Recent Read: Jinx

  In the Urwald you grow up fast or not at all. By the time Jinx was six he had learned to live quietly and carefully, squeezed into the spaces left by other people, even though the hut he lived in with his stepparents actually belonged to him. He had inherited it after his father died of were wolves and his mother was carried off by elves.

And thus this imaginative adventure through the dangerous forest called the Urwald begins. In this place where trolls, witches, and werewolves abound, the only safe place to be is on the path or in a clearing. So when Jinx's stepfather takes him off the path, into the depths of the Urwald, Jinx knows why--he's to be abandoned and left to the creatures who live there. But a wizard named Simon interrupts them, offering to purchase Jinx. And though Jinx has heard nothing but dark tales of evil wizards, Simon feeds him and keeps a roof over his head. Living with Simon, Jinx starts to learn about his own magical powers--his ability to see thoughts and listen to the trees of the Urwald. But when Simon performs a particularly powerful spell on Jinx, he feels completely betrayed and strikes out on his own to search for what was stolen from him.

What an imaginative world Sage Blackwood has created in his middle-grade debut, Jinx. Ok, let me give you one detail of this book to start: The witches travel by butter churn. The sound of a witch traveling by butter churn? "Ker thump, ker thump." Jinx "could just make out the hopping motion of a legless barrel-shape--thrusting a long, straight stick at the ground..." This cracked me up--a pogo stick-like butter churn (which we later find out is custom built to fit around the witch, and has to be replaced as they outgrow them).

This was such an enjoyable read. It was entertaining and humorous. The characters were colorful, appealing and oftentimes a bit eccentric. The story contained many familiar elements, creatures, and characters, but each with a unique and fresh spin. It did not at all feel like something I had seen before. Jinx's magical powers in particular are new and intriguing. Many places and people are introduced but not fully explored, leaving room for many more adventures in sequels to come.