David is a 12 yr old boy who loves reading and loves to read with his mother who sadly dies. David's father loves him but in keeping with the ww2 era I feel he found this hard to express and getting married again soon after hurts David even more. Although David's stepmother is lovely and tries really hard, David feels it a betrayal to his mother to like her, and when a stepbrother arrives David feels alone and pushed out. This book deals with loss and how it feels to have your heart ripped out by losing someone you love. 
 I rate the beginning and end of this book 5 stars but the middle 3 stars - the dwarves and wolves went on too much for me, I'm not a fan of fantasy, and I felt I listened to too many throats being ripped out by wolves, but I see that this had meaning to the story, it just wasn't my thing. (view spoiler)[This enjoyment stopped abruptly when the woodsman was taken by wolves at the bridge.<\spoiler> 
 I loved the talking books, David's character, Rose's character, the woodsman and David's realisation that perhaps when taken away from it, his life really was valuable even if the crooked man's predictions were right, 
 The ending was lovely and sad, I cried. (hide spoiler)]