This was one of the most beautiful, poignant books I've read in a long time. I started it this past summer, but had to return it to the library before I could finish. In a way, I'm very glad for this. I am currently enrolled in a class all about fairy tales that offered extra layers to the book that I don't think I would have found if I had finished it previously. 
 The voice in this books is amazing. Connolly builds a very specific, haunting world. Every appearance of the Crooked Man early on sent shivers down my spine, because he lurked in the shadows. Connolly understands the power of what is not said. He knows what to tell (and how to tell it), and what to keep silent. If the mark of a great fairy tale is entering the secondary world (as argued by Lewis and Tolkein) regardless of length, Connolly achieves this. And this is a gritty fairy tale world, one that highlights the worst of the tales, the darkness and horror. Connolly parallels this perfectly with a time of darkness and horror in world history. This also gives us enough distance from the story to feel safe, a modern conception of the "once upon a time." 
 Connolly has adapted the fairy tale for the modern audience. He takes the classic themes, but he modifies them for modern fears. 
 This is the best example of a coming-of-age story I have read in a long time. This isn't a story about the magic, or how the magic can solve problems. Rather it's about how a magical world can transform. It's about the growth that occurs from extreme circumstances. We do not come in contact with man-wolves, evil huntresses, enchanted towers, or the Crooked Man, but like David, we are all fighting our own innate "evil" natures. 
 Sidenote: This was the first time I've cried during a book for a while. It occurred as I was TAing a class. That was an awkward moment, but no one saw, so it's okay.