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Storybound #1
Storybound
In the land of Story, children go to school to learn to be characters: a perfect Hero, a trusty Sidekick, even the most dastardly Villain. They take classes on Outdoor Experiential Questing and Backstory, while adults search for full-time character work in stories written just for them.
In our world, twelve-year-old Una Fairchild has always felt invisible. But all that changes when she stumbles upon a mysterious book buried deep in the basement of her school library, opens the cover, and suddenly finds herself transported to the magical land of Story.
But Story is not a perfect fairy tale. Una’s new friend Peter warns her about the grave danger she could face if anyone discovers her true identity. The devious Tale Keeper watches her every move. And there are whispers of a deadly secret that seems to revolve around Una herself....
With the timeless appeal of books like A Wrinkle in Time and the breathtaking action of Inkheart, Storybound has all the makings of a new classic. Brimming with fantastical creatures, magical adventure, and heart-stopping twists, Storybound will leave readers wishing they too could jump through the pages into this enchanting fairy-tale world.
In our world, twelve-year-old Una Fairchild has always felt invisible. But all that changes when she stumbles upon a mysterious book buried deep in the basement of her school library, opens the cover, and suddenly finds herself transported to the magical land of Story.
But Story is not a perfect fairy tale. Una’s new friend Peter warns her about the grave danger she could face if anyone discovers her true identity. The devious Tale Keeper watches her every move. And there are whispers of a deadly secret that seems to revolve around Una herself....
With the timeless appeal of books like A Wrinkle in Time and the breathtaking action of Inkheart, Storybound has all the makings of a new classic. Brimming with fantastical creatures, magical adventure, and heart-stopping twists, Storybound will leave readers wishing they too could jump through the pages into this enchanting fairy-tale world.
403 pages, Hardcover
First published April 3, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 551 reviews
March 28, 2012
I’ve heard people comparing Storybound to books like the Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke and I think it’s an apt comparison because like Inkheart, Storybound, too, crosses several boundaries and blurs several lines between fiction and reality. However, unlike the Inkheart series, I found that, as a matter of personal taste, Storybound seems more relatable and accessible. But that’s not really the point. The objective here is to tell you that Storybound is an exciting middlegrade debut by an author with an extremely creative streak.
I immediately found myself drawn to Una, like, from the very sentence. She is a foster child with all the issues and feelings that comes with being a child seemingly alone in a world where other children are snug in the middle of families they belong to. Her unplanned sojourn to Storybound, a land where story book characters live, is the impetus to the adventure she has spent her whole like yearning for. The book takes you on a ride, it tosses you in the air and forgets to catch you and then as you flail, it plucks you out of the air and places you on the ground and then you lurch and the ride begins again. What I’m trying to say is that the novel is not predictable. Not in its characters, not in its twists and turns and certainly not in its plot. I liked how Burt keeps me guessing.
The world building is off to a great start. Burt knows how to keep the balance between imagery and action – something that is necessary for the younger readers, I believe – and I think she’ll easily keep younger readers’ attentions as Una meets her new friends and goes on an adventure of a lifetime. I also liked the characterization. There is a lot of spunk in Una and Peter is well created too. I especially like Snow because though, initially, I was scared there was going to be an emergence of the Mean Girls, Burt proves me wrong and shows me a complicated character who can exist beyond the pages of the universe she has created.
This would make a fantastic movie. I hope Disney is listening. Hee. The mythology is intriguing and I cannot wait to see what other morsels the next book gives us. I also was surprised by the big reveal near the ending. I had not expected it and its existence makes the book and the themes in it interestingly complicated. There are heavy questions asked about being the person you are and how much of the person you are is determined by who you are and the things you do and how much of it depends on who sires you. And as you all know, I love questions like these popping up unexpectedly in books that seem, on the surface, relatively simple.
The book ends on the verge of a cliffhanger. Not a cliffhanger but almost a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. Now, what I am saying with this overly long review is that you need to put this on your reading list – either buy it as a gift for the middle schooler in your family or buy it for your own self if you like younger characters who kick ass despite their age, adventure and an interesting story.
I immediately found myself drawn to Una, like, from the very sentence. She is a foster child with all the issues and feelings that comes with being a child seemingly alone in a world where other children are snug in the middle of families they belong to. Her unplanned sojourn to Storybound, a land where story book characters live, is the impetus to the adventure she has spent her whole like yearning for. The book takes you on a ride, it tosses you in the air and forgets to catch you and then as you flail, it plucks you out of the air and places you on the ground and then you lurch and the ride begins again. What I’m trying to say is that the novel is not predictable. Not in its characters, not in its twists and turns and certainly not in its plot. I liked how Burt keeps me guessing.
The world building is off to a great start. Burt knows how to keep the balance between imagery and action – something that is necessary for the younger readers, I believe – and I think she’ll easily keep younger readers’ attentions as Una meets her new friends and goes on an adventure of a lifetime. I also liked the characterization. There is a lot of spunk in Una and Peter is well created too. I especially like Snow because though, initially, I was scared there was going to be an emergence of the Mean Girls, Burt proves me wrong and shows me a complicated character who can exist beyond the pages of the universe she has created.
This would make a fantastic movie. I hope Disney is listening. Hee. The mythology is intriguing and I cannot wait to see what other morsels the next book gives us. I also was surprised by the big reveal near the ending. I had not expected it and its existence makes the book and the themes in it interestingly complicated. There are heavy questions asked about being the person you are and how much of the person you are is determined by who you are and the things you do and how much of it depends on who sires you. And as you all know, I love questions like these popping up unexpectedly in books that seem, on the surface, relatively simple.
The book ends on the verge of a cliffhanger. Not a cliffhanger but almost a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. Now, what I am saying with this overly long review is that you need to put this on your reading list – either buy it as a gift for the middle schooler in your family or buy it for your own self if you like younger characters who kick ass despite their age, adventure and an interesting story.
April 27, 2012
Originaly reviewed here
Be prepared for a review where I squash any negativity regarding this book and sing its praises at the top of my metaphorical mountain!
Una is a child who doesn’t quite fit in. In fact, she feels as if she is an invisible being who even her teachers don’t see. That’s why she hides in the basement; she goes to her quiet corner and reads books that take her away from the drudgery of her daily life. That is, until the day that she finds a book entitled “The Tale of Una Fairchild,” which literally takes her away to the land of Story where she has been Written In to a young man’s final exam in which he must battle dragons and save the damsel..um.. damsels in distress. It is after talking to Peter that Una realizes that she has been Written In to the land of Story, something that has not happened in a very long time, and something that can certainly mean danger or even death for poor Una.
As the story progresses, Una learns a little more about the land of Story and the characters that dwell there. She learns that there are significant differences between those labeled as villains and those who are actually villainous. Most importantly, she learns that she is not invisible but a very important part of this world that she has inadvertently traveled to.
I first added this novel to my “to-read” list because I knew it was a good choice for my debut author challenge, though I have to say that it is no question I would have picked this book up otherwise. I am not a lover of MG novels, though I have fallen in love with one or two, but I was so impressed by this story and the way it crossed the lines that usually define a novel. I want to first touch upon some issues other readers have had with this book. I have read many reviews stating that the book was “too long” to be a middle grade novel, that the point of view changes were too confusing and that readers were disappointed that we didn’t meet fairy tale characters that we knew but were introduced to fairy tale characters in training. First, yes the book is 400 pages long, but it is not at all a “long” book. I did not once find the book dragging or wish for more action. People of all ages can read and love these books, like books that came before (Goblet of Fire, anyone?) this book is one that can bridge the ages and be enjoyed by many readers despite how “long” it is. Second, the point of view changes did not bother me, at all. The author did not start a new chapter with a characters name so the reader knew before starting the first sentence but within the first sentence of the paragraph it was easy to see whose point of view it was. It’s called close reading, people! Finally, its no question that I LOVE LOVE LOVE retellings and the whole modern character in a fairy tale world (see: Once Upon a Time) but the blurb of this story specifically says that the children are learning how to be fairy tale characters, not one thing about how she is transported to the land of Story and meets Cinderella! Okay, rage over, let’s move on to the awesome parts…
First, the plot is brilliant. I love my fairy tale retellings as much as the next gal but it was so refreshing to read this story about students who are learning how to be characters in a story! I was laughing out loud with Una as she tried to perfect her villain laugh for her exam and desperately wishing I could have been part of this world. Honestly? Haven’t yearned this much since I didn’t get my Hogwarts letter all those years ago, might still be a little bitter about that one…but anyway, the plot twists and adventure were found on every page and really kept me wanting to know what happened next. The little plot twist at the end was really amazing and I actually didn’t see it coming which makes me so happy!
The characters are all so loveable (or easily hated, I guess) and the book only made me want more from each one. I loved how the villains in this story were written in a way that made me sympathize with their predicaments and how Snow was portrayed as this snotty “Lady” but really she was just a scorned and sad daughter who wanted someone to love her. Obviously I loved Sam because well, he was a cat..but also because he was snarky and portrayed all the best cat-like qualities. Una and Peter we both very sweet and in a word, good which made me really see the differences between Peter and Endeavor Truepenny, I seriously look forward to seeing more from this character in book two.
Though I don’t usually do this, there were many lines that stood out for me in this novel and I want to share them..
“It became Una’s habit, on days that she felt especially invisible, to retire to the basement of the school library. Most students stayed on the main floor, grouped together at sunny tables, giggling over their math problems and English homework. But Una preferred the lower level, where she could sit undisturbed except for the odd student scurrying down to get some reference book needed for a research paper. She would tuck into her favorite desk underneath one of the high basement windows – half daydreaming, half reading – while the minutes flew by and she wondered what it would be like to live a different life.” – Page 2 of Storybound, completely reminiscent of myself when I was a child
“She turned to go, but Horace pushed in front of her. ‘Ladies last,’ he said.
She took the toe of her boot and knocked the outside of his left foot in toward the right. It was just enough to throw him off balance, and he stumbled to the side. ‘But then, I’m not much of a Lady,’ she said as she pushed ahead of him.” – Page 314 of Storybound, this part encompasses all that I love about Una as a character, it made me smile and high five the book.
From page two this story drew me in. Marissa Burt writes a fantastic and beautiful narrative. I highly recommend it to those who enjoyed Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu, or those looking for a story that reminds them about all of the things they love about fairy tales.
Be prepared for a review where I squash any negativity regarding this book and sing its praises at the top of my metaphorical mountain!
Una is a child who doesn’t quite fit in. In fact, she feels as if she is an invisible being who even her teachers don’t see. That’s why she hides in the basement; she goes to her quiet corner and reads books that take her away from the drudgery of her daily life. That is, until the day that she finds a book entitled “The Tale of Una Fairchild,” which literally takes her away to the land of Story where she has been Written In to a young man’s final exam in which he must battle dragons and save the damsel..um.. damsels in distress. It is after talking to Peter that Una realizes that she has been Written In to the land of Story, something that has not happened in a very long time, and something that can certainly mean danger or even death for poor Una.
As the story progresses, Una learns a little more about the land of Story and the characters that dwell there. She learns that there are significant differences between those labeled as villains and those who are actually villainous. Most importantly, she learns that she is not invisible but a very important part of this world that she has inadvertently traveled to.
