INTO THE WILD by Sarah Beth Durst

The traditional fairytale characters have escaped from their stories and are living in Northboro Massachusetts. Their forest (aka "the wild") is being contained underneath Julie's bed.

The characters live in dread of being sucked back into their stories, and living the same tale over and over. But when "the Wild" escapes and takes over the town, it's up to Julie to save the day.

INTO THE WILD has some clever plot devices. I enjoyed how the author blends fairytales with real life landmarks in Massachusetts. I was also intrigued by how she melds the fairytale characters into present day, (e.g. Rapunzel runnning a hair salon).

Though I prefer more romance in the fantasy books that I read, I still enjoyed this book. There's a sequel called OUT OF THE WILD, and the author has a new book called ICE published by Simon and Schuster.

Have you read any of the books by Sarah Beth Durst? Which was your favorite?

What's Your Favorite Genre?

Okay, I admit it, I am not into fantasy or science fiction. My favorite books are historical fiction, or a contemporary story with so much heart that it makes me cry. That being said, the third book on the SUNSHINE STATE YOUNG READERS AWARD PROGRAM is a fantasy called INTO THE WILD by Sarah Beth Durst. THE SSYRA list contains books of every genre and it challenges me to read books that I might not otherwise pick up.

This is from the back of the book:

"Come with Julie as she ventures deep into the Wild on a magical and unforgettable journey to save her family. The fairy-tale world of the Wild is a place full of wicked witches, hungry wolves, and totally cute princes. But when the Wild takes over Julie's town and kidnaps her mom Rapunzel, brother Puss-in-Boots, and her real-life witch of a grandma, Julie must do everything in her power to save them-and herself-before it's too late."

I found a quote from Sarah Beth Durst that said, "Basically, if a story doesn't have a talking cat, I'm not interested." Since my tastes are polar opposite from that, it will be interesting to see what I think about this book.

In the meantime, check out this totally cool article about INTO THE WILD: