Book of the Week--The Hunter’s Moon by O. R. Melling
RSSFrom SLJ April 2005 (Starred Review)
Melissa Moore, Union University Library, Jackson, TN -- School Library Journal, 04/04/2005
MELLING, O. R. The Hunter’s Moon. 284p. (The Chronicles of Faerie Series, Bk. #1). map. Abrams/Amulet. 2004. Tr $16.95. ISBN 0-8109-5857-0. LC number unavailable.
Gr 8 Up–Idealistic Findabhair and her cautious cousin Gwen have always shared a love of fantasy and hunted for a door into other worlds. The teens plan to spend their summer hitchhiking through Ireland, but when Findabhair is abducted from a barrow by the King of the Faeries himself, Gwen has to become self-reliant and overcome her fears in order to rescue her cousin. When she finds a gateway into the Faeries’ world, she is unprepared for the beauty of their land, and for her cousin’s decision to stay. Complicating the matter is Gwen’s memory of the words from a dream: “I, too, was the Hunted and the Sacrificed.” Fearing for her cousin’s life, Gwen must take help in whatever form it comes to see Findabhair safely delivered from the Faerie lands. Originally published in Ireland (1992) and Canada (1993) to much acclaim, this novel is a compelling blend of Irish mythology and geography. Characters that breathe and connect with readers, and a picturesque landscape that shifts between the present and the past, bring readers into the experience. Melling’s taut plotting, with its unexpected turns, moves the story quickly to a climax and leaves readers wanting more. Fortunately, this is the first book in a trilogy.