I first added this novel to my “to-read” list because I knew it was a good choice for my debut author challenge, though I have to say that it is no question I would have picked this book up otherwise. I am not a lover of MG novels, though I have fallen in love with one or two, but I was so impressed by this story and the way it crossed the lines that usually define a novel. I want to first touch upon some issues other readers have had with this book. I have read many reviews stating that the book was “too long” to be a middle grade novel, that the point of view changes were too confusing and that readers were disappointed that we didn’t meet fairy tale characters that we knew but were introduced to fairy tale characters in training. First, yes the book is 400 pages long, but it is not at all a “long” book. I did not once find the book dragging or wish for more action. People of all ages can read and love these books, like books that came before (Goblet of Fire, anyone?) this book is one that can bridge the ages and be enjoyed by many readers despite how “long” it is. Second, the point of view changes did not bother me, at all. The author did not start a new chapter with a characters name so the reader knew before starting the first sentence but within the first sentence of the paragraph it was easy to see whose point of view it was. It’s called close reading, people! Finally, its no question that I LOVE LOVE LOVE retellings and the whole modern character in a fairy tale world (see: Once Upon a Time) but the blurb of this story specifically says that the children are learning how to be fairy tale characters, not one thing about how she is transported to the land of Story and meets Cinderella! Okay, rage over, let’s move on to the awesome parts…
First, the plot is brilliant. I love my fairy tale retellings as much as the next gal but it was so refreshing to read this story about students who are learning how to be characters in a story! I was laughing out loud with Una as she tried to perfect her villain laugh for her exam and desperately wishing I could have been part of this world. Honestly? Haven’t yearned this much since I didn’t get my Hogwarts letter all those years ago, might still be a little bitter about that one…but anyway, the plot twists and adventure were found on every page and really kept me wanting to know what happened next. The little plot twist at the end was really amazing and I actually didn’t see it coming which makes me so happy!
The characters are all so loveable (or easily hated, I guess) and the book only made me want more from each one. I loved how the villains in this story were written in a way that made me sympathize with their predicaments and how Snow was portrayed as this snotty “Lady” but really she was just a scorned and sad daughter who wanted someone to love her. Obviously I loved Sam because well, he was a cat..but also because he was snarky and portrayed all the best cat-like qualities. Una and Peter we both very sweet and in a word, good which made me really see the differences between Peter and Endeavor Truepenny, I seriously look forward to seeing more from this character in book two.
Though I don’t usually do this, there were many lines that stood out for me in this novel and I want to share them..
“It became Una’s habit, on days that she felt especially invisible, to retire to the basement of the school library. Most students stayed on the main floor, grouped together at sunny tables, giggling over their math problems and English homework. But Una preferred the lower level, where she could sit undisturbed except for the odd student scurrying down to get some reference book needed for a research paper. She would tuck into her favorite desk underneath one of the high basement windows – half daydreaming, half reading – while the minutes flew by and she wondered what it would be like to live a different life.” – Page 2 of Storybound, completely reminiscent of myself when I was a child
“She turned to go, but Horace pushed in front of her. ‘Ladies last,’ he said.
She took the toe of her boot and knocked the outside of his left foot in toward the right. It was just enough to throw him off balance, and he stumbled to the side. ‘But then, I’m not much of a Lady,’ she said as she pushed ahead of him.” – Page 314 of Storybound, this part encompasses all that I love about Una as a character, it made me smile and high five the book.
From page two this story drew me in. Marissa Burt writes a fantastic and beautiful narrative. I highly recommend it to those who enjoyed Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu, or those looking for a story that reminds them about all of the things they love about fairy tales.
August 7, 2012
Oh no...I had a bad feeling this book couldn't possibly wrap up everything, but to end with 'to be continued..." was really annoying. I love fairy tale books, like the similar ideas of Inkspell and Neverending story (book and movie!) really liked the twist on those concepts and so ordered it in. My husband picked it up looking for an easy read as opposed to the textbooks for his masters program, and only got about 50 pages in before he gave it back to me and told me it was too silly. We don't always share tastes, he prefers epic sci-fi, so this younger reader stuff might not amuse him like it does me. This one was a bit too simple for me though, which was a shame because it had such potential. I didn't feel like I knew anything about the characters, the action wheeled around too quickly to really understand why things were happening or what the motivations were, the world itself needed more development, though there were some decent settings.
To start with, I didn't understand the characters jobs: they act out the tales and it's implied they do so when their tale is read. So do they do this every time it's read or just when it's written originally...I didn't understand. There were adult characters...teachers, parents, etc...why did we never see how they actually live out their tales instead of just seeing the kids studying to become those characters. Who were the heroes among the adults...no one was fighting dragons in reality, only in exams, no one was going on quests, just plotting secret meetings that involved the world and bureaucracy of Story not some other book. We're told Thornhill is a Villian, but other than teaching the Villiany class and dressing the part, she's not truly a villian...so does she play one in some book? Does everyone is Story appear in a book, because I don't get if they are born and given a part, or if they are created at the writing of the story (which can't be, unless Peter and his siblings were written into his parents story?). I think I've illustrated my confusion there.
I never connected with Una. She does all this 'brave' stuff, but something about her personality never said brave to me. Maybe that was on the set up (which only took two pages) where she wants to sit quietly, be alone, read, daydream, etc, none of which strikes me as a brave person. Granted she told some random hooded kid he was in her spot, which is a little nervy of her in a public place, and imagined throwing him out of it, but that seemed more random daydreaming than as something she might really do. Then she runs away upon first seeing Peter and Snow in the cave. She just never fully development any definable trait...she's alone on the beginning but is she lonely...doesn't seem to be. She's been through 5 foster families...that must have some effect, but all we see is that she kinda wishes she had a family. What is her relationship with Peter...are they friends, putting up with each other for a common goal, they clearly don't have the "crush" type of interactions they try to use with the teachers. And Peter...he seemed to just run frantically from one place to another, giving the same urgency to school tests and the fate of the world or danger to his friends and family. Snow talks about laughing and joking with him, but he didn't seem like fun to me, and his only friend appeared to be a semi-annoying talking cat. Snow on the other hand, displayed some actual emotion and conflicted feelings. But she wan't in the book nearly enough to connect with her as much as I would have liked. If Indy is supposed to be a love interest, then we need to know more about him..so far all he's got going for him is 'mystery' and that's not all that appealing.
And for the action...every place was easy to break into, there were never consequences (spying on a meeting in the woods and got away, eavesdropping in a restaurant and only caught by the chef, lying about where Una came from and no one presses for details, stealing a key to get into a bank box...and so on). I never fully understood the Tale Keepers job, the Tale Masters role which seemed more elected than dictatorial, the pseudo-revolution and the Servents of the King which was never explained well. Then the Muses role was a mystery...okay, so Story is torn as to whether they were good guys or bad guys...but they seems to be the 'gods' of the world so for the characters to turn their backs on them with no real consequences, and the Muses who write the tales seem clueless about what's happening in Story. Then in the end there's this random magic ink that shows up momentarily. In the exams, I sort of understood Peter fighting dragons and saving the Lady to a e a Hero exam, but what the heck was the goal of Una, Indy and Horace's exam? They said something about understanding the Villian, except Horace was the Villian so who was supposed to be doing what on their quest? Nothing about the rules of reality in the world came together for me.
All that being said, I still wanted to know about the interactions between our world and Story...why were people written in from our world at all? The Muses appear in our mythology, so did they leave our world for Story (and if so, why?) or do they straddle the two worlds; did they come on Story or did the create it? If the concept wasn't so interesting, this would go into the 'donate' pile for sure. As it stands, I'll see if the next book fulfills any of the promise of the series and then decide whether to keep this one or toss it...I just wish I had enjoyed it enough to be looking forward to the next one.
To start with, I didn't understand the characters jobs: they act out the tales and it's implied they do so when their tale is read. So do they do this every time it's read or just when it's written originally...I didn't understand. There were adult characters...teachers, parents, etc...why did we never see how they actually live out their tales instead of just seeing the kids studying to become those characters. Who were the heroes among the adults...no one was fighting dragons in reality, only in exams, no one was going on quests, just plotting secret meetings that involved the world and bureaucracy of Story not some other book. We're told Thornhill is a Villian, but other than teaching the Villiany class and dressing the part, she's not truly a villian...so does she play one in some book? Does everyone is Story appear in a book, because I don't get if they are born and given a part, or if they are created at the writing of the story (which can't be, unless Peter and his siblings were written into his parents story?). I think I've illustrated my confusion there.
I never connected with Una. She does all this 'brave' stuff, but something about her personality never said brave to me. Maybe that was on the set up (which only took two pages) where she wants to sit quietly, be alone, read, daydream, etc, none of which strikes me as a brave person. Granted she told some random hooded kid he was in her spot, which is a little nervy of her in a public place, and imagined throwing him out of it, but that seemed more random daydreaming than as something she might really do. Then she runs away upon first seeing Peter and Snow in the cave. She just never fully development any definable trait...she's alone on the beginning but is she lonely...doesn't seem to be. She's been through 5 foster families...that must have some effect, but all we see is that she kinda wishes she had a family. What is her relationship with Peter...are they friends, putting up with each other for a common goal, they clearly don't have the "crush" type of interactions they try to use with the teachers. And Peter...he seemed to just run frantically from one place to another, giving the same urgency to school tests and the fate of the world or danger to his friends and family. Snow talks about laughing and joking with him, but he didn't seem like fun to me, and his only friend appeared to be a semi-annoying talking cat. Snow on the other hand, displayed some actual emotion and conflicted feelings. But she wan't in the book nearly enough to connect with her as much as I would have liked. If Indy is supposed to be a love interest, then we need to know more about him..so far all he's got going for him is 'mystery' and that's not all that appealing.
And for the action...every place was easy to break into, there were never consequences (spying on a meeting in the woods and got away, eavesdropping in a restaurant and only caught by the chef, lying about where Una came from and no one presses for details, stealing a key to get into a bank box...and so on). I never fully understood the Tale Keepers job, the Tale Masters role which seemed more elected than dictatorial, the pseudo-revolution and the Servents of the King which was never explained well. Then the Muses role was a mystery...okay, so Story is torn as to whether they were good guys or bad guys...but they seems to be the 'gods' of the world so for the characters to turn their backs on them with no real consequences, and the Muses who write the tales seem clueless about what's happening in Story. Then in the end there's this random magic ink that shows up momentarily. In the exams, I sort of understood Peter fighting dragons and saving the Lady to a e a Hero exam, but what the heck was the goal of Una, Indy and Horace's exam? They said something about understanding the Villian, except Horace was the Villian so who was supposed to be doing what on their quest? Nothing about the rules of reality in the world came together for me.
All that being said, I still wanted to know about the interactions between our world and Story...why were people written in from our world at all? The Muses appear in our mythology, so did they leave our world for Story (and if so, why?) or do they straddle the two worlds; did they come on Story or did the create it? If the concept wasn't so interesting, this would go into the 'donate' pile for sure. As it stands, I'll see if the next book fulfills any of the promise of the series and then decide whether to keep this one or toss it...I just wish I had enjoyed it enough to be looking forward to the next one.
May 1, 2012
There's so much to enjoy here--the characters, the setting, the themes, the dialogue... the food!
I enjoyed the way the story unfolds, with a few serious, unexpected plot twists. One twist in particular is so good that it's really hard to recommend the book to a friend without wanting to spill the beans. I won't spill it here, but I love the way that particular twist takes a fun, fanciful tale and leads the reader to ponder issues of identity and relationship from unexpected angles.
Plus there's the delightful mash-up of realms--the convergence of our world and the world on the other side of every good book... the land of Story, where characters are schooled to take roles in books. So fun.
One other thought: Beneath the surface, this book is exploring issues of family, identity, independence, heroism, friendship, failure, redemption. This is a remarkably FUN book, but it's also what I would call a REAL book, not just another genre-lover's fling. It has unexpected depth.
I enjoyed the way the story unfolds, with a few serious, unexpected plot twists. One twist in particular is so good that it's really hard to recommend the book to a friend without wanting to spill the beans. I won't spill it here, but I love the way that particular twist takes a fun, fanciful tale and leads the reader to ponder issues of identity and relationship from unexpected angles.
Plus there's the delightful mash-up of realms--the convergence of our world and the world on the other side of every good book... the land of Story, where characters are schooled to take roles in books. So fun.
