Down the Mysterly River

Summary: Max wakes up in a strange forest, with no memory of where he is or how he got there. He's wearing his boy scout uniform, but he doesn't remember going camping, and he doesn't have any of his gear with him. And before he can figure out what's going on - and Max is good at solving mysteries - things get even weirder: he runs into a talking badger named Vanderbrock, who thinks they may be in the afterlife. But whether its the afterlife or not, it is a world full of dangers, most particularly the blue cutters - a group of humans whose wield swords of great and terrible power. Max, Vanderbrock, McTavish the cat, and Walden the bear must somehow avoid the cutters and journey together to the sanctuary of the wizard Swift, where they might at long last be safe.

Review: There are a number of books the ending of a book completely changes my opinion of the whole. Usually when this happens I'm somewhat indifferent to the bulk of the book, only to have the ending put things in a completely new perspective and casts the entirety in a much more positive light. Unfortunately, the opposite was the case with Down the Mysterly River.

To explain, I was enjoying the main part of the book quite a bit. It's mid-grade, but didn't feel overly juvenile, and I was perfectly happy with a straight-up fantasy adventure story. The characters are well-done and have some depth to them, the adventures are exciting, the dangers posed by the Cutters were palpably scary, there were enough touches of humor to keep me charmed, and the underlying mystery of what's really going on in this world was humming away neatly in the background. Everything you could want, basically.

But then we get to the ending, and the explanation of what's really going on, and to be honest, it sort of soured me on the rest of the book. Not so much the explanation itself - I didn't figure it out ahead of time, but it fit with the rest of the story, and was an interesting thing to build a mystery around. My problem was more that the solution was delivered in a big rush of exposition, and the characters don't really do anything with it, and then the book just ends. And while that "everything you thought you knew was wrong, the end" approach works just fine (or even exceptionally well) in some cases (Atonement is the primary example that's coming to mind, although I'm sure there's more), it didn't fit in with the tone of kid's adventure book very well, and let things feeling somewhat unfinished and thus unsatisfying.

So I'm left with a bit of a dilemma. The bulk of the book was good, a lot of fun, and Dick Hill did a nice job with the narration; he was really wonderful with the voices, especially for the various animal characters. But, on the other hand, the ending kind of left me feeling like "Oh. Well." about the entire book, even the parts that I was enjoying while I was listening to them. I think I would have a more positive opinion if the big revelation had been followed by another third of the story, instead of right at the end. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: My reaction to the structure of the story and the denoument may be idiosyncratic, so fantasy readers who are interested in a fun adventure story should keep this one in mind. Also, it's entirely possible that I'm overly jaded, so the things that bothered me may not bother a reader in the target audience at all, and I can see kids of both sexes loving the world that Willingham creates. ( )

"Down the Mysterly River" is an excellent young adult fantasy with compelling and memorable characters. It is full of surprises and riveting action, with an ending that will make the more philosophical in the audience sit up and think.

I was occasionally surprised by the brutality of the events depicted in the book, both on a physical and an emotional level. That's why this book is not for children. It is for young adults, and the mythic, fairy-tale aspect should not be confused with suitability for children.

The ending did not surprise me, as the seeds had been sown very early on, but I have a feeling that it will surprise its target audience. It covers ground that has been covered before, but few have covered it so well.

My only real criticism is that the ending had too much of the "Harry and Dumbledore explain the plot" vibe. For a book full of such action and adventure, a long conversation felt out of character. But follow that with a heartwrenching denouement, and I was left with a very satisfying aftertaste.

Recommendation: For mature children or young adults, plus book lovers among adults. For anyone who loves adventure but doesn't mind a bit of philosophy to go with it. ( )

The premise: ganked from BN.com: Down the Mysterly River is the children’s book debut of Bill Willingham, the creator of the #1 New York Times bestselling graphic novel series Fables. Complete with illustrations by Fables artist Mark Buckingham, it is a spirited, highly original tale of adventure, suspense, and everlasting friendship.

