Abi ElphinstoneCritiques

I really loved the ending to this series and loved how each book was a very adventrue full standalone but they all did tell one whole complete story with one villian and you did seee glimpes of the characters throuhgout the series. This book also had some improtant rep like being blind and also anxiety and complex home life. I really flew through this book and loved how this book also tackled climate change and the effects in fantsatical manner. I really loved this series will def read more by this author in the future

I really loved this read. It was such a great way to return to the this world. I really loved how this book was loosely connected to the first book in this series. This book was pure adventure novel. I really loved how Abi built another world set in the same world. I also love the focus on the twin realtionship that was at the hear of the novel. It was such a charming novel and I really loved how this book focused on fox and fibber and how this world and changed them and how the adventure changed them. It was such a fun read and put a smile on my face!

* I got this book for review*

I really adored this book. From the first page I was hooked. I really love casper as a lead. I also adored how this world was crafted. This book was a pure adventure and i could not put it down. I loved how this book dealt with unique topics like friendship, being brave and compassion In a unique fantasy world. I thought casper was special hero that I loved reading from. I loved this world and really am so excited to read more in the future.

I really loved the ending to this series and loved how each book was a very adventrue full standalone but they all did tell one whole complete story with one villian and you did seee glimpes of the characters throuhgout the series. This book also had some improtant rep like being blind and also anxiety and complex home life. I really flew through this book and loved how this book also tackled climate change and the effects in fantsatical manner. I really loved this series will def read more by this author in the future

I really loved this read. It was such a great way to return to the this world. I really loved how this book was loosely connected to the first book in this series. This book was pure adventure novel. I really loved how Abi built another world set in the same world. I also love the focus on the twin realtionship that was at the hear of the novel. It was such a charming novel and I really loved how this book focused on fox and fibber and how this world and changed them and how the adventure changed them. It was such a fun read and put a smile on my face!

* I got this book for review*

I really adored this book. From the first page I was hooked. I really love casper as a lead. I also adored how this world was crafted. This book was a pure adventure and i could not put it down. I loved how this book dealt with unique topics like friendship, being brave and compassion In a unique fantasy world. I thought casper was special hero that I loved reading from. I loved this world and really am so excited to read more in the future.

The Dreamsnatcher is all about a young girl called Moll, she is a gypsy but has never felt like she belonged as she did not know her parents. Every night she gets the same dream and it takes her further and further out of the clearing. One night she wakes near the river and as her horse Jinxed had been stolen by Skulls camp she went to rescue her. What happens once she enters the camp for the first time changes her life in a big way.

An adventure begins, she needs to stop Skull and the other Witch Doctors from killing her and breaking the Bone Murmur, Protect her own camp and find the amulets.

This book is full of fantasy, adventure, magic, secrets and can be a little scary at times. My daughter loved the adventure. She fell in love with Gryff and now wants a Gryff of her own. She clung on to every word while reading it.

Moll needs to find two more amulets before she is completely safe so we are expecting at least another two books in the series.

A great read for both mum and child. Very well written and fast pacing.

I was sent 'The Shadow Keeper ' for review and read it straight after the first book in the series and loved it. After the events of 'The Dreamsnatcher', Moll and the gang are back doing everything they can to find the next amulet and stop the Shadowmasks. In their latest adventure, Moll, Gryff, Alfie and Siddy face off against the evil Darkbite and Ashtongue as the land around them becomes corrupted by dark magic. We get to see more of the gypsy magic as Moll tries to cast the Oracle Bones to help them find the second amulet of truth.

Elphinstone has written a wonderful, jam-packed adventure that is sure to capture the imagination of spirited young readers. The story is set along the coast with secret caves, dangerous villages and temperamental lighthouses, which adds to more to Moll's world than just Tanglefern Forest that we saw in the first book. We also get a host of new characters - some friendly, some not. However, where Elphinstone's writing really shines is in the relationships she has created between Moll and her friends and family. There are strong themes of friendship, trust and believing in each other. The plot even depends on Moll, Siddy and Alfie believing in and being there for each other. There is also a continuation from the first book od the idea that family doesn't depend on blood, but can be those who really love and care for you.

The one issue I had with Elphinstone's writing was that at times it felt a little too fast paced. There was always something happening, which left very little time to rest between the action. It would have been nice to have had a chapter or so at the beginning to really experience the gypsy life with Moll and the gang before the action kicked in.

Overall, this book is a great sequel (and better than the first too) and the series itself is one that I would highly recommend to any young readers who enjoy adventures full of magic, friendship and clue finding - oh and of course wildcats.

In this final book of Elphinstone's Dreamsnatcher trilogy the stakes are higher than ever: a dear friend is missing, Moll's journey takes them to even an even wilder setting, and the Shadowmasks are more powerful than ever. This third book takes place up in the wilds of the north where the terrain really comes alive. I had absolutely no trouble picturing the northern wilderness that Moll, Gryff and Siddy venture through because of the rich descriptive nature of Elphinstone's writing, which created both magical and tense atmosphere's when needed. I loved that while we still had some of our favourite characters at the forefront of the adventure, we met a varied assortment of new and interesting side characters who either wanted to aide Moll or thwart her whenever possible. As this was the concluding book in the trilogy, the ending was both exciting and emotional, while still leaving things open for more tribe adventures (which I would definitely be interested in).
Moll is one of my favourite heroine's for this age range of books. She is headstrong, stubborn and is determined to have her way, not letting anyone get in the way of her adventure. But she can also be brash, unthinking, and at times mean. What is wonderful is that Moll accepts that she has been wrong, apologises for her mistakes and tries to make up for them - she actively works towards bettering herself and avoiding repeating mistakes. This is such a wonderful message to be passed on to Elphinstone's young readers - unapologetically be who you are but don't be afraid to make mistakes and take responsibility for them.
Overall, this was a wonderful and thrilling conclusion to a fantasy adventure trilogy that all should read. I look forward to what Abi Elphinstone puts out next.

