Title: The True World (Storyteller Series #1)
Author: Lisa Cresswell
Genre: YA/MG Fantasy
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Smashwords | B&N | Kobo
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.
Lily Lightfoot can make weird things happen, just by telling a story. It’s a gift she can’t always control, making her the queen of seventh grade outcasts. She can’t make a million dollars appear out of thin air or make it rain cupcakes, but it’s not for lack of trying. More than anything, she wants to see her mom, who’s left her in the care of her unconventional grandmother, Gwendolyn, and her only friend, Peter.
When Lily finds a strange fairytale book, she’s drawn into a fantasy world where her mother waits for her. When her grandmother admits to Lily they are fairies, hiding in this world from dark forces in another place, Lily is convinced the book she’s been reading is real. According to the book, those dark forces now threaten to destroy her mother. What Lily doesn’t know is they are already hunting her as well. Despite the dire warnings of Gwendolyn and Peter, Lily embarks on a mission to find a way into the fantasy world to save her mom. The events she sets into motion with the telling of a story will change all of their lives forever.
In The True World, Lily Lightfoot has a magical gift to make things happen, simply by telling a story about it. For example, when she’s too late in class and comes up with a story about how a local shop got robbed and police cars pulled up to question her, the street fills with police cars. Unfortunately her gift doesn’t exactly make her popular with the other kids, in particular Heather, who likes to tease and bully her. Thankfully she has a best friend, Peter, who is always there for her, no matter what the cost.
Lily doesn’t know her mother. She lives with her grandmother, Gwendolyn, who is quite unconventional and isn’t as surprised as she is annoyed by her grandchild’s strange gift. Lily has always wondered about her parents though, and when she finds a strange fairytale book, she gets drawn into a fantasy world where she finds out more about her mother than she ever hoped for. Dark forces threaten not only her mother, but Lily as well.
I loved Lily. She was a little childish, but very innocent, good-natured and a generally nice person. She’s a daydreamer too, the kind of person who’s always elsewhere with their thoughts, and this gets her into trouble more than once, but also made her rather charming. Peter gets bonus points too for being a supportive friend, even if everyone else was making fun of Lily.
The story was great, with a nice plot, awesome characters and a lot of humor and fun. The fantasy world we encounter in this novel is filled with faeries, elves, and all sorts of other magical creatures. There were plenty of plot twists, and the writing was decent too. An excellent read for middle graders and young adults.
Thank you so much for the sweet review 🙂
Lisa