One other thought: Beneath the surface, this book is exploring issues of family, identity, independence, heroism, friendship, failure, redemption. This is a remarkably FUN book, but it's also what I would call a REAL book, not just another genre-lover's fling. It has unexpected depth.
March 24, 2025
Old review:
One of my fav MG reads! <3
Edit: GUYS THE AMOUNT OF TIMES I THINK ABOUT THIS BOOK NOW IS INSANE. IT’S SOOO WELL WRITTEN, THE CHARACTERS ARE AMAZINGGG, AND THE WORLD BUILDING IS ✨ INCREDIBLE ✨
PLEASE READ IT!!! IT HAS BOOK-TO-ANOTHER-WORLD ELEMENTS, AND VILLAINS AND HIGH STAKES
AHHH, AND EPIC BATTLES?!!?!?!?! WHAT MORE DO YOU NEEDDDDD
I HONESTLY WISH I COULD READ THIS AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME. I WENT THROUGH ALL THE FEELS AND ORDERED BOOK TWO RIGHT AWAY
I MIGHT REREAD IT….
One of my fav MG reads! <3
Edit: GUYS THE AMOUNT OF TIMES I THINK ABOUT THIS BOOK NOW IS INSANE. IT’S SOOO WELL WRITTEN, THE CHARACTERS ARE AMAZINGGG, AND THE WORLD BUILDING IS ✨ INCREDIBLE ✨
PLEASE READ IT!!! IT HAS BOOK-TO-ANOTHER-WORLD ELEMENTS, AND VILLAINS AND HIGH STAKES
AHHH, AND EPIC BATTLES?!!?!?!?! WHAT MORE DO YOU NEEDDDDD
I HONESTLY WISH I COULD READ THIS AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME. I WENT THROUGH ALL THE FEELS AND ORDERED BOOK TWO RIGHT AWAY
I MIGHT REREAD IT….
July 13, 2012
Originally reviewed here.
Imagine you’re an actor on a long standing television series. Life is good, you have steady work, a steady paycheck, and you’ve gotten to know your character pretty well. And then one day, reading your script for the next episode, you realize something horrible. You’re being written out. Written out! You’re done. How much does that feeling suck?
Now, imagine that you’re a book lover going about your everyday business. One day, while reading, you find yourself suddenly displaced and surrounded by…well…the story. You’ve been written in. Written in! Is that feeling not as elating as the feeling of being written out was crappy? Welcome to the joy of Marissa Burt’s Storybound.
Storybound is one of those incredibly aptly named books that works on many levels, the most literal being that Una is bound for Story, the land where characters are trained for parts, and live out the stories we read. The young (people and talking animals, and I’d assume other creatures as well) go to school to train to become a part. They take classes as heroes, villains, ladies, and more. There appear to be many different areas of Story, but Storybound is concerned with the fantasy realm, wherein those stories we know as fairy tales are enacted. Honestly, even having read it, I’m not 100% clear on how it all works, but here’s the best explanation that I found:
Peter shook his head. “It’s not like that. We don’t read the stories. Oh, we know about the famous characters and all,” he said, and pointed to Lenora, “But it’s people out there, in the land of the Readers who read our Tales.”
Una looked at the pixie’s smiling face. The land of the Readers. Like the one where Una had come from. Like home. “So when someone reads ‘Lenora in Neverland,’ Lenora is acting it out here?”
Peter was staring back at the kitchens. “Right. Although it’s not acting so much as living out a Tale.”
When Una finds herself written in (WI) to Story, it becomes clear to her and her new friend Peter that there is a serious plot afoot. They’re just not sure quite what. There haven’t been any WIs since they were all killed when the Muses broke their oaths and the Tale Keepers took control. Some believe that the Muses are still out there, and that a King will someday return to rule Story, while others jostle for power over the people. Una needs to find out why she’s in Story, and what exactly has happened in the past to bring the land to where it is today.
There were many good aspects of Storybound. It took a whopping six pages to really get into the action, and it didn’t really let up for the duration. Marissa Burt cleverly took elements of two trends that are currently very popular—fairy tale retellings and dystopias—and utilized them in a unique way. The political situation in Story is very like that we see in a dystopian novel. Knowledge is being kept from the masses as a form of control, an inevitable underground rebellion is forming, you know the drill. Match that with the twist of a world where people are raised to perform as the fairy tale characters we all know and love, and you have some fantastic story elements.
Unfortunately, for me, Storybound didn’t really pan out. The plot seemed convoluted, and I can’t quite put my finger on why. I’m not sure if there were too many characters with not enough development, lack of strong enough world building, too complicated of a back-story…I honestly can’t say. It just didn’t really click for me, but I do feel that each of those things played a role. Storybound was a book that didn’t show you the story, it told you the story. I didn’t feel anything because as a reader I wasn’t connected to the characters or their adventures.
The characters to me weren’t logical, their actions and personalities seemed inconsistent to me. For example, Snow seemed like a classic shallow mean girl, but when her ‘depth’ was shown, her mean girl actions made less sense to me. She supposedly genuinely likes Peter, and yet in their school practical she’s snippy, mean, and sits around filing her nails. I understand the concept of putting up a mean front as a shield, but not in this way when alone with someone you both genuinely like and need to succeed for a passing grade to achieve your goals. Then, for a logic example, there is a point during another observed exam, where Una is careful of what she says, knowing it will be recorded, but not careful about what she does. Are actions not recorded as well? Also, when Una is first written in to Story, she is wearing a cape and wielding a knife, and never really seems to bat an eye about this. Where do these objects come from? I get that she’s not a chicken, but she’s cool with knife wielding out of nowhere? I just don’t see it.
Too much about Storybound was inconsistent, or unexplained for me. I think the difference between an okay story and a great story is the ability to evoke emotion in readers, and immerse them in a way that makes them feel part of the story. Ironically, I did not feel like I was in any way written in to Storybound.
Imagine you’re an actor on a long standing television series. Life is good, you have steady work, a steady paycheck, and you’ve gotten to know your character pretty well. And then one day, reading your script for the next episode, you realize something horrible. You’re being written out. Written out! You’re done. How much does that feeling suck?
Now, imagine that you’re a book lover going about your everyday business. One day, while reading, you find yourself suddenly displaced and surrounded by…well…the story. You’ve been written in. Written in! Is that feeling not as elating as the feeling of being written out was crappy? Welcome to the joy of Marissa Burt’s Storybound.
Storybound is one of those incredibly aptly named books that works on many levels, the most literal being that Una is bound for Story, the land where characters are trained for parts, and live out the stories we read. The young (people and talking animals, and I’d assume other creatures as well) go to school to train to become a part. They take classes as heroes, villains, ladies, and more. There appear to be many different areas of Story, but Storybound is concerned with the fantasy realm, wherein those stories we know as fairy tales are enacted. Honestly, even having read it, I’m not 100% clear on how it all works, but here’s the best explanation that I found:
Peter shook his head. “It’s not like that. We don’t read the stories. Oh, we know about the famous characters and all,” he said, and pointed to Lenora, “But it’s people out there, in the land of the Readers who read our Tales.”
Una looked at the pixie’s smiling face. The land of the Readers. Like the one where Una had come from. Like home. “So when someone reads ‘Lenora in Neverland,’ Lenora is acting it out here?”
Peter was staring back at the kitchens. “Right. Although it’s not acting so much as living out a Tale.”
When Una finds herself written in (WI) to Story, it becomes clear to her and her new friend Peter that there is a serious plot afoot. They’re just not sure quite what. There haven’t been any WIs since they were all killed when the Muses broke their oaths and the Tale Keepers took control. Some believe that the Muses are still out there, and that a King will someday return to rule Story, while others jostle for power over the people. Una needs to find out why she’s in Story, and what exactly has happened in the past to bring the land to where it is today.
There were many good aspects of Storybound. It took a whopping six pages to really get into the action, and it didn’t really let up for the duration. Marissa Burt cleverly took elements of two trends that are currently very popular—fairy tale retellings and dystopias—and utilized them in a unique way. The political situation in Story is very like that we see in a dystopian novel. Knowledge is being kept from the masses as a form of control, an inevitable underground rebellion is forming, you know the drill. Match that with the twist of a world where people are raised to perform as the fairy tale characters we all know and love, and you have some fantastic story elements.
Unfortunately, for me, Storybound didn’t really pan out. The plot seemed convoluted, and I can’t quite put my finger on why. I’m not sure if there were too many characters with not enough development, lack of strong enough world building, too complicated of a back-story…I honestly can’t say. It just didn’t really click for me, but I do feel that each of those things played a role. Storybound was a book that didn’t show you the story, it told you the story. I didn’t feel anything because as a reader I wasn’t connected to the characters or their adventures.
The characters to me weren’t logical, their actions and personalities seemed inconsistent to me. For example, Snow seemed like a classic shallow mean girl, but when her ‘depth’ was shown, her mean girl actions made less sense to me. She supposedly genuinely likes Peter, and yet in their school practical she’s snippy, mean, and sits around filing her nails. I understand the concept of putting up a mean front as a shield, but not in this way when alone with someone you both genuinely like and need to succeed for a passing grade to achieve your goals. Then, for a logic example, there is a point during another observed exam, where Una is careful of what she says, knowing it will be recorded, but not careful about what she does. Are actions not recorded as well? Also, when Una is first written in to Story, she is wearing a cape and wielding a knife, and never really seems to bat an eye about this. Where do these objects come from? I get that she’s not a chicken, but she’s cool with knife wielding out of nowhere? I just don’t see it.
Too much about Storybound was inconsistent, or unexplained for me. I think the difference between an okay story and a great story is the ability to evoke emotion in readers, and immerse them in a way that makes them feel part of the story. Ironically, I did not feel like I was in any way written in to Storybound.
April 18, 2012
It was a real treat to read Storybound by Marissa Burt. This YA novel is currently unlocked and the entire text is available to be read on the HarperCollins website. HarperCollins Canada HarperCollins USA Choose the appropriate site and start reading today.
Una is a foster child who has no idea of her history. All she knows is that she has lived in a lot of families yet not been considered a part of any of them. She feels invisible at home and at school. To escape the torments of school, she seeks solace in the library basement. One day she is forced to sit at a different table and ends up reading an unusual book. It is unmarked and untitled. Inside the book it has a title "The Tale of Una Fairchild"; what are the chances that their was another person with the same name.
Somehow, this book magically transports Una to another place/school. In this place, people are referred to as characters, and the students are preparing to become characters in books.
By this point I was totally immersed in this story. I could hardly put it down. How could there be a world where students trained to become the beloved characters as well as the evil villains in the books I read. Wow. Great concept.
I am not going to tell you any more about the story as I don't want to give away a thing. I will say that I did not figure out what was going to happen next and was racing through the book to find out. I didn't want to story to end, but I wanted to know what had happened to create the current situation that pulled Una into that world.
This would be a wonderful story to read with your pre-teen. The cast of characters is quite diverse with heroes, villains, talking animals and ladies in need of rescue, and don't forget Una, who is quite capable of rescuing others. I know my ten year old nephew would love it.
Una is a foster child who has no idea of her history. All she knows is that she has lived in a lot of families yet not been considered a part of any of them. She feels invisible at home and at school. To escape the torments of school, she seeks solace in the library basement. One day she is forced to sit at a different table and ends up reading an unusual book. It is unmarked and untitled. Inside the book it has a title "The Tale of Una Fairchild"; what are the chances that their was another person with the same name.
Somehow, this book magically transports Una to another place/school. In this place, people are referred to as characters, and the students are preparing to become characters in books.
By this point I was totally immersed in this story. I could hardly put it down. How could there be a world where students trained to become the beloved characters as well as the evil villains in the books I read. Wow. Great concept.
I am not going to tell you any more about the story as I don't want to give away a thing. I will say that I did not figure out what was going to happen next and was racing through the book to find out. I didn't want to story to end, but I wanted to know what had happened to create the current situation that pulled Una into that world.
