In the land of Ferenwood, rainlight pours through the air, magic is currency and color is everywhere. Alice Alexis Queensmeadow covers her embarrassingly colorless body with billowing skirts and bangles, but nothing can cover the pain she’s felt ever since her beloved father disappeared three years ago. The highlight of her world is the upcoming Surrender, a ceremony in which 12-year-olds are given assignments based on their magical abilities.
When Alice’s Surrender offering goes wrong, she’s consoled by a boy named Oliver, whose mysterious task (and even more mysterious talent) could bring her father home. Alice and Oliver must travel through the parallel world of Furthermore, a wonderland where doors appear out of nowhere, rulers measure time and pocketbooks are books made of actual peoples’ pockets.
In language drenched with the pain of loss—and then the joy of recovery—Tahereh Mafi presents a novel that’s unique in its emotional resonance. An omniscient narrator intervenes with occasional observations as Alice and Oliver negotiate challenging physical landscapes and the even more challenging landscapes of the heart.
Jill Ratzan enjoys sharing stories with readers of all ages in central New Jersey.
This article was originally published in the September 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.
