The Castle in the Mist by Amy Ephron
Published February 7th 2017
Tess and Max travel behind the walls of a magical castle where wishes really do come true—if the hawthorne trees don’t get you first.
Tess and Max are sent to the English countryside for the summer and long for some excitement. So when Tess, out for a walk alone, happens upon an ornately carved gate and an old brass key, she decides to see what’s inside. To her amazement, she discovers the grounds of a castle filled with swans, bullfrogs, a hedge maze, an old-fashioned carnival, and a boy, William, just her age. William invites Tess back, and she can’t wait to return, this time with her brother.
But strange things happen at William’s castle. Carnival games are paid for in wishes, dreams seem to come alive, and then there’s William’s warning: Beware the hawthorne trees. A warning that chills Tess to the bone.
In the end it’s up to Tess to save her family and her friends from being trapped forever in the world beyond the hawthorns—but will one wish be enough?
I really liked the writing in this book, the characters, and the plot but I do wish it was longer.
I thought the writing was really nice even though it did seem to get over descriptive in places and sometimes it wouldn’t give enough description. But other than that, I thought the writing was pretty good. I liked the plot a lot. It was fun and the characters were fun as well.
This isn’t the best Middle Grade book I’ve read and I do think it would be better suited for the targeted
age group than more experienced, critical readers. I definitely think this would be a great book for younger readers though.
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