Furthermore
Tahereh Mafi
2016, 401 pages
Children’s fantasy
When her 12th birthday arrives, Alice Alexis Queensmeadow lives in a town where magic is farmed, carefully controlled and turned into currency. Each child there has her own magical gift, and at the age of 12 is assigned a task that uses that gift. Alice meets Oliver, a much disliked older boy who is still on his own quest, and he convinces her to come with him to the land of Furthermore, in search of Alice’s missing father.
They begin their journey through Furthermore, where each individual town works according to its own wildly magical rules, and they never know what to expect next. They meet an origami fox, people who live inside giant eggshells (and like to eat their guests) and Time, who is a pleasant young man with his own agenda. They must locate Alice’s father before their allotted time in Furthermore runs out, and they must learn to work together in order to do it.
Mafi’s colorful language vividly evokes the two travelers as they move into crazily new environments, each with its own dangers, puzzles and people. Alice and Oliver are on a wild ride, full of vivid colors, stunning surprises and, in the end, success – of course.
I highly recommend this book for upper elementary school readers.
Tricia HutchinsConcord Public Library
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