Review: The Door in the Forest by Roderick Townley

The Door in the Forest by Roderick Townley.

Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 2011
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780375856013

Review: An enchanted forest awaits readers in The Door in the Forest by Roderick Townley. Secrets lie beyond the door, as you can probably guess, hidden in the forest. Sure, you can find it, but the island it rests on is heavily guarded. Danny, Wesley, and Emily embark on a quest to get into the forest where magical events happen. Emily claims to have heard her mother talking to her at night. Is it true? Is her mother dead or alive? In The Door in the Forest, you can never tell what's going to happen next.

The Uncertainties are plaguing a small town called Everwood, where young Daniel and his brother Wesley live. Soldiers and people alike are arriving from the city for war. Soldiers are occupying the small farming town and driving the people out. They consume a huge amount of food and make the villagers angry. A new girl, Emily, arrives. With her, she brings new secrets that are revealed only to her closest friends, Danny and Wes. They find a sacred piece of paper that tells of a way to get onto the island, but a wicked and crazed captain takes it and it gets burned eventually. After getting onto the island, Emily is reunited with her mother, who was killed by the same soldiers who are occupying the town. Together, Daniel, Wes and Em come face to face with exotic creatures like white leapords and transforming cats that vanished a long time ago. Daniel soon realizes that the captain is trying to burn the whole town. Will Danny, Wes, and Em be able to do anything to stop him?

This is a very good, interesting book. The author wrote it with heaps of enthusiasm and did exceptionally well. It is a fascinating book about magical forests with transforming animals. However, I despise swearing, and there are several swear words throughout the book. But the author does a great job talking about wild creatures that don't exist. It is ery imaginative! Throughout the book, Roderick Townley does a really outstanding job using his imagination, and making the book appealing. He captures his reader's attention and makes them want to continue reading. I was entranced and I found the book irresistible. Enchanted forests don't really interest me, but if all the others were like this one, I'd definitely change my opinion. Like I said, Townley does a great job with his imagination, and the result is a magnificent book. Roderick Townley has a huge talent for writing, which was truly displayed in this book, The Door in the Forest. I'd rate it a four out of five stars.

Review written by Colleen (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of The Door in the Forest for this review.

Have you read The Door in the Forest? How would you rate it?