The Fearless Travelers' Guide to Wicked Places

Gr 5–8—Twelve-year-old Nell Perkins lives in the small town of Mist Falls with her mother, Rose, and her brothers, George and Speedy. A dark cloud filled with evil witches sucks Rose up, and Nell and her brothers team up with local resident Duke Badger and follow the cloud into the Dreamlands, the wondrous and horrific realm of all dreams. Badger, conveniently, is a Fearless Traveler. Armed with lightsaber umbrellas and guidebooks, he and his group informally monitor the Dreamlands. Nell and her group follow Rose's trail around the Dreamlands, facing challenges from frightening creatures. It turns out that Rose and other mothers have been changed into birds by the witches known as the Dark Daughters. If Nell wants her mother back, she will need to thwart the witches' plans and free Ravenhead, the king of all the birds. Picture this novel like a Victorian living room, stuffed with details, intricate rules of conduct, and plot twists. For most of the book, there is no respite from the barrage of detritus. Readers will have to concentrate carefully to comprehend the world that Begler has created. Nell's love for her mother acts as a powerful motivation and makes her likable. Her brothers are more static, and George's humor seems artificially rude. The author tries to set up meaningful moments, but often they appear contrived rather than the result of genuine character growth and discovery.