Book Review: The Folk Keeper by Franny Billingsley

"Once I am in the Cellar, proving myself indispensable to the safety of Marblehaugh Park, they'll never send me away. I will be safe then, absolutely safe." Pg 39







She doesn't really know who she is or what she wants...

Corinna is a Folk Keeper. Her job is to keep the mysterious Folk who live beneath the ground at bay. But Corinna has a secret that even she doesn't fully comprehend, until she agrees to serve as a Folk Keeper at Marblehaugh Park, a wealthy family's seaside manor. There her hidden powers burst into full force, and Corinna's life changes forever.

I'd never even heard of The Folk Keeper until I saw a friend reading it on GoodReads and became intrigued enough to check it out - and soon after ended up buying a copy for myself. Two things surprised me about this book - 1) it is much smaller that I thought it would be, a mere 162 pages and 2) It was first published in 1999, with this new edition being released this year with a most gorgeous cover!

One thing that is evident from the very beginning is that Corinna is a tough girl. Not knowing who her parents are, she has been shuffled from one orphanage to another until she decides that the only way to get ahead in the world is to be a Folk Keeper. And with hard work and determination she goes from the girl Corinna to the boy Corin, gathering as much information about the Folk as she can and developing a heart of steel and nerve.
Which works fine for four years until she is 'found' by another family who seems to have some knowledge of her past and her parents - so she has no choice but to go with them as their new Folk Keeper.

I really enjoyed The Folk Keeper. It was like reading a fairy tale that could have been read to me when I was little, steeped in the curious and ancient lore of the sea. If you're looking for something short but full to the brim with adventure, mystery and even a little romance I'd seriously push you into a bookstore to buy it! For anyone aged 10 and up.

This edition published: April 2011 by Bloomsbury 

Book Review: The Game - Diana Wynne Jones

"I swear not to say a word about what we do in this game to anyone outside..."







Hayley's parents disappeared when she was a baby. Since then, she has been raised and homeschooled by her grandparents. Grandad is overworked and travels a lot; Grandma is too strict, and never lets her meet any children her own age. When Hayley does something wrong - she is not quite sure what - her grandmother packs her off to her aunts in Ireland. To Hayley's shock, her family is much bigger than she thought; to her delight, the children all play what they call 'the game', where they visit a place called 'the mythosphere.' And while she plays the game, Hayley learns more about her own place in the world than she could have expected.

Anyone who has read Diana's works before - know that they're in for a treat. To those of you who haven't had the pleasure - this is a wonderful book to start with. So simple yet full of charm, innocence and fun. I don't think I'll ever get tired of Diana's ability to weave a story in your heart and have you feeling so full of joy and amazement throughout.
The Blurb says it all in this case, anything more would be a spoiler and I wouldn't want to do that! Though I must say - I much prefer the US cover (top) to the UK, but I'll let you be the judge *grins*

 

First published in the US by Puffin - March 2007 
Published in the UK by HarperCollins - February 2008