Lana loves stories. Especially the ones she and her brother, Harrison, share in their make-believe games. But when Harrison decides he’s too grown-up to play with Lana she finds herself feeling lonely. Until something magical happens…
Hidden in the strange new supermarket in town, Lana discovers a portal to a fairytale world! But these aren’t the happy-ever-after fairytales that Lana knows, they are darker and more dangerous, and the characters need Lana’s help to defeat an evil witch. But she can’t do it alone. Can she convince Harrison to believe in stories again and journey to the world with her. . . before it’s too late?
This is a story about stories, but it’s also about a brother and a sister finding their way back to each other through the power of imagination.
I've never read a Ben Miller book before. I've seen his comedy show and some of his more serious acting, so I had a general idea of his style. I will definitely be looking for more of Ben's books.
The story is very clever - there's one twist in particular I didn't see coming - and the humour has just the right touch of absurd. (Thirty seven packets of cocktail sausage sticks for thirty six, anyone?) I will admit, though, I was a little surprised that Lana had reached the age of nine without knowing the stories of Sleeping Beauty or Hansel and Gretel! She didn't seem too sure of Rapunzel, either. Those stories are so embedded in our culture that it seems strange she had absolutely no knowledge of them.
The ending confused me a little bit as well. I can overlook these tiny issues, though, because the story as a whole was fantastic. Also, that cover is amazing and there's amazing illustrations in the story as well. It really brings the whole thing to life.
A great read.
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