A murder of crows flew off to the forbidden Impassable Wilderness with the baby brother you were supposed to be watching? This is just the first difficult quandary that Prue is forced to deal with in Wildwood by Colin Meloy (lead singer and songwriter for The Decemberists). Well, as you might guess, Prue does elect to sneak into the wilds, followed by a nosy classmate, Curtis. This intrepid duo soon learn they have entered a realm in the midst of violent upheaval. One part of the dark and magical wood is warring with at least one other section. A simple rescue mission explodes into mortal battles featuring incredible creatures and humans as various factions vie for power and control. Honeyed deceit, brutal honesty, and difficult choices force Prue and Curtis to mature quickly. They must tap unknown inner strengths as they risk their lives for a greater cause. Readers rapidly become engaged with all the characters in this eco-fantasy full of twists, turns, and humorous episodes. An unexpected choice at the end leaves one anxiously awaiting Book II in The Wildwood Chronicles. Let's hope Meloy is able to maintain this quality and momentum as the series progresses. This is truly a 'must-read' for all fantasy lovers!