Review of Welcome To The Enchanted Forest Book One

[Jaituni Sanghavi]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Welcome To The Enchanted Forest Book One" by Rebecca Himmel Glassman.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Magic is something that has always excited me. Even though I am an adult now, I love magic the same amount as I used to as a kid. Therefore, when I came across this book titled Welcome To The Enchanted Forest by Rebecca Himmel Glassman, I was immediately compelled to give it a shot after reading the blurb because it just seemed so magical, and it sure was!

Coming forward to the story front, the book comprises three sub-stories that all tie together at the end. The first story introduces us to the lovely and lively talking animals in the “Enchanted Forest.” We can see “Skip” the rabbit and “Sparky” the squirrel having a little discussion amongst themselves about helping the little kids.

The second story is that of the four sisters, Sarah, Nikki, Mandy, and Rose. These four sisters have a tough life, and they live in a trailer with their mom. However, their mom is never at home, as she has to work all day long to keep the house running. Having no father is not easy after all. These four sisters are tired and frustrated, especially Rose, the youngest one, because, at the ages of 12, 11, 10, and 9, respectively, they have to handle the entire house by themselves, right from the cooking to the chores. They just want to live a regular life like other kids do!

The third story is about a boy named Drew who is ignored by his super-busy working parents at any given time. He doesn’t even have any friends except for Jake, which makes him feel lonely and lost. He just wants to feel loved and cared for, like he matters!

Skip and Sparky seem to know of it, and they plan on helping this bunch of kids just like they have helped so many other kids for the past many years. Little do these kids know that Suzi, the cute furry dog that appeared outside the sisters’ trailer all of a sudden, and Charlie, the old stuffed toy dog that sat on Drew’s shelf since he was a baby, were not ordinary, for they had been sent by Skip and Sparky to get these kids inside the “Enchanted Forest.” Without giving away any further details, the story then follows the kids’ journey into the “Enchanted Forest” and “The Enchanted House.” What would their journey be like? Will they get any solutions to their problems? Or will they understand how to look at their problems from a different perspective? You have to read this magical tale to find out!

Honestly, I had the most amazing time reading this book. I did not realize where time flew by when I was reading it because it was just so interesting and dreamlike. The author’s writing style is so simple yet powerful, which I believe is a perfect blend for kids and young adults. The brilliant descriptions of “The Enchanted House” are the cherry on top. For instance, imagine a hallway painted a soft cream color and the walls covered with pictures of trees and flowers that were not actually pictures, as the trees appeared to be swaying in the breeze. Or imagine a room that was pink and purple, with a canopied bed in the middle and pretty stuffed animals sitting on top of lacey pink pillows. The walls were painted in pale purple and pink stripes. There were pictures of little puppies and kittens on the walls. Did these descriptions manage to appear before your eyes as you read them? If yes, then you can understand the depth with which the author has managed to detail them.

What I personally liked the most about this book was the message it conveyed. Like Skip and Sparky said in the book, “The magic and the enchantment of this place are entirely based on hopes and dreams. If you don’t believe and you have no hope, then everything is plain and boring and sad and lonely.” This struck a chord with me.

Another part that resonated with me was the lesson that Rose learned, which was, in her words, “The one special thing that I learned was that you don’t need money to be rich. If you have family and friends, then you’re already rich. I also learned that no matter how bad things get, we can make things better, even if it’s just a little bit at a time.” It's powerful, isn’t it?

What more do I say? This book is truly amazing, and owing to the wonderful storyline, magical storytelling, character connection, and overall reading experience, it deserves a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. I honestly disliked nothing about this book. The editing is also quite amazing, for I just found a few minor errors.

Overall, Welcome To The Enchanted Forest is a beautiful and magical book. It teaches a powerful message through a sweet story and urges you to be grateful for what you have. I would recommend this book to everyone, but it would be enjoyed the most by kids and teens within the age group of 9 to 15 years.

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Welcome To The Enchanted Forest Book One
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[Annalisa Whyte]

Great review. I do hope to read this book as the way how you described the book jus struck me. Whilst reading the review I was in awe of what contents the book holds and the imagery of it all.

[Gerry Steen]

Your review describes a book that is delightful. The talking animals that look out for the various struggling kids are important characters in this magical fantasy. Whether the kids are weighed down with adult responsibilities or feel lonely and neglected, they can learn important lessons to help them cope. The Enchanted Forest and The Enchanted House contain excitement and answers to problems that I am anxious to read about. Thank you for this well-written and informative review.