spindle Wood, a tangled wall of impassable thorny briars, through which there is a tower …

Aurelia has been locked in a tower, hidden from the world, in order to protect her from a curse. She longs to escape into the forest to find a cure, and has formed a plan to gain her freedom …

This is an utterly mesmerising adventure as the three girls, Saffy, Wild Rose and Aurelia meet and together plot a course to change their destiny. They are all wonderfully strong, courageous and kind-hearted girls who find friendship in each other. They celebrate and accept difference, thread their own path, and have a natural affinity with nature. It is so important that children see themselves represented in books, and are given opportunities to empathise with others. The disability representation is an integral element in the story, and I loved how Wild Rose does not allow others to define her, rises above prejudice and fear and grows into a strong, fearless girl who does not allow others to detract her from her chosen path.

This story is written in three parts: The Wolf Child, The Cursed Princess and The Stolen Daughter. These parts are intricately interlaced to form a rich, detailed tapestry embroidered with deeply held secrets, terrible deeds and life-changing revelations. I adored the fairy-tale references sprinkled throughout, and loved that they were never quite what I expected!

Wilder than Midnight is a heart-warming, magical adventure radiating with friendship, found family and acceptance. A delightfully captivating read for those of 9+.

A sparkling gem thats like a wintry tapestry woven from numerous threads of folklore.

There are shadows of everything from Sleeping Beauty to Snow White in this gorgeous fairytale. Secrets, curses & a diverse ensemble of characters led by a trio of courageous heroines.

Fab 🌲🐺🏰❄

The idea of this book is a fascinating one. It has some wonderful disability rep and I adored the way it blended fairytales.

This is a book I'm sure many a child will love. And adults too.

I give this book all the stars ✨ all of them!!

I was drawn in originally by this incredible cover before reading the synopsis, "Silverthorne is a place of secrets. A forest of twisting paths and tangled thorns. A castle with locked towers and whispers of tragedy. A village trapped between terrors known and unknown. But something is stirring in the leaves . . ." sounds intriguing right?!

This book is everything I want and more when it comes to books I can read to my girls. @cerrie.burnell has created a story full of strong, curious, clever and brave female characters, which comes as no surprise when you realise who wrote it.
The authors name rang a bell but I couldn't place it. I was halfway through the book (and loving it) before a quick Instagram search revealed it was the beautiful @cerrie.burnell who my eldest had watched a thousand times on CBEEBIES! Saffy, Aurelia and Wild Rose are characters little girls can and should look up to, young ladies who aren't afraid to fight for the right to choose their own fate! Even the secondary female characters such as Verity, Ondina and Lady Mal are worthy role models in their own rights.

There is some great disability representation in Wilder than Midnight, which probably comes from her own personal experiences, as much like our bold and fearless protagonist Wild Rose, Cerrie was born with an arm that ends just below the elbow and has been on the receiving end of discrimination multiple times and overcome it, proving those people wrong.

I loved the multiple classic fairytales woven into the threads of this story giving them a fresh and exciting makeover. And in true fairytale fashion the words are lyrical and magical.

I could talk about this book so much more but as its not released until the 28th of this month I should probably shut up now.

All in all this was an absolutely brilliant read (that I preordered before even finished reading it) and I highly recommend it to any mums of Wild, head-strong girls especially.