This would be a wonderful story to read with your pre-teen. The cast of characters is quite diverse with heroes, villains, talking animals and ladies in need of rescue, and don't forget Una, who is quite capable of rescuing others. I know my ten year old nephew would love it.
March 27, 2012
REVIEW ORIGINALLY POSTED http://bookalicious.org/2012/03/revie...
Storybound by Marissa Burt is the perfect book for lovers of middle grade fantasy and adventure. From the first few chapters, the reader will be sucked into the land of Story, just as Una Fairchild is.
Marissa Burt did a great job building the characters in Storybound. There were a lot of characters, but none of them ended up falling flat – each had their own story to add. Una Fairchild, the confused protagonist lost in a strange world and there’s Peter who desperately trying to live up to his family name and be a hero. And of course his family with their secrets, and Sam the sarcastic cat. It’s even hard not to love Snow, the mean girl from a broken home.
Despite the various point of view changes throughout Storybound – often without warning – it’s easy enough to follow along. In fact, the changes in point of view actually make sense and make up a necessary element of Storybound.
The worldbuilding and storytelling in Storybound was done wonderfully. There’s so many fantastical elements that make up the land of Story and all the rules that go along with it. Muses, tale keepers, villains, heroes, ladies, etc – each had an important role to play but Marissa Burt was able to build it all up without overwhelming the reader.
Any lover of fairy tales is bound to enjoy Storybound by Marissa Burt. Storybound is engaging and full of mysteries and adventure, as well as beautiful world building and characters that you can’t help but love.
Storybound by Marissa Burt is the perfect book for lovers of middle grade fantasy and adventure. From the first few chapters, the reader will be sucked into the land of Story, just as Una Fairchild is.
Marissa Burt did a great job building the characters in Storybound. There were a lot of characters, but none of them ended up falling flat – each had their own story to add. Una Fairchild, the confused protagonist lost in a strange world and there’s Peter who desperately trying to live up to his family name and be a hero. And of course his family with their secrets, and Sam the sarcastic cat. It’s even hard not to love Snow, the mean girl from a broken home.
Despite the various point of view changes throughout Storybound – often without warning – it’s easy enough to follow along. In fact, the changes in point of view actually make sense and make up a necessary element of Storybound.
The worldbuilding and storytelling in Storybound was done wonderfully. There’s so many fantastical elements that make up the land of Story and all the rules that go along with it. Muses, tale keepers, villains, heroes, ladies, etc – each had an important role to play but Marissa Burt was able to build it all up without overwhelming the reader.
Any lover of fairy tales is bound to enjoy Storybound by Marissa Burt. Storybound is engaging and full of mysteries and adventure, as well as beautiful world building and characters that you can’t help but love.
May 5, 2012
I loved this middle grade book! The story swept me away to another world right from the beginning! Una finds a book and opens it. Inside it says The Tale of Una Fairchild. That is her! She begins to read the book and soon she finds herself in the story! I love the land of Story and all of the characters who live there! The element of mystery was wonderful and I found myself reading and reading! For a 400 plus page book, it went by so fast! There was a twist that I never saw coming and endearing characters that I can’t wait to read more about! I hope that Marissa Burt is writing fast because I need to find out what happens in book two! An awesome read that will leave you wanting more, Storybound is a must read for a kid or adult of any age!
March 26, 2012
THREE WORDS: a Fantasically Enchanting Adventure
MY REVIEW: Marissa Burt’s Storybound has enchanted me so completely! This book swept me away on a grand and epic adventure filled with edge of your seat action, fascinating characters, and a wonderfully whimsical world.
Twelve-year old Una Fairchild has never felt like she fits in, not at school or in the various foster homes she’s been through, and when she’s magically pulled into a mysterious book and into the world of Story, Una believes she’s once again been placed somewhere she just doesn’t belong. But Una soon learns from her new friend Peter that her arrival in Story wasn’t accidental, she was Written In by someone. Like all kids in Story, Peter is in school training to be a character because that’s what the citizens of Story are- characters (heroes, villains, sidekicks, ladies, cowboys, wizards, oh my!) in tales, tales that people in our world read. There hasn’t been a WI (a Written In) since the days of the Muses (believed to be enemies of Story) and Peter must protect Una’s true identity. Una finds herself caught up in an epic battle for Story and must figure out who the true villains are. And along the way, Una just may find out who she really is and where she belongs.
Marissa Burt has created a delightfully original and captivating fantasy that had me completely engrossed from beginning to end. Burt’s world of Story is superbly developed, her main character, Una, shines and her action packed story had me eagerly turning pages into the wee hours of the morning (I couldn’t put the book down).
The idea behind the world of Story is so refreshing and fun! The world of Story is vivid, fantastical and imaginative. I loved discovering all the different sections of Story with Una, from the very fairytale-esque Perrault (school) to the bustling, modern City Hub, and learning about all the different types of characters, from Heroes to Villains and even talking animals or mythological beasts. The world Burt has created is a wonderful blend of the whimsical and the dark, the traditional and the modern.
Una is a fabulous character and I really loved her. She’s clever, witty and brave, and also a little reckless and tends to speak without thinking, but I think this makes her relatable and believable. I really connected with Una, especially with her love of books, and really felt her longing and desire to belong somewhere. Peter proves to be a truly heroic and loyal character and friend to Una; there���s something very endearing about their friendship and together the two make for an awesome pair. There are plenty of other really fun characters too- Sam, a talking cat; Snow, the mean girl at Perrault; Endeavor, the mysterious boy that might just make Una blush; Professor Thornhill, the Villainy teacher who may be a villain or may be a friend and many more!
Una’s adventures are full of surprises, unexpected revelations and friends that turn into foes and foes that just may be friends. The battle for Story is epically exciting and the last couple of chapters literally had me breathless and guessing till the very end…and what a shocking ending!
MY FINAL THOUGHTS: I loved falling into the world of Story with Una and joining her on this enchanting and fantastical adventure. Storybound is a charming fantasy story that readers of all ages will fall in love with and I cannot wait until I can read the sequel. A MUST read!
Read more reviews at Word Spelunking
MY REVIEW: Marissa Burt’s Storybound has enchanted me so completely! This book swept me away on a grand and epic adventure filled with edge of your seat action, fascinating characters, and a wonderfully whimsical world.
Twelve-year old Una Fairchild has never felt like she fits in, not at school or in the various foster homes she’s been through, and when she’s magically pulled into a mysterious book and into the world of Story, Una believes she’s once again been placed somewhere she just doesn’t belong. But Una soon learns from her new friend Peter that her arrival in Story wasn’t accidental, she was Written In by someone. Like all kids in Story, Peter is in school training to be a character because that’s what the citizens of Story are- characters (heroes, villains, sidekicks, ladies, cowboys, wizards, oh my!) in tales, tales that people in our world read. There hasn’t been a WI (a Written In) since the days of the Muses (believed to be enemies of Story) and Peter must protect Una’s true identity. Una finds herself caught up in an epic battle for Story and must figure out who the true villains are. And along the way, Una just may find out who she really is and where she belongs.
Marissa Burt has created a delightfully original and captivating fantasy that had me completely engrossed from beginning to end. Burt’s world of Story is superbly developed, her main character, Una, shines and her action packed story had me eagerly turning pages into the wee hours of the morning (I couldn’t put the book down).
The idea behind the world of Story is so refreshing and fun! The world of Story is vivid, fantastical and imaginative. I loved discovering all the different sections of Story with Una, from the very fairytale-esque Perrault (school) to the bustling, modern City Hub, and learning about all the different types of characters, from Heroes to Villains and even talking animals or mythological beasts. The world Burt has created is a wonderful blend of the whimsical and the dark, the traditional and the modern.
Una is a fabulous character and I really loved her. She’s clever, witty and brave, and also a little reckless and tends to speak without thinking, but I think this makes her relatable and believable. I really connected with Una, especially with her love of books, and really felt her longing and desire to belong somewhere. Peter proves to be a truly heroic and loyal character and friend to Una; there���s something very endearing about their friendship and together the two make for an awesome pair. There are plenty of other really fun characters too- Sam, a talking cat; Snow, the mean girl at Perrault; Endeavor, the mysterious boy that might just make Una blush; Professor Thornhill, the Villainy teacher who may be a villain or may be a friend and many more!
Una’s adventures are full of surprises, unexpected revelations and friends that turn into foes and foes that just may be friends. The battle for Story is epically exciting and the last couple of chapters literally had me breathless and guessing till the very end…and what a shocking ending!
MY FINAL THOUGHTS: I loved falling into the world of Story with Una and joining her on this enchanting and fantastical adventure. Storybound is a charming fantasy story that readers of all ages will fall in love with and I cannot wait until I can read the sequel. A MUST read!
Read more reviews at Word Spelunking
April 10, 2012
Storybound gives a fun and unique take on how all of our favorite stories have been created: from Fairy Tales to Pirate Lore to Cowboy Westerns. They're all created in the world of Story. When a girl from our world enters Story, however, everything begins to change. Una Fairchild finds herself transported from her school to a school in Story, where her fellow students are training to become characters: Heroes, Villains, Ladies, even Sidekicks and Beasts. She must learn who to trust as she tries to figure out why she was brought to Story in the first place, and how she can help its enemies from destroying the world completely.
Storybound is refreshing in that, while it is a middle grade novel, it is not written down for children. Many times when I read books geared for such a young audience, there is a certain self-consciousness to the book; I am never unaware that I am, in fact, reading a book. Storybound allowed me to fully immerse in the world Burt created. The descriptions of Story are vivid, and the characters all have plenty of nuance. For a book that deals with the stereotypes of stories, her characters have many shades of gray that make them real.
The language and syntax is simple enough for children to read, but as a parent and an English teacher, I was happy to see a handful of words that might encourage young hands to reach for a dictionary. The twists in the plot found the balance of holding the attention of older readers, while not confusing its intended audience.
I eagerly await its sequel.
Storybound is refreshing in that, while it is a middle grade novel, it is not written down for children. Many times when I read books geared for such a young audience, there is a certain self-consciousness to the book; I am never unaware that I am, in fact, reading a book. Storybound allowed me to fully immerse in the world Burt created. The descriptions of Story are vivid, and the characters all have plenty of nuance. For a book that deals with the stereotypes of stories, her characters have many shades of gray that make them real.
The language and syntax is simple enough for children to read, but as a parent and an English teacher, I was happy to see a handful of words that might encourage young hands to reach for a dictionary. The twists in the plot found the balance of holding the attention of older readers, while not confusing its intended audience.
I eagerly await its sequel.
October 4, 2012
3.5 stars.
Favorite aspects: Heroics practical, Villainy practical, Snow, Professor Thornhill, atmosphere, friendships, WIs, etc.
The atmosphere of the book, as stated above, was one of my favorite things. The fairytale world, the characters within, and the overlying storyline of the Muses and their books, are all nicely woven together with likable characters throughout, a pinch of humor, a smidgen of suspense, and a hint of things to come.
I absolutely LOVED getting into Snow's head. I am sensing a complex character whose backstory *giggle* I can't wait to delve into.
And Professor Thornhill! More, I say! More!
Una was a lovely main character who I would love more development for.
Peter was also a good character. I would like more on him as well too.
I am a demanding character reader and this could be a book series that, providing I get what I want *cough*backstory*cough*development*cough*, I would be glad to recommend to all. But I require much more development than what we got in this.
I dearly hope that all unanswered plot points get answered in future book(s)? Does anyone know how many books are planned? Quite interested to know.
It was quite enjoyable and fun to read. Lovely MG book for all ages.
Eagerly awaiting the sequel, Story's End.
Favorite aspects: Heroics practical, Villainy practical, Snow, Professor Thornhill, atmosphere, friendships, WIs, etc.
