REVIEW: Furthermore

Furthermore
Author: Tahereh Mafi

Alice Alexis Queensmeadow is 12. And that's a very important age in Ferenwood. Soon she will be called to share her magical gift with everyone in her community. Along with all the others her age, she will be rated on her magical skill and given an important task to complete. She hopes she will be tasked to find her father, who disappeared 3 years before taking only a ruler with him. Imagine her surprise when an older boy, Oliver, asks her for help with his task. She dislikes Oliver because he once made fun of her -- pointed out her different appearance in front of everyone at school. Things never seem to go easily, or as planned, for Alice -- and she finds herself forced to travel through the strange and dangerous land of Furthermore to find her father ..... with Oliver.

I listened to the audiobook version of this middle-grade book narrated by Bronson Pinchot. He has a nice voice and reads at an even pace. I have hearing loss, but was easily able to understand and enjoy this audiobook. At just over 8 hours long, it took me a couple days to finish listening. The humor, colorful fantasy and creativity of this story made it very entertaining!

Alice is a delightful main character. She feels different, separated....like she doesn't belong with her family or with anyone. It was sweet seeing her learn that differences can be strengths, and that what she sees as her biggest flaw might just be her greatest asset. Oliver is both a scoundrel and a caring person. His magical gift is both a blessing and a curse it seems. Both Alice and Oliver learn to work together and discover how to forgive, trust and form a friendship.

All in all, a nice, fantastically creative middle-grade story! It touches on some subjects that all children have to learn to deal with -- failure, loss, betrayal, trust, friendship, embarrassment and learning from mistakes.