Review: Exiting and Original
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 1, 2013
The much put upon Isomee Hogg-Bottom lives with her despicable uncle at Hogg-Bottom farm. Here she is happily going about her chores one day when a stranger, a legendary uma, arrives on their doorstep in the hope of buying one the uncle's, again legendary, flying chostri. However, the uma - Brackenbelly, finds the uncle is not willing to sell him a chostri unless he is willing to help him in return. At night things have been happening outside the barn, indicating someone or something may be trying to get to the chostri on the inside of the barn. Whatever is afoot sounds extremely frightening and dangerous and the lazy uncle is not willing to investigate the matter himself. From here the reader is taken into the even darker side of the uncle's nature and the good and kind side of the uma, as the adventure begins.I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a short chapter book. Each chapter ending is equipped with its own cliffhanger urging the reader to continue. As the story progresses we learn more about Isomee's relationship with her uncle and just how loathsome he really is (nothing here unsuitable for children - he's just as mean as they get). We also see how deeply intelligent and compassionate the uma is and watch as his friendship with Isomee develops.This is very well-written with excellent character descriptions, including the one of the chostri. It's exciting, original and imaginative. Since this is the only one I have read, I am assuming in the next one we will learn of Isomee's fate. Highly recommended.This review is also published at [...]