Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
Reviewed by JenniferRatings
Content Ratings based on a 0-5 scale where
0 = no objectionable content and
5 = an excessive or disturbing level of content
LANGUAGE
VIOLENCE
SEXUAL CONTENT
ADULT THEMES
Rating Explanation
Violence: Seth is attacked by fairies after he captures one and they turn him into a misshapen walrus. Dark creatures try to harm Seth and Kendra, but they are protected by magical charms. Dale is turned into a statue by something evil. The house is ransacked and nearly destroyed by unknown dark creatures. Grandpa and Lena are kidnapped and held against their will. Grandma shoots Muriel with a small crossbow and she is wounded, but lives. An army of fairies fight dark creatures and a demon. Many fairies are wounded or killed, but most of them are healed. Some dark creatures are also killed.
Adult Themes: Seth and Kendra’s other grandparents die of asphyxiation. There is a brief discussion of the wake, funeral and coffins.
Synopsis
Kendra and Seth don’t really know their Grandma and Grandpa Sorenson, so when they go to stay with them for two and a half weeks, they are prepared for boredom. To their amazement, they discover that Grandma and Grandpa Sorenson are the caretakers of Fablehaven, a preserve for magical creatures where both friendly and dark creatures exist. Once they discover the secret, they learn that fairies, imps, witches, satrys and many other creatures are alive and well at Fablehaven. But when Seth breaks his Grandpa’s strict orders regarding interaction with some of the more unsavory creatures at the preserve, an evil is unleashed that could claim all of their lives.
Both my 6th grader and my 4th grader have read all of the Fablehaven books so far and have loved them. They have been begging me to read them since last summer, but it took me awhile to get around to starting the series. Overall I liked the book. I thought that the demon and evil witch were taken care of a little too easily, but was also glad to skip the violence that could have been created to get rid of them. I loved the army of oversized fairies, very cool!
©2009 The Literate Mother