I finished some books! I’m proud of myself. It’s been a busy week with a full schedule. And I must say, I enjoyed this new urban fantasy. It truly resonated with me.

I’m not sure how to go about explaining the plot, however. The book was quirky, even a bit bizarre. I will attempt to be as clear as possible. Imagine you’re Alice in Wonderland. You’ve fallen down the rabbit hole and gone on a fantastical adventure. Suddenly, you’ve returned back to where you’ve originated from, and you have to explain to your family where you’ve been. The book is about children who have somehow entered into other worlds, like Alice, and have returned back to their own. Their families do not believe their stories, often attributing their condition to trauma. Concerned, they send their children to Eleanor’s School for Wayward Children assured that their child will receive the help they need to return to normal.

However, Eleanor herself has been to other worlds. Her school’s true purpose is to help these children accept that they’re not in their worlds anymore and may never return.

Nancy has recently returned from the Halls of the Living Dead when her parents admit her to Eleanor’s school. There she befriends others like her. She learns that the worlds people go to are drawn to individuals because something about that world resonates in the hearts and minds of each person. Unfortunately, someone begins killing the students one by one.

Strange, I know. This short book though was an eloquent combination of funny, scary, light-hearted, and dark. The length of the book (only 162 pages) and the amount of elements weaved into the plot only attest to McGuire’s great skill as an authoress. Her dialogue flows smoothly, and her descriptions are short but vivid enough. She does an excellent job of removing all the fluff and staying focused on her story and characters.

The premise of the story itself touched my heart as someone who’s been described as ethereal or with their head in the clouds. For heaven’s sake, here I am typing in a mock 1870’s British accent pretending that I’m sitting at a tea party; happy National Tea Day by the way. I cry every time I visit a Disney theme park because my heart yearns for magic, imagination, and make-believe. I wish so badly that it was real. I could relate to the children longing to leave this world to return to places where their true selves and all their fancifulness were accepted.

All I can truly say is that if you are a dreamer, you will like this book. I think the tagline on the book cover captures the essence of this book perfectly: ‘We know the story isn’t true, but it is truth.’

“You’re nobody’s rainbow. You’re nobody’s princess. You’re nobody’s doorway but you’re own, and only you get to decide how your story ends.”

Till tomorrow, darlings, when I will post my review of The Proving.