This book was a complete escape. It brings back a lot of forgotten feelings from childhood and was very well written. The twist on the fairy tales may have been disturbing to some readers but I found it mysterious and exciting to see what unexpected thing the next page would bring.

As stated in other reviews, this book is very dark, but a wonderfully written, witty and dark coming of age story of a young boy following changes in his family structure. The themes as well as the play on classic fairy tales will provide many book club discussion points.

A multi-layered imaginative book that evokes childhood memories and fears. The power of the mind and books themselves are explored but leaves the reader often wondering where our reality lies: in the mind or in the external world. All that sounds heavy but the the book leads you quickly through a weaving of half remembered fairy tales and the fears stirred up around the camp fire on dark nights. As children we all wish to be as brave as that little boy and as adults we often face a world just as scary.