The atmosphere of the book, as stated above, was one of my favorite things. The fairytale world, the characters within, and the overlying storyline of the Muses and their books, are all nicely woven together with likable characters throughout, a pinch of humor, a smidgen of suspense, and a hint of things to come.
I absolutely LOVED getting into Snow's head. I am sensing a complex character whose backstory *giggle* I can't wait to delve into.
And Professor Thornhill! More, I say! More!
Una was a lovely main character who I would love more development for.
Peter was also a good character. I would like more on him as well too.
I am a demanding character reader and this could be a book series that, providing I get what I want *cough*backstory*cough*development*cough*, I would be glad to recommend to all. But I require much more development than what we got in this.
I dearly hope that all unanswered plot points get answered in future book(s)? Does anyone know how many books are planned? Quite interested to know.
It was quite enjoyable and fun to read. Lovely MG book for all ages.
Eagerly awaiting the sequel, Story's End.
January 6, 2013
4.5 stars
Una felt invisible to the world, and life as a foster child only accentuated how much she could phase out. Her favorite place is the school library where she can escape the feeling of invisibility and get lost in a different world every time she opened a book.
One day instead of getting lost in a book she gets sucked into one, here starts the story of Una in the land of Story where kids her age study to become characters of stories we grew to love. Now she must learn not to stand out, because things aren't perfect in Story and that truth may be lost along with the hope of bringin the land of Story back to health.
Storybound is categorized as a children's book, but I think that is just limitint the number of people that will give this book a chance. This is a book that both adults and kids can enjoy with out feeling that you are falling into a typical kids book where the story can be predictable or maybe find the characters lacking something that you feel you could find outside the children's section.
The only reason this book doesn't get a top mark is because of the way it ended, it gives you the flow to want to read book 2 but I feel it had other opportunities to maybe end in an awesome cliffhanger or in a place that would have left us with more of an impact and making it more memorable to all.
Una felt invisible to the world, and life as a foster child only accentuated how much she could phase out. Her favorite place is the school library where she can escape the feeling of invisibility and get lost in a different world every time she opened a book.
One day instead of getting lost in a book she gets sucked into one, here starts the story of Una in the land of Story where kids her age study to become characters of stories we grew to love. Now she must learn not to stand out, because things aren't perfect in Story and that truth may be lost along with the hope of bringin the land of Story back to health.
Storybound is categorized as a children's book, but I think that is just limitint the number of people that will give this book a chance. This is a book that both adults and kids can enjoy with out feeling that you are falling into a typical kids book where the story can be predictable or maybe find the characters lacking something that you feel you could find outside the children's section.
The only reason this book doesn't get a top mark is because of the way it ended, it gives you the flow to want to read book 2 but I feel it had other opportunities to maybe end in an awesome cliffhanger or in a place that would have left us with more of an impact and making it more memorable to all.
April 18, 2012
Okay, so I thought that since it said Neverending Story on the back, that I would NOT like it. Because I thought the movie (I think that's what it was) for the Neverending Story was weird and annoying. But when I finally got past the beginning and all the boring stuff and it got to the action I really liked it! It was kinda cheesy how the main girl's name is Una Fairchild... like, that's kinda weird. But the character in general was cool. She was brave, smart, kind, and clever, and she always came up with cool ideas. I liked how they were all training to be characters, like how we learn to read, they learn to provide the story. One thing I thought was cool, is the old rulers of Story, and how they are kinda like the gods and goddesses of Percy Jackson, but in this book they're imprisoned and everyone hates them... except a few who think they are innocent. Well, I'd better not give away too much... that wouldn't be very good. My favorite character was Endeavor Truepenny. He was kinda mysterious at first, but then he and Una kinda get to know each other.. and I think they would be perfect together!!! Even though Peter and her were kinda cute together he has Snow. Anyway, this book was really clean and there was really nothing even a little bad!
-Faith
Reading Tween
-Faith
Reading Tween
May 21, 2012
First of all....Dammit! The sequel to this book doesn't even come out until next April. That said, I thought the idea for this story was very interesting. A girl pulled into a world where storybook characters practice to become the characters that we, in the world of Readers, read about everyday. The beginning is alittle slow and I wish there was more to Una's backstory that is available in the beginning other than "Oh she's an orphan and has had terrible foster homes and hides in the library basement during lunch." Once she enters Story then the writing actually picks up and the tale becomes very engaging. This is definitely in the realm of Inkheart, although I would be leaning towards Inkheart as the more superior tale, however I do appreciate the ingenuity in this story. I think that it is the type of book that can be appealing to all levels of readers, and might be a good recommendation for children who have a hard time engaging in stories or who dislike reading. I am eagerly awaiting Story's End and will certainly recommend this book for this summer's reading programs.
January 28, 2020
Love this book very much! You really get sucked into the story! It reminded me a little bit of an allegory, and it also ends on a big cliff-hanger! Once you start reading this book, you won’t want to stop!
May 1, 2012
First in the Storybound fantasy series for children.
My Take
Burt has a cute idea here that I would have enjoyed more if she'd been a bit more intelligent with it. There were too many spots where I felt Burt was being condescending. I think Burt is hoping to create the next Harry Potter with this, but the story is too simplistic and doesn't provide enough credit to children's intelligence. The drama is there, but there's no depth to it. It's more that Storybound has some great bones, but Burt didn't bother to flesh them out. There are too many little jumps without a segue. Mr. Elton sics Snow on Una, but there's no heat there. It's all talk. The opportunity with the unicorns just fizzles. The attack by Gog and Magog is almost good.
I did enjoy the initial confrontation for Una, Peter, and Snow as it provides us with a wealth of information about this new world without sounding like an info dump. Burt put some effort into the classes and the details she provides on them---Sam loves the Eating class! The little day-to-day details like magazine articles and the crowds in lunchrooms and tea shops.
How stupid is it that Una brings an extremely valuable book on an exam? And falls asleep with it in her arms when she has the watch?? I'm really confused over the whole Muse book thing. At one point, Burt is saying that the Muses are simply bound and then in another Alethia says she is the only one left. The only one left unbound? Or alive? Or…?
The Story
It's all these jerky guys in cloaks who are snagging places to sit in the basement library. What is the deal with these guys? All Una wants is a quiet place to read and their presence is forcing her into a different part of the library. But then if she hadn't been pushed, she wouldn't have found the book on The Tale of Una Fairchild.
A tale that forces her into a new world, where Una falls into a hero's practical test. A totally confusing time as Peter and Una try to figure out where she fits while Snow simply humphs about. It's the possibility that Una has been Written In that causes them to tread carefully. For Written In characters were the helpers of the Muses, the oathbreakers who caused so many to die. What might they do to Una if they knew!
It's Peter's detention the next morning that brings the next clue when Red appears and threatens Mr. Elton. Then Peter and Una discover the Resistance, the return of the King, and that perhaps the Muses aren't really gone.
The Characters
Una Fairchild has been in foster care and seen too many different foster homes for all she can remember of her life. Mrs. McDonough's is the best place she's been yet because she ignores Una and Una can be alone. Really alone.
Peter Merriweather is one of the students at St. Anselm's and he's taking his hero's practical when Una falls into his and Snow's test. He takes Una home to visit his family one weekend. There's Oliver the youngest brother, Rosemary the baby, Bastian and Rufus are ten and seven, Trix the cook, and his parents.
Snow Wooton is another student and she's playing the role of the Lady---I think she needs more work on the "lady" part. The forest creatures who are forced to work for her can certainly attest to that! For some reason she doesn't live with her mother, but with her Aunt Becky and uncle who treat her very poorly---almost Cinderella-ish. Horace Wooton is her nasty little cousin.
Sam is the talking cat Una rescues from a nasty group of boys. Wilfred Truepenny with his son Endeavor. Griselda is a dryad who has lost her tree.
The instructors include Professor Edenberry who is Outdoor Experiential Questing; Professor Thornhill is Snow's extremely detached mother and in charge of Villainy---the test on the villain's laugh had potential; Professor Roderick is Heroics; and, Mrs. Underwood is a substitute;
Archimago Mores is the hero who stopped the Muses and saved Story from their evil plotting. Fidelus was one of the Muses and he didn't want to lose his power and become less.
Muses create the books of the stories. Characters can only be Written In by the Muses and with the current climate of feeling, this is a very bad thing. Talekeepers keep the existing stock of books in a vault to keep them safe while the Tale Master, Mr. Elton, has put a spell on them to prevent anyone from reading them. Elton is also forcing Snow to spy on Una. Red, a.k.a., Duessa, was Fidelus' lover and she is heavily covered but obviously evil as she forces Elton to do as she wishes.
The Cover
The cover has a textured burgundy background which is the least of it. The blue-silver vine border simply ties together the title, author's name, and the oval frame which cannot hold the gigantic tree that is spilling forth out of the oval. A tree that is lit up with fairy lights, hosting small critters in its branches, and a beautiful pair of double doors that are either engraved metal panels or etched glass. Larger lights are on either side and above the doors welcoming Peter, Sam and Una as they walk up the steps to find dinner.
We are indeed Storybound, bound for the land of Story where, at least, the characters originate.
My Take
Burt has a cute idea here that I would have enjoyed more if she'd been a bit more intelligent with it. There were too many spots where I felt Burt was being condescending. I think Burt is hoping to create the next Harry Potter with this, but the story is too simplistic and doesn't provide enough credit to children's intelligence. The drama is there, but there's no depth to it. It's more that Storybound has some great bones, but Burt didn't bother to flesh them out. There are too many little jumps without a segue. Mr. Elton sics Snow on Una, but there's no heat there. It's all talk. The opportunity with the unicorns just fizzles. The attack by Gog and Magog is almost good.
I did enjoy the initial confrontation for Una, Peter, and Snow as it provides us with a wealth of information about this new world without sounding like an info dump. Burt put some effort into the classes and the details she provides on them---Sam loves the Eating class! The little day-to-day details like magazine articles and the crowds in lunchrooms and tea shops.
How stupid is it that Una brings an extremely valuable book on an exam? And falls asleep with it in her arms when she has the watch?? I'm really confused over the whole Muse book thing. At one point, Burt is saying that the Muses are simply bound and then in another Alethia says she is the only one left. The only one left unbound? Or alive? Or…?
The Story
It's all these jerky guys in cloaks who are snagging places to sit in the basement library. What is the deal with these guys? All Una wants is a quiet place to read and their presence is forcing her into a different part of the library. But then if she hadn't been pushed, she wouldn't have found the book on The Tale of Una Fairchild.
A tale that forces her into a new world, where Una falls into a hero's practical test. A totally confusing time as Peter and Una try to figure out where she fits while Snow simply humphs about. It's the possibility that Una has been Written In that causes them to tread carefully. For Written In characters were the helpers of the Muses, the oathbreakers who caused so many to die. What might they do to Una if they knew!
It's Peter's detention the next morning that brings the next clue when Red appears and threatens Mr. Elton. Then Peter and Una discover the Resistance, the return of the King, and that perhaps the Muses aren't really gone.
The Characters
Una Fairchild has been in foster care and seen too many different foster homes for all she can remember of her life. Mrs. McDonough's is the best place she's been yet because she ignores Una and Una can be alone. Really alone.
Peter Merriweather is one of the students at St. Anselm's and he's taking his hero's practical when Una falls into his and Snow's test. He takes Una home to visit his family one weekend. There's Oliver the youngest brother, Rosemary the baby, Bastian and Rufus are ten and seven, Trix the cook, and his parents.
Snow Wooton is another student and she's playing the role of the Lady---I think she needs more work on the "lady" part. The forest creatures who are forced to work for her can certainly attest to that! For some reason she doesn't live with her mother, but with her Aunt Becky and uncle who treat her very poorly---almost Cinderella-ish. Horace Wooton is her nasty little cousin.
