Book Nook: The Beginning Woods

It can be hard to write a mystery that will appeal to a wide range of people, especially kids. Getting the right amount of suspense without making something too frightening is a balance. The Beginning Woods, a new book I got to review, does a pretty good job at just that.

The book jacket description for The Beginning Woods is a little bit intimidating, with mention of horror and terror. However, for kids that want something dark and scary, there's enough of that there to pique their interest without gentler readers being completely put off. The story has tense moments, but the resolution will satisfy readers. Kids who don't like to be scared at all would probably want to stay away from this book, but most older juvenile readers will find it a mix of wonderful and eerie, beautiful and terrible.

Max was abandoned in a bookshop with only memories of his parents. He needs to solve the mystery of the Vanishings - people just disappearing without a trace. As he searches for answers, he finds a magical, wonderful, terrible, beautiful world that has more than he could ever imagine.