Mechthild Gläser

Synopsis:
Emma is used to things going her way. Her father is headmaster of her prestigious boarding school, her friends take her advice as gospel, and she’s convinced that a relationship with her long-time crush is on the horizon.

As it turns out, Emma hasn’t seen anything yet. When she finds an old book in an abandoned library, things really start going Emma’s way: anything she writes in the book comes true.

But the power of the book is not without consequences, and Emma soon realizes that she isn’t the only one who knows about it. Someone is determined to take it from her—and they’ll stop at nothing to succeed.

A new boy in school—the arrogant, aloof, and irritatingly handsome Darcy de Winter—becomes Emma’s unlikely ally as secrets are revealed and danger creeps ever closer.

Review:
This book was amazing! I was so sad when this ended that I’ve waited quite a while before writing the review since I finished it a few days after I wrote the review for A Killer’s Kiss. This book had everything; adventure, mystery, romance, fairy tales! Even now I find myself avoiding writing this review because it means the book is over. The book is a complete story, and I quite enjoyed it. It was quite hard to put down!

I also absolutely love the not-so-subtle Austen nod both with Pride and Prejudice in Darcy and Emma’s relationship because he is sooo frustrating but also Emma having many of the same characteristics as the titular character in Austen’s Emma with her meddling and desire to help which doesn’t always… well… help. I had thought I figured out a secret of a few characters and I was pleasantly pleased to be wrong!

This book was honestly so much better than the blurb makes it out to be and I emphatically recommend it. This was one of those stories where even though it was over you just wished you could keep on living in that world and continue on another adventure with the characters. I recommend this book even higher than The Book Jumper, which I had quite liked, but this book just fully sucked me in and I certainly didn’t want to leave at the end!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Synopsis:

In this English translation of the hit German young adult novel from Mechthild Gläser, each book is its own world―with its own dangers. Can a young girl navigate these new worlds and get out alive?

Amy Lennox doesn’t know quite what to expect when she and her mother pick up and leave Germany for Scotland, heading to her mother’s childhood home of Lennox House on the island of Stormsay. Amy’s grandmother, Lady Mairead, insists that Amy must read while she resides at Lennox House―but not in the usual way. It turns out that Amy is a book jumper, able to leap into a story and interact with the world inside. As thrilling as Amy’s new power is, it also brings danger: someone is stealing from the books she visits, and that person may be after her life. Teaming up with fellow book jumper Will, Amy vows to get to the bottom of the thefts―at whatever cost.

Review:
This book sounded amazing and I was so excited to read it! I had heard of it, but it took me quite a while to actually pick it up, and I believe that I finally did due to a deal on Amazon I had gotten an email about, either that, or went through my giant pile of books saved on a wishlist and picked it out. Either way, I was glad that I did!

The book is completely unique and interesting in that it went between Germany and Scotland, and the place in Scotland is very secluded. There was great backstory and depth to the location and the people who settled there, and I quite enjoyed it. I also loved getting to have the intimate interactions with characters, and how they can somewhat live outside of their role, much like actors.

Unfortunately I did have some questions at the end that hadn’t been resolved: about Will and how he came to be there, and just quite the unease about how the story ended, with no real resolution to the many problems that had been laid out by Besty.

SPOILER:
Major Bridge to Terabithia vibes. And the story they were trying to save, the main character just seems irredeemable.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Amy S. Brown

Review of The Forgotten Book by Mechthild Gläser

Review of The Book Jumper by Mechthild Gläser