I have seen this book reviewed on many blogs lately, so the cover was fresh on my mind when I spotted it at our weekly trip to the library last week. (A quick word about the cover = ick. Sorry, just my personal opinion, but it's really not my favorite. Considering how fun and imaginative the book itself is, I feel the cover could have done it a little more justice.)

Into the Wild is about Julie Marchen, a seemingly ordinary girl, until you consider that her last name means "fairytale" in German, and , oh, her mother is Rapunzel. Julie and her mother ("Zel") live in a suburban Massachusetts town, trying to blend in, even as they have 7 dwarves over for dinner, serve clientel like Goldilocks (now "Goldie") in Zel's hair salon, and try to contain remnants of The Wild (the magical force that imprisons all fairytale creatures into their never-ending stories) under Julie's bed. Five hundred years ago, Rapunzel lead the battle to defeat The Wild, so the fairyland denizens could be free to decide their own fate, to live their own stories. Something goes horribly wrong, though, and The Wild is freed from Julie's room and grows to absorb the town and reclaim its former inhabitants.

I love Julie as the heroin of this story - she has a great mix of self-doubt, courage, and resourcefulness. I enjoy the dynamics between mothers and daughters in the story, as we see Rapunzel with her once evil adoptive mother, and Julie try to get her own mother to listen to and understand her. Durst made inventive use of familiar fairytale characters and gave them a modern-day spin. Finally, I think there is a great message in this book, especially for younger readers: a great story awaits you, if you're brave enough to write it.

Julie Marchen is a girl of many secrets, most of them not entirely her own. Firstly, her mother is Rapunzel; yes, the fairytale woman with the incredibly long and beautiful hair who lives in a tower, although now she wears her hair in a short bob and resides in Northboro, Massachusetts. Also, Julie's brother is Puss-in-Boots and her grandmother is a real witch (the spell-casting kind). And the worst part? Although Rapunzel escaped from and defeated the Wild long ago, it still exists, and it's under Julie's bed. Forget monsters under the bed; the Wild is more real and much worse. But no one except for a select few people who escaped from the Wild long ago as Rapunzel had understand the extent of the threat that the Wild poses, that is, until it somehow escapes from Julie's room and takes over Northboro. Now, with all the people Julie loves trapped within the Wild's never-ending tales, Julie is going to have to journey into that deep and dangerous forest and outwit the Wild in order to save her family and the town of Northboro.

Into the Wild is an incredibly unique and well-written story that I fell in love with. I am a big fan of fairytales, and the incorporation of this into present day, what we normally call "real life," was just a fantastic idea, and one that worked amazingly well. Into the Wild succeeded as a novel on so many levels. Firstly, the characters were well-developed and interesting; even though we've seen most of them in classic fairytale stories, characters such as Cinderella and Goldilocks have been altered to be more human and realistic, making them seem interesting and new. The storyline was so creative, especially with the incorporation of fantasy and reality; the reader can understand Julie's everyday problems such as her yearning for her father and awkwardness at school and then there's all the drama that being the offspring of a fairytale character creates. The plot is fresh, fun, action-filled, and never dull, so I was disappointed when I realized that the story was over.

Into the Wild was definitely one of the best and most unique books I have read recently, and one that I most recommend, especially for fans of fairytales or just fast and fun stories. I can't wait to start reading the sequel, Out of the Wild to see the continuation of Julie's story.

Years ago the fairy tale characters escaped from the Wild. For centuries afterward it was hidden and dormant, but someone's wish triggers its return to power and it's up to Rapunzel's modern daughter Julie to evade happy endings, ogres, and poisoned apples and save the day.

I enjoyed it, but I would have liked to have seen more of Rapunzel's point of view and it felt a bit preachy once or twice. Still, the part with the military swans was hilarious, I adored her wicked witch grandmother, and it was fun to see various fairy tale characters and tropes interacting with each other and the unwilling, very sympathetic Julie.

Twelve-year-old Julie Marchen isn't a normal girl. She knew that from the beginning, when she found out her brother was a five hundred-year-old cat called Puss `n Boots. Her mother is called Zel, which is short for Rapunzel, and her grandmother is a wicked witch named Gothel. Not only that, but her weird family has been placed in charge of the last remnant of the Wild Woods (where all the fairy tales once lived).

INTO THE WILD is Sarah Beth Durst's first novel, but she writes this one like a pro. The sequel OUT OF THE WILD just arrived on book shelves. From the subject matter and the writing, it's easy to see that Durst loves fairy tales, as do many kids.

Julie resents her life because she can't be normal. Imagine going to school and telling people your brother is a five-hundred-year old cat. Then imagine going to school and trying NOT to tell your friends that. Or any of the other weird things about her family. Imagine growing up without your father and never knowing exactly what happened to him.

Zel operates a hair style shop (after all, learning to take care of all that hair had to have taught her something) and Gothel runs the local Wishing Well Motel. Julie's mother tries to explain to her how important it is that they keep the Wild from growing. While the Wild Woods was on the loose, all the fairy tale people and creatures were held captive, doomed to live the same stories over and over again. Only Rapunzel found a way to escape the enchanted forest and managed to lead the others to freedom.

I was immediately intrigued by the premise, as was my ten year old when I read it to him. This book is a great read-aloud for summer evenings with the kids. I really liked the zany way the characters were presented, and how Durst played fairly with what those characters might be in the real world.

Julie doesn't get her mom's friends. Cindy (Cinderella) is now a speed demon - probably from living by that midnight curfew for so long. And the worst of the lot is the seven dwarves because they're always grumpy and fussing, and Zel's door is always open to them.

At school, Julie is a nobody. She wants to be part of the "cool" kids, but she can't get accepted. However, if she could bring only one of the magical items that the Wild seems intent on manufacturing every so often, she knows she would immediately become the coolest kid in school. But her mom keeps all the magic rings, cloaks, and other attire safely locked up.

Thinking back over the magical items in all those stories, my mind kept wandering, imagining the things I could do with them. My ten-year-old did the same. That's when I realized that maybe we never do really grow up from all these old stories.

Despite the best that Julie and her mom are able to do, the Wild gets loose. Before they know it, the enchanted woods takes over their town and begins recapturing story characters. Not only that, but the spell also steals the lives of normal people by zapping them into familiar stories as well.

I loved how Durst hinted at stories before revealing them. The comfortable familiarity led my son and I to guess which fairy tale Julie was plunging through at any given time. I have to admit, he nailed the Three Blind Mice before I did. The trip was made even more fun because we knew those stories so well that creating Julie's adventures in our minds was a snap.

INTO THE WILD is a terrific read. The fact that it lends itself to so many other stories children know is a plus. Kids who have wanted something new, yet something playful, will enjoy this one a lot. I've already ordered the sequel, and I'm looking forward to another romp through the enchanted woods.

A very cute fast paced story. All the characters were very believable though Julie did not really seem like a twelve year old. The story was well written however and I look forward to the next book in the series.