The Beginning Woods

I have good feelings about this book.

The story is gripping and highly entertaining, from the beginning, until the end. It is very entertaining, even at the beginning when I needed a little time to adjust to the story and the information it contained. It has... fairy tales vibes, if that makes sense. This book is a big mixture of fairy tale, quest, mystery and fantasy. And the result is really great. The overall atmosphere is unsettling and spooky, and you can’t help reading on and rooting for Max.

I really liked the whole theme of dreams, and how important they are to the plot. They were almost like a character of their own. Bonus point for that!

There are many layers to the plot, and I really liked it. It’s not one dimensional.

In terms of style, I really like the descriptions. This has to do to the very delicate and poetic style at times. This is something that is very enjoyable, to me. The dialogues were great as well. Great style overall.

The world is incredible, and highly fascinating. It’s weird, peculiar, scary but so so so charming! You never know where this is going, what creature is waiting for you, but it is so good! I kind of want to live there, despite the fact that it is scary at times - it’s a world of wonders and terrors after all.

PS: I really liked Max and Martha as characters, and also together as a team. Their portraits were really great.

‘The Beginning Woods is an old book. The moment I started reading it it was like I'd pulled a well-worn favourite off a dusty shelf. The characters, the writing, the story, it all feels like an old folktale you half remember hearing before but the feel of London in the grip of a disaster beyond anyone’s control is so modern and compelling. This book is like seeing The Never-Ending Story for the first time, or Labyrinth or discovering Lyra in her Oxford. This is a book that deserves your time. A lot of your time. We've never met, The Beginning Woods, but I think I've always loved you’ – Graeme Williams, Trade Marketing Manager

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

3.5 Stars

I've been picking up this book and putting it down for a few days now. The writing is fabulous. It has a fairytale quality to it as you can see in my quote below....

“We found out about snowflakes today,” he’d told them. “How they’re shaped like a star, with all these patterns and diamonds. Mr Chandra told us that’s how water crystals form when they freeze.” “That’s right,” said Forbes. “And did you learn how they all have eight arms? Like an octopus?” “Six,” said Alice, giving him an elbow. “It’s six, isn’t it Max?” “Yes,” said Max. “But Mr Chandra is wrong. 

It doesn’t have anything to do with how water freezes. It’s the Starmakers. “Oh-ho!” said Forbes, wriggling with pleasure. “Who are the Starmakers?” “Don’t you know?” Max had been surprised at this, because Mr Chandra hadn’t known either. “If you look even closer at a snowflake, if you look much more closer than ever, you see tiny chisel marks on the snowflake. Tiny chisel marks made by tiny silver chisels.” “Is that so?” Forbes said, winking at Alice.“The chisels belong to the Starmakers,” Max explained “Snowflakes are stars that weren’t good enough. Each Starmaker makes thousands of stars a year, and they throw most of them away because of little mistakes. 

But now and again, once every million years, one of the Starmakers looks up from his anvil. And all the other Starmakers look up as well and put down their chisels, because they know what’s happened—finally there’s a star perfect enough to go in the sky."

Certain parts would suck me completely in, while others seem to drag on a bit. Hence the picking up and putting down over the course of several days. I enjoyed the characters though. The World building was interesting. A bit of an old World feel, but with modern touches. Actually, it had a bit of an Alice In Wonderland feel to it.

Overall I enjoyed it.

A wonderful read which kept me hooked from beginning to end.

This book immediately reeled me in with its magical atmosphere and fairytale plot. I love the premise of worlds interlacing and colliding with each other, causing seemingly inexplicable Vanishings.

Premise

The story begins with an alarming phenomenon sweeping the world: people beginning to Vanish. They all seem to know if they’re next, and they prepare for their departures like dying elephants to their graves. There's an exception: children don't Vanish. Nobody knows how or why this strange thing happens, and even a scientific committee is founded to investigate.

Character

Max is a peculiar kobold baby who appeared in a bookshop and sent to an orphanage. Adopted by a couple but determined to find his Forever Parents, Max knows the only way to discover more about himself is through reading. And, he just may be the answer to the Vanishings. As a fellow reader and fantasy lover, I sympathize with Max a lot. He’s always more comfortable tucked away with a thick, leather-bound book than, say, socializing (LIKE ME). Max is dreamy and sometimes simultaneously courageous and stupid. Because he never felt he fit in among his peers or even in his adopted family, Max desperately wants to finally find a place in the world, whether in this world or in the Beginning Woods. He takes all the weird, magical stuff in strides, even when it’s potentially fatal. I love the adventurer in Max.

Martha is a Cold One Max meets in the Beginning Woods. I think that means she’s a ghost, a ghost whose family won’t visit even when she waits all year for them. She’s a bossy, sulky, and delightful tour guide for Max. I don’t think I relate to her as much as Max, but she certainly adds another dimension to the tale.