‘’Winter is a season that sparkles with magic and transforms our ordinary world into a glittering kingdom: rooftops covered in snow, lakes glazed with ice and windows frosted white. It is a time of year that invites exploration and whispers of adventure. And at the heart of it all there is a sense of longing - for snowflakes, stocking and sledging, of course - but also, for stories.’’

There is magic in winter. In the tales of the cold, the darkness and the silence. In the creatures that find shelter in the snow, in the ones that rejoice over the silent lullaby of the snowflakes. The perfection that is hidden in this beautiful volume is depicted in the wonderful cover designed by Melissa Castrillon.

Without further ado…

‘’People need their freedom, Maya. They need to breathe.’’

A Night at the Frost Fair (Emma Carroll): There is magic in a bite of gingerbread. There are dreams dancing amidst the crowd at the frost fair. There is freedom in the night air when a girl goes on an exciting adventure guided by her wise grandmother.

The Magic of Midwinter (Amy Alward): Svenland elves deliver presents to the children but they aren’t particularly fond of people. But a princess wishes to see them and an adventure of fairy lights and baubles in a Winter Wonderland begins.

‘’One for sorrow, two for mirth, three for a wedding, four for a birth. Five for heaven, six for Hell, seven you’ll meet the Devil himself.’’

The Voice In The Snow (Michelle Harrison): A baby girl is born without a voice. Dolls of straw are burnt in a bonfire during the Summoning so that the lost return to their loved ones. A haunting tale of childhood and motherhood. Or the lack of it.

‘’Then did the angels weep tears of red blood. [...] And we were sunk into darkness and the place of wailing and chattering of teeth.’’

The Cold-Hearted (Geraldine McCaughrean): A Scottish village cursed to remain frozen in time and darkness. A boy who tries to save his family in a story that is exciting and hilarious. It is Scotland, after all. Anything can happen.

‘’Now she was stepping through a pine forest, glittering with frost in the moonlight, her footsteps crunching in the snow. She was gliding through St Petersburg’s most elegant ballroom, twirling in a silk dress, her skirts spinning out as she danced beneath the twinkling chandeliers. Then she felt the warmth of the fire against her face, and smelled the scent of home; she saw the candles on the Christmas tree, decorated with Mama’s homemade gingerbread angels; and she was kneeling on the rug with Olga, drinking tea with jam.’’

Casse-Noisette (Katherine Woodfine): The majestic city of St Peterburg is about to welcome Christmas. But a promising ballerina is on a personal quest to dance for the sake of her sister. A beautiful story set in the City of Cities and the world of ballet. I mean, can you resist the stage of the glorious Marinsky Theatre? Or Tchaikovsky? Or Pepita? Or Anna Pavlova? Or the world of The Nutcracker? Or Russia and her wonders? This is the jewel in the crown of the collection. Just leave me here.

‘’Can you hear the snow whispering, Orla? Can you hear the ice?’’

Someone Like the Snow Queen (Berlie Doherty): Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen is one of the most haunting and enticing fairy tales. In this enchanting story, we follow a girl who tries to find her little brother while struggling to come to terms with her father’s death.

The Room With the Mountain View (Lauren St John): After three marvellous stories, this tale about an injured girl that tries to solve a mystery in a French ski resort seemed naive and spiritless. The circus company, the Hitchcock echoes, the villains. I don’t know. I didn’t enjoy the writing or the characters.

‘’Feel, Old teddy, with your paw
The coldness of the window pane,
Watch me blow onto the glass
And draw a picture of a train.’’

Snow (Michelle Magorian): What a beautiful poem!

‘’Everymother whoever cried
Whoever loved and ever sighed
Whoever lost a child that died
Whoever grieved and ever wept
Whoever paced and never slept
I am Everymother.’’

Into the Mountain (Jamila Gavin): A beautiful retelling of The Pied Piper, an ode to motherhood and the innocence of our lost childhood.

The Wishing Book (Piers Torday): A girl has to cope with a horrible stepmother and her ‘’grandma’’. Thank God for Granny Bike and her special Wishing Book, But we must always be careful with our wishes. I’m not sure about this story. I don’t think I appreciated the direction in the end. In my book, some people are beyond forgiveness...

The Snow Dragon (Abi Elphinstone): This story contains some of the most beautiful winter descriptions I’ve ever read. And one of the most horrible characters with such a deep hatred for children that made me physically sick. A girl in an orphanage has been waiting for a family for years. And then, a dragon shows up…

‘’It was the first snow of the winter and it had come silently in the night - the way magic often does - but unlike the shadows and the moonbeams and the stars, this magic had stayed until morning. It had covered her ordinary world and transformed it into a glittering white kingdom, and as Phoebe looked upon it, her body tingled. The snow felt like a promise somehow, a pledge that today might be different from all the other days and that possibly, just possibly, there might be even more magic waiting for her.’’

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/

I liked this book because it had wonderful descriptive language .
The other reason I liked this book was because the moment something terrible happened, someone saved them.
You should definitely read this book.

Written by KongKang (Year 4)

I liked this book because it had wonderful descriptive language .
The other reason I liked this book was because the moment something terrible happened, someone saved them.
You should definitely read this book.

Written by KongKang (Year 4)

Twelve-year-old Molly Pecksniff wakes one night in the middle of the forest, lured there by a recurring nightmare - the one with the drums and the rattles and the masks. The Dreamsnatcher is waiting. He has already taken her dreams and now he wants her life.

3.5