Sam is the talking cat Una rescues from a nasty group of boys. Wilfred Truepenny with his son Endeavor. Griselda is a dryad who has lost her tree.
The instructors include Professor Edenberry who is Outdoor Experiential Questing; Professor Thornhill is Snow's extremely detached mother and in charge of Villainy---the test on the villain's laugh had potential; Professor Roderick is Heroics; and, Mrs. Underwood is a substitute;
Archimago Mores is the hero who stopped the Muses and saved Story from their evil plotting. Fidelus was one of the Muses and he didn't want to lose his power and become less.
Muses create the books of the stories. Characters can only be Written In by the Muses and with the current climate of feeling, this is a very bad thing. Talekeepers keep the existing stock of books in a vault to keep them safe while the Tale Master, Mr. Elton, has put a spell on them to prevent anyone from reading them. Elton is also forcing Snow to spy on Una. Red, a.k.a., Duessa, was Fidelus' lover and she is heavily covered but obviously evil as she forces Elton to do as she wishes.
The Cover
The cover has a textured burgundy background which is the least of it. The blue-silver vine border simply ties together the title, author's name, and the oval frame which cannot hold the gigantic tree that is spilling forth out of the oval. A tree that is lit up with fairy lights, hosting small critters in its branches, and a beautiful pair of double doors that are either engraved metal panels or etched glass. Larger lights are on either side and above the doors welcoming Peter, Sam and Una as they walk up the steps to find dinner.
We are indeed Storybound, bound for the land of Story where, at least, the characters originate.
February 14, 2019
This book is about a girl named Una, who became a WI (someone written into the stories, the WIs were all killed and haven't appeared in years) in the story. She was just a normal girl who is immersive in reading everyday. She was sitting in the corner of the library enjoying her time, suddenly, she was written into the book she was reading. Second time she woke up, she found herself in a exam, and met Peter, who helped the way back home. This is a fantasy and adventure book.
October 3, 2023
It was amazing and definitely not something I would have picked up today if I had not read it before. The story and land of Story is exiting and interesting. The plot twist takes you by surprise and the characters are charming. It is definitely a book that many of my friends would DNF (something I don’t get) but I think many people who like books like the magisterium series would love it.
May 22, 2012
I knew I needed this book when I saw the cover. And especially when I read the summary. I have started to love middle grade books a whole lot lately. Just love reading them so much. Before I managed to order it, though, I won a signed copy! And I was so happy about that :D Won lots of other swag too, that I love way too much. It arrived this week; and I just needed to read it right away. I'm glad I did. :) Mostly.
I fell in love with this book right away. Just like I knew I would. The writing is perfect, the characters are amazing, and the story is stunning. A perfect middle grade fantasy book. It has it all. Action, suspense, adventure, sweet moments. And bad moments. I mostly loved this book, though. But I did hate some things about the ending; which is why it is only a four star to me :\ But a big four star!
I'm not sure how to talk about this book without spoiling it. And I don't want to do that. Storybound is like a fairytale. Well, it is a Story. And Story is it's own land different from our land. Don't wanna spoil it, but it is amazing. It is beautiful there. And so different. But so good and amazing and exciting. It is fun to read about. But also a bit sad. Mostly exciting, though. There is so much to learn.
Won't talk more about the plot; since you can read the summary. :) I loved the characters in this book. It is one of the things that made me love it. Because the characters are very lovable. Every one. Well, except for the bad guys. But those don't count :D First there is Una. The main character. And she is adorable. She is a child, but I loved her. She seems older at times, but sometimes a child ;p
But even so. She is broken. In a way. She is sad and lonely and my heart broke so much for her. But she is also really kind and sweet and strong in her own way. And brave. She is an amazing character. The first friend she makes is Peter. And omg. I loved Peter. Wish he was a bit older; but I still loved him so much. He is kind and sweet and strong and amazing. He is perfect.
And I kept wishing for a romance between him and Una. And that is probably silly of me; since they are about twelve years old. (A) But then. 12 year olds can be girlfriends-boyfriends, can't they? I at least wanted them to be more than friends. But I adored their friendship. It was so cute and real. Then there is Sam; the talking cat. He was awesome. A bit different, but so sweet. Loved him.
Then there was Snow. She seemed so mean, but I loved her. Because she too was broken. As was her mother. And it was all just so horrible. Because something happens, and then the book ends end we never find out what happened next. And I just need to know what happens. I need to know. Really need to. Still, I loved it all. These characters made the story so good. :)
There was some other amazing characters as well. But then there was Indy. We knew about him near the end. And I hated him from the beginning. I shouldn't have. Probably not. But I felt like he was stealing Una away from Peter. It felt like such a love triangle. Even though it is a middle grade book with no romance. But I still felt it. Because Una seems more aware of Indy and I am hating it.
And I just cannot stop thinking about it, and it is making me so sad. Just wish it won't be so. I need Una and Peter back together. As best friends, at least. Without Indy being there. Okay? :D Anyway! I really loved this book. It is cute, and exciting, and sad. It has some really heartbreaking moments. But I loved them all. It is a must read book. You will not regret it.
I know this review is shorter than the ones I have written these past weeks o.O But I just can't figure out what else to say about this book. I just loved it. And I don't want to spoil it. Storybound is an magical book. It has it all. Well, except the romance since it's a middle grade book ;p But I loved it, still.
I fell in love with this book right away. Just like I knew I would. The writing is perfect, the characters are amazing, and the story is stunning. A perfect middle grade fantasy book. It has it all. Action, suspense, adventure, sweet moments. And bad moments. I mostly loved this book, though. But I did hate some things about the ending; which is why it is only a four star to me :\ But a big four star!
I'm not sure how to talk about this book without spoiling it. And I don't want to do that. Storybound is like a fairytale. Well, it is a Story. And Story is it's own land different from our land. Don't wanna spoil it, but it is amazing. It is beautiful there. And so different. But so good and amazing and exciting. It is fun to read about. But also a bit sad. Mostly exciting, though. There is so much to learn.
Won't talk more about the plot; since you can read the summary. :) I loved the characters in this book. It is one of the things that made me love it. Because the characters are very lovable. Every one. Well, except for the bad guys. But those don't count :D First there is Una. The main character. And she is adorable. She is a child, but I loved her. She seems older at times, but sometimes a child ;p
But even so. She is broken. In a way. She is sad and lonely and my heart broke so much for her. But she is also really kind and sweet and strong in her own way. And brave. She is an amazing character. The first friend she makes is Peter. And omg. I loved Peter. Wish he was a bit older; but I still loved him so much. He is kind and sweet and strong and amazing. He is perfect.
And I kept wishing for a romance between him and Una. And that is probably silly of me; since they are about twelve years old. (A) But then. 12 year olds can be girlfriends-boyfriends, can't they? I at least wanted them to be more than friends. But I adored their friendship. It was so cute and real. Then there is Sam; the talking cat. He was awesome. A bit different, but so sweet. Loved him.
Then there was Snow. She seemed so mean, but I loved her. Because she too was broken. As was her mother. And it was all just so horrible. Because something happens, and then the book ends end we never find out what happened next. And I just need to know what happens. I need to know. Really need to. Still, I loved it all. These characters made the story so good. :)
There was some other amazing characters as well. But then there was Indy. We knew about him near the end. And I hated him from the beginning. I shouldn't have. Probably not. But I felt like he was stealing Una away from Peter. It felt like such a love triangle. Even though it is a middle grade book with no romance. But I still felt it. Because Una seems more aware of Indy and I am hating it.
And I just cannot stop thinking about it, and it is making me so sad. Just wish it won't be so. I need Una and Peter back together. As best friends, at least. Without Indy being there. Okay? :D Anyway! I really loved this book. It is cute, and exciting, and sad. It has some really heartbreaking moments. But I loved them all. It is a must read book. You will not regret it.
I know this review is shorter than the ones I have written these past weeks o.O But I just can't figure out what else to say about this book. I just loved it. And I don't want to spoil it. Storybound is an magical book. It has it all. Well, except the romance since it's a middle grade book ;p But I loved it, still.
Read
August 24, 2012When I first picked up STORYBOUND, I labored under the misconception that a girl from our world finds a book and is sucked into a world full of fairy tales. I was both right and wrong. While Una Fairchild is indeed sucked into the world of Story, she doesn't run into any fairy tale characters. The princes and princesses and villains of the fairy tales we know and love did in fact live and exist at one point in time, but long before Una arrived in Story. Now, everyone trains to be characters, taking classes such as Villainy and Heroics. They can train to be heroes, villains, princesses, ladies, sidekicks, etc. Even animals get to train and go to school to learn how to be characters. Like in Narnia, there are both smart and dumb animals in the world of Story.
I'd loved this creative spin on storybook characters. It reminded me a little of the way book characters come to life in the upcoming teen novel BETWEEN THE LINES by Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha van Leer, which I'll be reviewing next Friday (Along with--SURPRISE!!--An interview with the authors! I'm super excited to share this book with you, so please come back next Friday!). Having read BETWEEN THE LINES first, the concept of storybook characters coming to life and being different outside the story wasn't a novel concept to me, though the way the two books explore the theme is completely different, and both are captivating in their own way. STORYBOUND also reminds me a bit of INKHEART, which also shows the interaction between our world and a storybook world. With STORYBOUND, I loved seeing the way characters attended class and learned how to become a character for a story. I thought that concept was unique, and was eager to see the topics they studied, much as I enjoy sitting in on Spy Classes whenever I read Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls books. It's always fun to see something so supremely different from our own mundane classes.
Like any good middle-grade novel worth its salt, STORYBOUND isn't all fun and laughter. From the get-go, the story is fraught with danger. Upon realizing that Una is from the world of Readers and has been Written In, training hero Peter tries his best to keep the truth from The Talekeepers, who have the power to wipe a WI out of existence. Ever since the Muses were overthrown, there have been no newly-written stories, and not Written In characters. Una's very existence in the world of Story is a dangerous one. As Una and Peter research how Una came to be in Story, they discover a sinister plot that will change the fundamental world of Story. The book takes a dark turn that will leave readers surging ahead to see what happens next. I didn't even realize STORYBOUND wasn't a stand-alone until I hit the last page and realized that the book was over. I'll be eager to read STORY'S END next year to see how everything pulls together.
I was impressed with the world-building and the way characters aren't always as they seem. I can't wait to see the development of certain characters continue in the next book. I'm also impressed with the way Marissa Burt reveals how and why Una came to be in Story. It wasn't anything I expected, and the answer isn't like anything I can recall seeing. It is, however, impressive that Burt goes where she does to create this answer, and I can't wait to find out what happens next!
I'd loved this creative spin on storybook characters. It reminded me a little of the way book characters come to life in the upcoming teen novel BETWEEN THE LINES by Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha van Leer, which I'll be reviewing next Friday (Along with--SURPRISE!!--An interview with the authors! I'm super excited to share this book with you, so please come back next Friday!). Having read BETWEEN THE LINES first, the concept of storybook characters coming to life and being different outside the story wasn't a novel concept to me, though the way the two books explore the theme is completely different, and both are captivating in their own way. STORYBOUND also reminds me a bit of INKHEART, which also shows the interaction between our world and a storybook world. With STORYBOUND, I loved seeing the way characters attended class and learned how to become a character for a story. I thought that concept was unique, and was eager to see the topics they studied, much as I enjoy sitting in on Spy Classes whenever I read Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls books. It's always fun to see something so supremely different from our own mundane classes.
