Annie, the main character of the novel, has made a wise decision and left the home of her Aunt and Uncle...who are about to sell her off to the unknown. The journey begins as most fable, through a dark wood with large hairy beasts hiding among the trees. This book takes a unique journey and the characters are fantastic. People who seem to be evil, often turn out to be kind as well...and seemingly kind people often have dangerous sides. It is a very good coming of age novel and I'll be recommending it to some kids in the library. ( )

Reviewed by Breia "The Brain" Brickey for TeensReadToo.com

DARKWOOD is set in a land called Howland, that has no word for evening because darkness falls so quickly. One minute the sky is light, the next minute it is black.

For Annie, nothing is as scary as what might happen if she stays with her aunt and uncle. One night she escapes only to find herself stuck at a mine where they make the children do all of the dangerous work. After a harrowing time at the mines, she finds herself at the king's palace, where she meets someone from her past.

Coupled with all of Annie's adventures are sightings of kinderstalk, mysterious creatures that prowl the dark forests of Howland.

Reading this story from Annie's point of view made for some lively entertainment. She is definitely a braver soul than I ever was at her age, but that is what makes this a wonderful story. She was afraid but still did what she had to do and did her best to protect those around her.

This was a wonderfully written and descriptive novel in a world where most people expect little children to be seen and not heard. Forced to grow up faster than children should, she is a wonder to behold.

I am giving this story the highest honor that I can think of - I am passing it on to my 11-year-old. ( )

A lot of the fantasy I've read over the last few years seems to all be drawing from the same pool of ideas -- but definitely not this one! This is an incredibly compelling book.

While it's great watching Annie (the main character) learn more about her world and her family, and about her own strengths, as the book develops, one of the things that made this book so amazingly real is that even the minor characters have a lot of depth to them. No one feels like a cardboard prop in this book!

And while it's a dark fantasy in many ways, there's nothing here that feels dark just for the sake of the drama. And compared to a lot of other books I've read recently, I think the author does a wonderful job of balancing the dark side of this world with the strong and loving connections between the characters.

On top of that, the author does an awesome job of creating a world in which all of the intense twists and turns in the story make sense -- and so the twists take you by surprise, but they still fit well within the story's world. As a result, it's an amazing book that just pulled me straight through to the end. I plan on handing this book off to some friends who have disappointed with the fantasy they've read lately -- I think this book will get them excited again. :D ( )

This dark fantasy revolves around Annie, an orphan. There are werewolves that hunt children. The sky is dark and overcast. The setting is the future where man had to start over.

Sisters, Annie and Paige were sisters living with their aunt and uncle. Paige disappeared about a year ago leaving Annie alone. When she overheard her uncle discussing selling her into slavery at a Rindstone mine, she ran away. The story continues with Annie discovering her world. She and her two cats meet a variety of friends along the way. She even meets a Kinderstalk (werewolf).

This book has great potential. The target audience is 10-14 year olds. The characters are well developed and each has a distinct personality. The plot is interesting. I’m reminded of The Wizard of Oz and Grimm’s Fairytales where the stories are more than a bit dark. This is the debut novel of M.E. Breen. I suspect this will be a very successful series. ( )

This one had a slow start for me. The characters are well written and the story really takes off after the first 100 pages, so stick with it as the end is worth it. This would be a great chapter book to read out loud since there is enough tension to keep children interested. It is very much a fairy tale written like Grimm's. ( )