I am a long-time fan of Anne Ursu. My son and I both loved
her
Cronus Chronicles trilogy, starting
with The Shadow Thieves, and I
enjoyed her middle-grade novel Breadcrumbs so much that I bought a copy for my niece for Christmas the year is
was released. I just finished listening to her latest middle-grade novel, The
Real Boy, on audio, and it is another winner, filled with magic
coupled with very real human emotion.
Oscar is a young shop boy who works for Caleb, the most
powerful wizard in the village. He is ridiculed by Caleb’s apprentice, Wolf,
but otherwise, Oscar lives a very quiet and content life, taking care of
Caleb’s plants and herbs, collecting them and preparing them for the great
wizard. Oscar has a fabulous memory and is an expert with herbs, but when it
comes to people, he doesn’t know what to do or say and doesn’t understand
normal human interactions.
Oscar is perfectly happy with his quiet, sheltered life, but
it doesn’t last. Some sort of mysterious and violent force is at work in the
village, and all of the wealthy, perfect children from the nearby city are
getting sick. Suddenly, Oscar needs to step outside of his comfort zone and
take on a larger role. Fortunately, he’s got a new friend, Callie, who is the
Healer’s apprentice, by his side.
Ursu has created a unique, magical world in this novel, one
with a frightening and mysterious past and an uncertain future. She has also
created a unique and sympathetic character in Oscar, who would probably be diagnosed
with autism in our world. Oscar’s insecurities and difficulties make him more
endearing to readers, especially children. I thought it was very clever how
Ursu took a young character with autistic characteristics and dropped him into
a magical, fantasy world. Seeing Oscar struggle with his challenges and grow as
the story moves forward can perhaps give real-life children some insight into
their classmates or neighbors who seem “different.”
Beyond that, though, The Real Boy is simply a great story, well told. It will
certainly appeal to children who enjoy magic and fantasy and is perfect for the
middle-grade age group, with just the right amount of intrigue and suspense to
engage them without scaring them. Children are always empowered to read about characters
their own age who take control of their lives (and their fears), and Oscar and
Callie make a wonderful pair of heroes. It’s also a story about friendship and
finding your place in the wider world. I can’t wait to see what Ursu comes up
with next!
352 pages, Walden Pond Press
HarperAudio
For more information about Anne Ursu and her books, check out her website.
Disclosure:
I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. My
review is my own opinion and is not influenced by my relationship with the
publisher or author.
Note:
This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small
commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend
writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.
Listen to a sample of the audiobook here and/ordownload it from Audible ($.99).
Or get this audiobook from Libro.fm and support local
bookstores (audio sample here, too).
Print and e-book from Amazon.
You can buy
the book through Bookshop.org, where your purchase will support the indie
bookstore of your choice (or all indie bookstores)--the convenience of shopping
online while still buying local!
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