Like any good middle-grade novel worth its salt, STORYBOUND isn't all fun and laughter. From the get-go, the story is fraught with danger. Upon realizing that Una is from the world of Readers and has been Written In, training hero Peter tries his best to keep the truth from The Talekeepers, who have the power to wipe a WI out of existence. Ever since the Muses were overthrown, there have been no newly-written stories, and not Written In characters. Una's very existence in the world of Story is a dangerous one. As Una and Peter research how Una came to be in Story, they discover a sinister plot that will change the fundamental world of Story. The book takes a dark turn that will leave readers surging ahead to see what happens next. I didn't even realize STORYBOUND wasn't a stand-alone until I hit the last page and realized that the book was over. I'll be eager to read STORY'S END next year to see how everything pulls together.
I was impressed with the world-building and the way characters aren't always as they seem. I can't wait to see the development of certain characters continue in the next book. I'm also impressed with the way Marissa Burt reveals how and why Una came to be in Story. It wasn't anything I expected, and the answer isn't like anything I can recall seeing. It is, however, impressive that Burt goes where she does to create this answer, and I can't wait to find out what happens next!
April 3, 2012
Check out all my reviews at http://www.flyleafreview.com
Storybound by Marissa Burt was the first book I was sent to review as part of the DAC ARC Tour, so I was doubly excited when the book arrived, straight from the author with a very cute owl-themed note card saying hello. One of the main reasons I wanted to read the book was because it is a MG book, and I have a 9 year old son who is really into reading. I was hoping that we could read and review the book jointly. But the book is quite big, 416 pages, and he wasn't able to read it in the time I was allotted before I had to send it on to the next person in the tour. And I would have liked his perspective because while I really enjoyed certain aspects of Storybound, it unfortunately didn't pan out to be the book I had hoped for. So let's hit the parts I enjoyed first, then I'll present the other side:
The premise of this book, a lonely bookish girl who has been moved in and out of foster homes her whole life, finds herself magically transported to the world of Story where all the characters in our favorite stories live studying and training to be the heroes, villains and monsters that we read about in our world. The MC, Una, has been Written In, meaning someone from Story has found a way to write her into a story and bring her over. This is something that hasn't been done for as long as anyone can remember, and presents one of many mysteries Una must try to unravel in order to return home to the "real" world. While being transported to a fantasy world may not be original, the concept of being Written In (and Written Out) is. I thought this was pretty clever and really admire Burt's imaginative ideas.
The world of Story was pretty cool as well. The characters in Story were divided by genre, there were people from Fantasy, Modern and so on. The kids in Story go to a magical boarding school (a lá Hogwarts) where they take training classes and are then tested on them in a practical exam. We are fist introduced to Peter, a would be hero, and Snow, a lady in training. Along the way we meet other cast members including talking cats, evil villains, and witches. My favorite character, and perhaps the most mysterious, was Endeavor Truepenny. If only he wasn't nicknamed Indy. No one other than Harrison Ford should ever be called that.
This story had a lot of twists and turns in it, and I will say that when the largest twist was revealed near the end, I was genuinely surprised. This book is in some ways comparable to the Harry Potter novels in that it's not dumbed down for the young reader, for whom it is marketed. It takes on some complicated issues and assumes (rightly so in my opinion) that the MG reader can handle it. And it does this by putting that reader is a setting they most often like reading about, a fantasy setting with magic and curses and powers of good versus powers of evil.
Read More
Storybound by Marissa Burt was the first book I was sent to review as part of the DAC ARC Tour, so I was doubly excited when the book arrived, straight from the author with a very cute owl-themed note card saying hello. One of the main reasons I wanted to read the book was because it is a MG book, and I have a 9 year old son who is really into reading. I was hoping that we could read and review the book jointly. But the book is quite big, 416 pages, and he wasn't able to read it in the time I was allotted before I had to send it on to the next person in the tour. And I would have liked his perspective because while I really enjoyed certain aspects of Storybound, it unfortunately didn't pan out to be the book I had hoped for. So let's hit the parts I enjoyed first, then I'll present the other side:
The premise of this book, a lonely bookish girl who has been moved in and out of foster homes her whole life, finds herself magically transported to the world of Story where all the characters in our favorite stories live studying and training to be the heroes, villains and monsters that we read about in our world. The MC, Una, has been Written In, meaning someone from Story has found a way to write her into a story and bring her over. This is something that hasn't been done for as long as anyone can remember, and presents one of many mysteries Una must try to unravel in order to return home to the "real" world. While being transported to a fantasy world may not be original, the concept of being Written In (and Written Out) is. I thought this was pretty clever and really admire Burt's imaginative ideas.
The world of Story was pretty cool as well. The characters in Story were divided by genre, there were people from Fantasy, Modern and so on. The kids in Story go to a magical boarding school (a lá Hogwarts) where they take training classes and are then tested on them in a practical exam. We are fist introduced to Peter, a would be hero, and Snow, a lady in training. Along the way we meet other cast members including talking cats, evil villains, and witches. My favorite character, and perhaps the most mysterious, was Endeavor Truepenny. If only he wasn't nicknamed Indy. No one other than Harrison Ford should ever be called that.
This story had a lot of twists and turns in it, and I will say that when the largest twist was revealed near the end, I was genuinely surprised. This book is in some ways comparable to the Harry Potter novels in that it's not dumbed down for the young reader, for whom it is marketed. It takes on some complicated issues and assumes (rightly so in my opinion) that the MG reader can handle it. And it does this by putting that reader is a setting they most often like reading about, a fantasy setting with magic and curses and powers of good versus powers of evil.
Read More
March 13, 2012
I always love stories that take you back to your childhood. Fairy tale spin-offs and retellings certainly do that. Storybound is not your every day, run of the mill retelling, either. Have you ever finished reading a book and wished that you could keep going? Ever wish you could meet your favorite characters from your favorite books? Storybound takes that idea and runs with it.
There are two worlds out there – the land of Readers (that's us) and the land of Story. Children in Story learn your basic how-tos for everyday character training, as well as specialize in things such as how to become a Hero, a Lady, or a dastardly Villain. In the land of Readers, there's a very special girl, Una, who's magically transported to Story by being Written In.
Marissa Burt did a fantastic job with the worldbuilding within this story. I thought I might get confused a bit, but she laid out everything very clearly, so there wasn't much confusion. Not only did you get a true sense of what Story was like, you got some great backstory to help you frame everything.
The characters were also great. There wasn't a sterotypical character among them; everyone was very layered and nuanced. Usually, weird names kind of irk me, but the names of the characters all seemed to go with their personalities exactly, and truly made them who they were.
We're introduced to Una Fairchild, a child from our world, Peter, her Hero, and a colorful cast of supporting characters. There's mean girl-in-Lady-training Snow, the talking cat Sam, and a whole host of funny, quirky professors. Peter's parents also appear, which made me happy. I feel like fairy tales are something that families can read together, and I was glad to see a happy, close knit family in the land of Story as well.
The plot of the book was something that I did not expect. I figured it would be all about how Una and Peter tried to get Una home again. True, there is that, but there's so much more. The twists and turns throughout the book kept me guessing, and there's one huge twist that I didn't see coming at all. I literally sat with my mouth agape after reading the last words of that chapter. Mind blown.
All in all, a very cute read. For any of you who like fairy tale retellings, movies like The Neverending Story or shows like Once Upon a Time I highly suggest you check this book out. So cute.
I received an ARC courtesy of DAC ARC Tours and the author. This in no way impacted my review of the book.
There are two worlds out there – the land of Readers (that's us) and the land of Story. Children in Story learn your basic how-tos for everyday character training, as well as specialize in things such as how to become a Hero, a Lady, or a dastardly Villain. In the land of Readers, there's a very special girl, Una, who's magically transported to Story by being Written In.
Marissa Burt did a fantastic job with the worldbuilding within this story. I thought I might get confused a bit, but she laid out everything very clearly, so there wasn't much confusion. Not only did you get a true sense of what Story was like, you got some great backstory to help you frame everything.
The characters were also great. There wasn't a sterotypical character among them; everyone was very layered and nuanced. Usually, weird names kind of irk me, but the names of the characters all seemed to go with their personalities exactly, and truly made them who they were.
We're introduced to Una Fairchild, a child from our world, Peter, her Hero, and a colorful cast of supporting characters. There's mean girl-in-Lady-training Snow, the talking cat Sam, and a whole host of funny, quirky professors. Peter's parents also appear, which made me happy. I feel like fairy tales are something that families can read together, and I was glad to see a happy, close knit family in the land of Story as well.
The plot of the book was something that I did not expect. I figured it would be all about how Una and Peter tried to get Una home again. True, there is that, but there's so much more. The twists and turns throughout the book kept me guessing, and there's one huge twist that I didn't see coming at all. I literally sat with my mouth agape after reading the last words of that chapter. Mind blown.
All in all, a very cute read. For any of you who like fairy tale retellings, movies like The Neverending Story or shows like Once Upon a Time I highly suggest you check this book out. So cute.
I received an ARC courtesy of DAC ARC Tours and the author. This in no way impacted my review of the book.
March 30, 2012
More reviews at Rondo of a Possible World: YA Book Reviews
Diversity is my middle name, and reading a Middle Grade novel seemed like a turn in the right direction for me. Too much dystopian novels within the YA genre brought me at the doorstep of this wonderful piece of literature. I must give a big thanks to Lisa and Tara over a DAC ARC Tours for allowing me the chance to read this book because I enjoyed the magical story that Marissa Burt weaved before me.
I adore fairy tales. End of story. So I knew that I would fall in love with Storybound even before I opened up the first page, and low and behold, I did love the story. I ended up reading the first few chapters on a Sunday night, unable to sleep after picking it up. Even with school the next day I couldn't help but continue reading until the wee hours of the morning. The story was addicting, the characters adventurous and bold, the plot rich and adorable.
The relationship between Una and Peter was cute. Peter, straight down the path of becoming a hero ends up botching his future to help save Una, a child who happened to be Written Into the world of Story, where WI (Written In for short) are abhorrent to the inhabitants of Story. To keep her a secret, Peter does all he can and I adored his adoration and determination to keep her save from harms way. There was no love at first sight, there was no instant attraction where "there eyes met and the heated sparks flew within stomachs," they're 12 or 13 years old and their meeting sparked friendship, pure and true and sweet. The strength they proved to me during their hunt flourished brightly throughout as they stuck with each other through thick and thin.
Sam and Endeavor Truepenny happened to be my utmost favorites. Sam for his adorableness, and who doesn't enjoy a talking cat? And Endeavor for his mysterious and courageous nature. If he wasn't so young I would definitely put him on a list for possible book boyfriend.
An adventurous tale where you follow Una and Peter as they unravel the history of Story and figure out why Una actually was Written In, where you feel for the characters and watch them grow during their journey for the truth. Anyone who enjoys friendship relationships, a unique plot with twists, strong character development, and an enjoyable fairy tale that allows you to blend reminiscing memories with a inventive new tale will have their breath taken away with this novel.
Diversity is my middle name, and reading a Middle Grade novel seemed like a turn in the right direction for me. Too much dystopian novels within the YA genre brought me at the doorstep of this wonderful piece of literature. I must give a big thanks to Lisa and Tara over a DAC ARC Tours for allowing me the chance to read this book because I enjoyed the magical story that Marissa Burt weaved before me.
I adore fairy tales. End of story. So I knew that I would fall in love with Storybound even before I opened up the first page, and low and behold, I did love the story. I ended up reading the first few chapters on a Sunday night, unable to sleep after picking it up. Even with school the next day I couldn't help but continue reading until the wee hours of the morning. The story was addicting, the characters adventurous and bold, the plot rich and adorable.
The relationship between Una and Peter was cute. Peter, straight down the path of becoming a hero ends up botching his future to help save Una, a child who happened to be Written Into the world of Story, where WI (Written In for short) are abhorrent to the inhabitants of Story. To keep her a secret, Peter does all he can and I adored his adoration and determination to keep her save from harms way. There was no love at first sight, there was no instant attraction where "there eyes met and the heated sparks flew within stomachs," they're 12 or 13 years old and their meeting sparked friendship, pure and true and sweet. The strength they proved to me during their hunt flourished brightly throughout as they stuck with each other through thick and thin.