Worldbuilding

I must say, I love the world more than the story. The atmosphere is reminiscent of Michel Ende’s Momo or The Neverending Story, books I adored as a kid. It’s filled with childhood delights yet overcast with a sense of gloom and danger, exactly the mixture for adventures! The Beginning Woods holds endless possibilities for strange things and people, like

dream-sucking creature-clouds and

trees that tell stories.

Like docile fire-breathing dragons

and dragon hunters.

What a world.

Delicious Exquisite Writing

Speaking of things I love, the author’s writing style is another of my favorite. It combines poetic and precise descriptions with polished and meaningful dialogue. Instead of weighing down the story, the descriptions only build it up even more.

Bonus: this book has lots and lots of unique formatting.

Plot & Pacing

The plot and pacing was a little slow and meandering in the first half of the story, recounting the beginning of the Vanishings and Max’s childhood. But, as a not-too-objective reader, I really don’t care if the pacing is slow as long as there’s delicious descriptions! The pacing picked up, though, when Max enters into the Beginning Woods and really starts the adventure. Although the book contains much juvenile capering, it can speak more deeply to youths and adults through its philosophical contemplation children would probably miss.

Final Thoughts

The Beginning Woods is a delicate, pleasant book layered with fantasy, mystery, and childish adventures. If you enjoy darker versions of children’s books or quirky fantasy, The Beginning Woods has much to offer.

A fairytale to get lost in on a chilly autumn night.

I loved this novel: it has everything I look for in a YA book. Beautifully drawn setting with credible intriguing characters that I instantly believe in and a magical  character in Max.

The intriguing premise of 'The Vanishings' drew me in immediately and made me want to read on from the very first page. I got lost in this world and think that any young person reading it would too. Comparisons with 'The Princess Bride' are (for once') justifiable and I can imagine a beautifully bound copy of this having a similar effect on a young reader.

I can't wait to see if it'll be turned into a movie. If it does I hope it's as captivating as the print version. A fantastic read. Five stars!

I particularly enjoyed the opening and the theme of the hot air balloon following Max. The concept was incredibly interesting. I enjoyed the book a lot and would recommend it.

The Beginning Woods by Malcolm McNeill is a book which certainly ticks the world-building box. We start with the fact that there has been a spate of disappearances, people vanishing and leaving just a pile of empty clothing. This intrigued me - I started to think of Boojums and Squonks* - and then I was led further into the story by hints of science and witchcraft and an abandoned changling-like child. The plot became more and more complex but also quite philosophical - at the heart of the story is the orphan child Max who needs to find who he is and why he is there. This book is listed as a children's title but I would say there is enough depth there to interest any adult with a liking for fairy tales and myth. And, in terms of children, it would best suit an older, more thoughtful child who doesn't need the story to be full of fights and excitement. 

*I was right about the Squonks too...

Max was found in a bookshop as a baby and, although adopted, has always wondered about his birth parents and background. Slowly, strangely, Max's search for his past leads him into the Beginning Woods, a place of witches and dragons who don't quite behave like the ones in the story books. This is spellbinding YA, celebrating the power of the imagination, the call of the wild and the importance of courage. It does fall back on overly simplified "there's no creativity in science and all technology is bad" cliches, but that's a fairly minor point. The tale itself is captivating. One for all those who believe in the power of stories.

I requested this book without knowing much about it and I'm so glad I did! 

The premise is completely unique and I loved the fairy tale quality of it. The book also felt very tightly plotted and the descriptive writing style suited the genre really well. 

Another strength of the book was that there was a strong plot driving it. The characters were also interesting and believable.

The only part I was less sure about was what audience it was aimed at from a marketing viewpoint. Although I loved it, I came away not really knowing whether it was aimed at a teen or adult audience.

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of fantasy authors such as Philip Pullman.

I like the ambiance McNeill created. It helps that I love these type of books: magical, fairytales, and a boy trying to find out about his past/parents. The book revolved heavily around dreams and science vs. ideas/fantasy/imagination. The characters were interesting as well, each having a supporting role and most were dynamic. The story is peculiar and kind of sad at times. The world-building was well done and I liked how it was satirical in the beginning about the institute that was made to solve the Vanishings. Max was infuriating at times with his stubbornness and ignorance. Overall, the characters are interesting and the story was entertaining. 

Reasons Why You Should Read The Beginning Woods:

+ Perfect for readers who love magical places, fairytales, mystery and tales of children looking for their lost parents. 

+ The ambiance of the Woods and the areas in London was well crafted. 

+ Great characters- all are intriguing, including the wind giants and evil witches.

+ The world-building is well developed : a world with it's own creation story, massive dragons, fairies, witches, ghosts (who preferred to be called "cold people"), wizards, and more.

+ McNeill's writing is wonderful and at times satirical. The my favorite part was in the beginning of the book when the Vanishings started happening and McNeill humorously wrote about how everyone waited for the scientists to figure it out.