MG Takes on Thursday

This is my weekly meme celebrating amazing middle-grade books, now with a re-vamped banner!

How to take part:

• Post a picture of the front cover of a middle-grade book which you have read and would recommend to others with details of the author, illustrator and publisher.
• Open the book to page 11 and share your favourite sentence. 
• Write three words to describe the book.
• Either share why you would recommend this book, or link to your review.

This week, I’m celebrating …

Favourite Sentence from Page 11:

I breathe in the familiar smell of ancient tobacco mingled with old books and leather, a sensory legacy from a great-great-grandfather I never knew.

This book in three words:

GOTHIC, DARK, LEGACY

Fledgling is a gorgeously gothic adventure:  ethereal, dark, powerful and poignant.  It is a story that lingers, that pulsates with a magical quality, and that resonates with hope.

Cassie’s home stands atop a tall rock, looking down on the Bratvian Forest and town of Edenburg.  She lives there with her mother, a famous opera singer; her father who is a taxidermist; and, her Grandma who is very ill.  The relationship between Cassie and her parents, and that between her parents, is a difficult and complicated one.  I really enjoyed following the threads into her family history which casts light on the fragility of the familial relationships in the most unexpected ways.

During a storm, Cassie opens the window to find a cherub has arrived, someone she needs to keep secret from her family.  But the cherub’s presence also heralds the arrival of some terrifying creatures and leads to a series of events that will change Cassie’s life forever …

Unable to tell her family about the cherub, she calls upon her best friend, Raphael for help, but Raphael is hiding his own secrets.  Will Cassie have the strength and courage to protect her home, her family and her friend?  Will she uncover the reason for the arrival of the terrifying storm hawks?  Can she prevent history from repeating itself?

I really enjoyed the tense, foreboding atmosphere that builds throughout the story.  There is a real sense of unease, tinged with darkness and danger that is slowly lifted as shocking secrets are revealed and truths uncovered.  I also loved the house with its library, owlery, engine-room and contraptions which form such an integral part of the story.

This is a heartachingly stunning adventure that completely and utterly enchanted me.  A gorgeous read for a dark wintery evening as the wind rattles at the windows … 

This is a story that I would highly recommend to readers of 10+.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’d love if anyone who wants to give this meme a go would comment in the comments box and include a link to your post so I can visit, comment and find some great middle-grade recommendations. If you do create a post and are on Twitter, and would like to share your post, please use the hashtag  #MGTakesOnThursday so I can find it, read it and share it!