Sam and Endeavor Truepenny happened to be my utmost favorites. Sam for his adorableness, and who doesn't enjoy a talking cat? And Endeavor for his mysterious and courageous nature. If he wasn't so young I would definitely put him on a list for possible book boyfriend.
An adventurous tale where you follow Una and Peter as they unravel the history of Story and figure out why Una actually was Written In, where you feel for the characters and watch them grow during their journey for the truth. Anyone who enjoys friendship relationships, a unique plot with twists, strong character development, and an enjoyable fairy tale that allows you to blend reminiscing memories with a inventive new tale will have their breath taken away with this novel.
April 21, 2012
Once upon a time there was a very sweet read with lots of fairy-magic in it...
One thing is for sure: I fell in love with this book when I found it here on goodreads and read the description. I love fairy tales, and books who deal with hose fairytales. Also, the cover of this novel is very nice as well and fits the story perfectly.
But I grew sceptical when I read the agerecommondation on amazon, and when I saw how large the font size was. But I started it right away and I loved it.
Storybound tells us the story of Una, who finds herself suddenly in a different world- to be correct, in a fairytale world, after she started to read a story about a girl named Una. Also, this book deals with the question what is happening to the characters when we read a book, something I've wodered about quite often when I was younger.
But back to Storybound. The novel is written in an kind of antiquated language, which fits the topic of fairytales and also the world of the novel very well, but you can see differences in the language while reading the book. For example: During a quest the language is even more antiquated than during the normal life in Story.
The setting is great, and I came to love the characters (especially Snow- another Snow (without the white here!) which I really liked!). The plot itself is full of twists and turns (some I wouldn't have guessed), and a lot of mysteries, which don't get solved till the very end- or, maybe, they will get solved in the next book in this series. It was a quick read, maybe because of the lage font size, but it was quite funny. Also, it deals with those typical clichés which you think of when you are thinking of fairy tales, but Storybound takes them in a very funny way and I found myself very often grinning or giggling while reading.
The novel ends at a very bad time... And now I only want to read more, and especially don't want to wait for the second novel.
I enjoyed reading Storybound a lot, even if some things were very obvious and could have been gussed. But the dealing with the fairytale-chlichés and te sweet characters made it into a nice read. It is probably written for a younger audience, but I enjoyed it despite my age ^^ And I am wondereing: When will this novel be translated into german? I want a copy to read to my children one day.
4,5 stars from me.
One thing is for sure: I fell in love with this book when I found it here on goodreads and read the description. I love fairy tales, and books who deal with hose fairytales. Also, the cover of this novel is very nice as well and fits the story perfectly.
But I grew sceptical when I read the agerecommondation on amazon, and when I saw how large the font size was. But I started it right away and I loved it.
Storybound tells us the story of Una, who finds herself suddenly in a different world- to be correct, in a fairytale world, after she started to read a story about a girl named Una. Also, this book deals with the question what is happening to the characters when we read a book, something I've wodered about quite often when I was younger.
But back to Storybound. The novel is written in an kind of antiquated language, which fits the topic of fairytales and also the world of the novel very well, but you can see differences in the language while reading the book. For example: During a quest the language is even more antiquated than during the normal life in Story.
The setting is great, and I came to love the characters (especially Snow- another Snow (without the white here!) which I really liked!). The plot itself is full of twists and turns (some I wouldn't have guessed), and a lot of mysteries, which don't get solved till the very end- or, maybe, they will get solved in the next book in this series. It was a quick read, maybe because of the lage font size, but it was quite funny. Also, it deals with those typical clichés which you think of when you are thinking of fairy tales, but Storybound takes them in a very funny way and I found myself very often grinning or giggling while reading.
The novel ends at a very bad time... And now I only want to read more, and especially don't want to wait for the second novel.
I enjoyed reading Storybound a lot, even if some things were very obvious and could have been gussed. But the dealing with the fairytale-chlichés and te sweet characters made it into a nice read. It is probably written for a younger audience, but I enjoyed it despite my age ^^ And I am wondereing: When will this novel be translated into german? I want a copy to read to my children one day.
4,5 stars from me.
May 4, 2012
Fantastic storytelling, a creative premise, and smart dialogue collide in Marissa Burt's Storybound.
Una is a captivating main character that any young reader will identify with... and maybe even wish to switch places with. She's is a smart, sassy young girl that fits into the world of Story surprisingly well... though I have a feeling many bookish people would. I liked that Una quickly got over the "this isn't possible!" phase and moved into the "let's kick some butt" phase. Una - and the reader - leave reality entirely behind and welcome the fantastical world of Story with open arms!
Storybound is compared to Inkheart, which I adore, and they do have similarities, but, for me, they had very different pacing and atmosphere. Storybound is a very fast-paced story with slow scenes primarily nonexistent. For readers that dislike wading through unnecessary detail, Storybound is a great fit.
On the downside, I sometimes felt like parts of Storybound were confusing or didn't fit well. I think this was because of the pace... details were either being cut out or I was missing them as the story flew by. There was so much going on and so many new characters popping up that I sometimes struggled to understand why particular twists were necessary. By the end of the novel, I felt that there were many unresolved issues and the author was going to have a lot of explaining to do in subsequent novels. Hopefully young readers won't encounter the same confusion I did.
In Storybound, Una spends most of her time with characters from fairy tales and I'd really like to learn more about the characters-in-training from other types of books as well. While Storybound mentioned many characters, it'd be great be introduced to a few other characters... add more children to Una's motley crew as she goes up against the villainous leaders of Story.
Storybound was a fun read and I'm definitely curious to see what become of Una and the land of Story!
Una is a captivating main character that any young reader will identify with... and maybe even wish to switch places with. She's is a smart, sassy young girl that fits into the world of Story surprisingly well... though I have a feeling many bookish people would. I liked that Una quickly got over the "this isn't possible!" phase and moved into the "let's kick some butt" phase. Una - and the reader - leave reality entirely behind and welcome the fantastical world of Story with open arms!
Storybound is compared to Inkheart, which I adore, and they do have similarities, but, for me, they had very different pacing and atmosphere. Storybound is a very fast-paced story with slow scenes primarily nonexistent. For readers that dislike wading through unnecessary detail, Storybound is a great fit.
On the downside, I sometimes felt like parts of Storybound were confusing or didn't fit well. I think this was because of the pace... details were either being cut out or I was missing them as the story flew by. There was so much going on and so many new characters popping up that I sometimes struggled to understand why particular twists were necessary. By the end of the novel, I felt that there were many unresolved issues and the author was going to have a lot of explaining to do in subsequent novels. Hopefully young readers won't encounter the same confusion I did.
In Storybound, Una spends most of her time with characters from fairy tales and I'd really like to learn more about the characters-in-training from other types of books as well. While Storybound mentioned many characters, it'd be great be introduced to a few other characters... add more children to Una's motley crew as she goes up against the villainous leaders of Story.
Storybound was a fun read and I'm definitely curious to see what become of Una and the land of Story!
March 30, 2012
Time for a great middle grade read, Storybound by Marissa Burt. Published by Harper, it will hit shelves next week on April 3, 2012.
The Story- Welcome to the land of Story, where children are raised to fill a role in literature. Will one become a hero, a villain, a princess, who knows? Twelve year old Una Fairchild is sucked from our world, into theirs, and is immediately thrown into danger.
Una is befriended by a hero in training named Peter. Together, they try to find out how Una was written in to the land of Story and why the Talekeepers are after her. In their quest they discover that the true history of Story has been covered up by the Talekeepers. The only way to save the land is to find the Muses of Story that are believed to be dead. But, to do so, they must face evil and death.
My thoughts- This is a cute story for any middle grader. I don’t know a single kid that hasn’t thought it would be cool to be transported into their favorite storybook. And, the land of Story contains all stories ever written.
The characters are well written, and the author switches point of views between Una and a side character, Snow, to allow the reader inside the world of Story. I liked the mystery of the Muses. I always enjoy a surprise twist where you don’t know what is true and what is false, and the only way to find out is to keep reading.
The Story- Welcome to the land of Story, where children are raised to fill a role in literature. Will one become a hero, a villain, a princess, who knows? Twelve year old Una Fairchild is sucked from our world, into theirs, and is immediately thrown into danger.
Una is befriended by a hero in training named Peter. Together, they try to find out how Una was written in to the land of Story and why the Talekeepers are after her. In their quest they discover that the true history of Story has been covered up by the Talekeepers. The only way to save the land is to find the Muses of Story that are believed to be dead. But, to do so, they must face evil and death.
My thoughts- This is a cute story for any middle grader. I don’t know a single kid that hasn’t thought it would be cool to be transported into their favorite storybook. And, the land of Story contains all stories ever written.
The characters are well written, and the author switches point of views between Una and a side character, Snow, to allow the reader inside the world of Story. I liked the mystery of the Muses. I always enjoy a surprise twist where you don’t know what is true and what is false, and the only way to find out is to keep reading.
August 12, 2012
Ohhh, the deliciousness of finding a book that when you finish it you can't wait for the next installment! Delightful. Fans of Inkheart, the Emerald Atlas, and dare I say Harry Potter, are in for a treat with this great debut novel by Seattle author Marissa Burt. Una is the kind of girl no one notices or sees...she lives in foster care and spends her lunches eating alone reading a book in the 300-400's at her library. Until, one day, when she finds herself in a a story-book world where the entire world is built on tales. She has been "written into" a story...and now must figure out why. Sounding familiar? (Inkheart anyone?) Still, similarities aside (or perhaps because of), fantasy fans will enjoy Una's story within story and find themselves wishing for the next installment. I will make a quick note that some of the writing/plot is not quite as polished as it could be, but for a debut novel, it's great. It's worth mentioning that I picked this up on the recommendation of a 10-year old KCLS patron who visited the Port Angeles Library a few weeks ago and asked me to look up when the sequel was coming out and told me I HAD to read it right now. You never know where the next recommendation is going to come from! And it's a WASHINGTON author!
January 15, 2013
I'm REALLY happy that this book has a girl heroine. Like, super HAPPY! Woo-hoo!Okay, well this book is about a girl who doesn't really fit in her regular life. At the library, she finds this book that catches her eye. Of course, she goes to it, and opens it. What she didn't expect to happen, was to get sucked into the book, into a place called Storybound! With heroes, princesses in distress, magic, wizards, and many other things, what's not to like? Going into this mysterious place, she's more than a little freaked out, and more than a bit scared and cautious. This is where she meets a dasmel in distress, and a knight in shining armor.(I think his name was Peter?)
I don't want to tell you anything else, but she sets across the land of Story, and finds out what is right from wrong, and learns about her secret past.
TA DA! Recommend it to: Magic lovers, being different, fantasy, magic, girl heroine, and many different things!
I don't want to tell you anything else, but she sets across the land of Story, and finds out what is right from wrong, and learns about her secret past.
TA DA! Recommend it to: Magic lovers, being different, fantasy, magic, girl heroine, and many different things!
June 28, 2012
I just finished reading this to my 6th graders and they were begging me to read it to them all the time. (Because of my awesome reading skills or because they wanted to get out of working?) With school almost out, I let the kids come in PJ's and bring pillows while I finished the book. They requested this... that I finish reading this book as their “end of testing” reward.
So, with that said, they were so disappointed that it ended in a cliff hanger and with so many plot points left unanswered. They gave a very loud collective groan when I said it was the end. It was pandemonium.
Final analysis; The story held their attention. I just wished I had known that the book was only a vehicle for another book.
So, with that said, they were so disappointed that it ended in a cliff hanger and with so many plot points left unanswered. They gave a very loud collective groan when I said it was the end. It was pandemonium.
Final analysis; The story held their attention. I just wished I had known that the book was only a vehicle for another book.
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