The Notherland Journeys
Young Adult; Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror; (Publish)
The Notherland Journeys is “The Wizard of Oz for the twenty-first century," a trilogy of stories about the creative imagination and the passage from childhood to adulthood. The protagonist is a girl named Peggy, who ages from 14 to18 through the three books. In each volume of the trilogy, she finds herself transported to Notherland, an imaginary but long-forgotten world she created as a young child. Each time she finds herself tested to rise to the challenge of becoming the “hero of her own story.” After a series of journeys through fantastic realms of time and space, Peggy finally comes to terms with her role as Creator and learns through hard-won experience that the things of childhood are never really left behind, and that multiple realities can and do co-exist. The Notherland Journeys combines elements of fantasy, history, speculative fiction and the contemporary problem novel. The series has drawn praise for “the complexity of its moral vision” and its willingness to tackle larger, darker themes than most young-adult fiction.
Plot/Idea: 7 out of 10
Originality: 7 out of 10
Prose: 6 out of 10
Character/Execution: 7 out of 10
Overall: 6.75 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot: The Notherland Journeys is an adventurous and fun novel for a younger audience. Reminiscent of classic portal and fantasy novels, McDonnell creates a vibrant imaginary world while also providing a solid coming-of-age story.
Prose: The prose itself is consistent and engaging. The narration builds its world using vivid imagery and successfully immerses young readers in the experience. However, stiff and unrealistic dialogue can interfere with the reading experience, while some sections would benefit from tightening.
Originality: While this work owes a clear debt to classics that came before, the author has a knack for worldbuilding and the writing shows strong appeal for the target readers.
Character/Execution: This book contains a cast of characters who weave in and out of the narrative and each impact the other's development throughout. While Mi and Peggy exhibit growth and drive the plot forward, readers may have a hard time establishing empathy for them or other characters due to the shifted focus towards worldbuilding and broader themes.
Date Submitted: July 02, 2021
