"We are the inheritors of a wonderful world, a beautiful world, full of life and mystery, goodness and pain. But likewise are we the children of an indifferent universe. We break our own hearts imposing our moral order on what is, by nature, a wide web of chaos." 
 I already knew it as I read through the first pages. All it took was the first chapter, and I was convinced; this was not what I had expected it to be, this was not what I had been hoping for. Saddest of all, I actually appreciated the concept and Meloy's original intention - I just didn't enjoy it. 
 Part of me want to reward this with three stars. But that would be a lie; the thing is, I adore the illustrations, the gorgeous artwork and the alluring cover much more than I actually like the book. This is a book that almost vibrates with quirkiness as you look at it in the bookshop. And it makes you want to buy it. 
 My main problem is, that "Wildwood" most of all felt like a story I had read too many times before. The Narnia-like constructions and references bursted out of nowhere, and Wildwood was always cast in the shadows of Lewis' fantasy-world. 
 It's all there; the surpressed talking-animal society hiding out in the forrest, the boy that get lost and unknowingly supports the evil queen, the mythical sacrifice for power, and of course, the courageous mouse. None of it feels reasonable or even remotely original. 
 The second thing is Meloy's apparent confusion of the age and attitude of his main character. The first chapter almost reads like a-trendy-girl-out-and-about-in-town (drinking coffee at an cafe and returning a pair of Levi's trousers), when Prue in fact only is twelve years old. What a paradox. At least for me. 
 Of course, parts of this book were charming, lovely even. But they drowned. The good parts drowned in unfulfilled potential, disappointment, a fragile fantasy-realm with only a soft echo of Narnia to hold it together, and a heavy mass of useless descriptions. It lacked direction, it lacked atmosphere. It lacked that certain feeling of imaginary wonders. 
 I will however read the second book in the series, as I've already bought it. On the bright side, there's definitely room for improvement.