Max “the Wolf” is a top notch Boy Scout, an expert at orienteering and a master of being prepared. So it is a little odd that he suddenly finds himself, with no recollection of his immediate past, lost in an unfamiliar wood. Even odder still, he encounters a badger named Banderbrock, a black bear named Walden, and McTavish the Monster (who might also be an old barn cat) -- all of whom talk -- and who are as clueless as Max.

Before long, Max and his friends are on the run from a relentless group of hunters and their deadly hounds. Armed with powerful blue swords and known as the Blue Cutters, these hunters capture and change the very essence of their prey. For what purpose, Max can’t guess. But unless he can solve the mystery of the strange forested world he’s landed in, Max may find himself and his friends changed beyond recognition, lost in a lost world…

My Rating: Good Read

Down the Mysterly River was utterly enjoyable, but I should note: this is clearly a book for younger readers. Not even YA, but rather middle grade. There's nothing wrong with that, but the mystery of the book is quite easy to solve, and there's something to be said if one is adult reading it as an adult rather than reading it with a child. I saw one Amazon review where the reviewer admitted the book didn't do much for him, but his son absolutely loved it. And indeed, what makes the mystery so easy for adult readers to guess is something that younger readers have probably never come across before, and while I was happily charmed as a jaded reader, coming to something like this for the first time, I imagine, would be an amazing experience. The book does have some savage moments, but they work well in context, especially since it involves talking animals still acting like animals. I don't have kids, so I can't make any recommendations as to whether or not I would recommend this to children, but it is fun and enjoyable, and as I've said, charming. However, I do hope this is a stand-alone. While there's certainly more story that could be told, I don't think it needs to be, and would rather see something new and original (or mostly original, depending on how one interprets appendices) from the author next. But this is cute and fun, easy to recommend to adults provided they are well aware they are NOT the target audience.

Spoilers, yay or nay?: Nay. While it's pretty obvious where the book is going from the start, I won't spoil anything major, simply because it's a short fast read and you'll guess it on your own, and I don't want to rob you from guessing it on your own. The full, spoiler-free review may be found at my blog, and the link below takes you directly to said review. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome!

REVIEW: Bill Willingham's DOWN THE MYSTERLY RIVER

Happy Reading! ( )

Max the Wolf is a boy scout who finds himself in the middle of a forest, with no clear idea of how he got there, or of anything that has happened to him in the recent past. As he starts exploring his surroundings, he meets a talking badger named Banderbrock, who has also just found himself in the unfamiliar forest. The two are later joined by McTavish the Monster (actually a fierce barn cat) and Sheriff Walden, an easygoing black bear. They are pursued by the Blue Cutters, a mysterious group that seems intent upon harming newcomers to the woods, and the four friends must make for a sanctuary where they can find safety and answers to their questions.

This was a fun book, and I did enjoy it. However, I had a few problems with it. There were a couple of instances where the writing stumbled -- a character would do or say something, and then do or say the opposite a moment later, with no stated reason for the change. Also, while I liked the solution to the mystery of why Max and his friends were in the forest, I found the very end of the story strange and unsatisfactory. One more nit-picky detail: the narrator establishes early on that the story is set in the autumn (and the action takes place within the space of a couple months at most), but there's also a reference to cottonwood "snow" and the group finding strawberries to eat -- both of those things usually happen in early summer, months before the stated time of the book. Sure, it's fantasy . . . but it took me out of the story. And, apart from the talking beasts and other colorful characters, the world of the story is supposed to be similar to our own, with the same sorts of plants and wildlife -- so, strawberries in September break the stated "rules" of the book.

Despite my little quibbles with the book, I would recommend it to readers who enjoy this sort of adventure story and find the description appealing. The bad guys are well-done, and the mystery, while not constantly at the forefront, makes a good explanation in the end for some of the things that seem puzzling throughout. ( )

Hardly has Max had a chance to wonder how he comes to be walking down a forest road with great gaps in his memory than he meets a similarly afflicted badger who introduces himself as Banderbrock. With a raffish cat named McTavish and Walden, a peaceable bear, joining along the way, that walk soon turns into a flight ahead of a large company of dedicated men and women armed with special swords that can surgically remove troublesome personal characteristics like independence and creativity. A unique adventure for voracious readers. ( )