Check the Shelf Book Review: The Night of the Solstice

Shannan’s Summary

A fox started it.  Although, it was apparent to Claudia that this fox was not a typical animal.  That’s why she followed it to the old abandoned house in the neighborhood.  And why she got her siblings to come to the house with her.  What she didn’t think she would find is trouble,  or that it was only days away.  The Solstice was fast approaching and Morgana, the only person protecting the gateway between our world and her’s, was missing.  It would be up to the four Hodges-Bradley children to figure out the mystery of what happened to her and get her back before our side of the mirror is taken over by evil.

First Off…

I started this book years ago and then stopped reading it for some reason.  I don’t really remember why, but I decided to try picking it back up where I left off.  I remembered most of what was going on, so it wasn’t too bad.

Thoughts:

While this is a middle grade book, the story is still elaborate, which is the strength of the book.  I loved the magic, especially how it relates to mirrors.  Smith also does a good job in developing the wildwood world and the backstory to why everything is happening.  If you have read, and liked, any of Smith’s other books, you’ll probably like this one, as it’s similar with a strong story that drives the plot line.

The characters are 4 siblings, which are popular with advance reader and middle grade books,  but I had a hard time connecting with any one particular sibling. That may be why I wound up putting the book down for so long. Only two of them seemed to have defined character traits to keep them separate, the youngest and the brother kind of blended into the background.  The oldest was the thinker and the other sister was the brave one, at least I think that’s how it worked out.  Even these characters were hard to separate.

In the End

I don’t have many more thoughts on it, probably because I read half of it over two years ago.  But I thought it was a story that middle grade kids who like magic will enjoy.  It’s a primarily story driven book, so if you like well developed characters, this may not be your book.  With that said, it has a good mystery and adventure, and ends with an explanation while still leaves the reader wanting to read the next book.

10 Second Summary:

1. Magic!:  I love a story with magic, especially when it’s well developed.
2. Other Realms:  I like thinking there are other worlds to be discovered in mundane places.
3. Siblings:  Four siblings that are trying to work together to save the world.

$5 or under, which is what I paid.  It’s a good story, which I enjoyed, but not one I feel is a must read.