Whichwood
(Furthermore #2)

Gr 5-7--Mafi expands the vibrant world she created in Furthermore with this striking companion novel. Laylee Layla Fenjoon has inherited the magical talents and responsibilities of mordeshoor at the all-too-young age of 13, when her mother's death drives her father to madness. Rather than play with other children and go to school, she washes the bodies of the dead to ease their transition into the afterlife for the ungrateful Wichwoodians. As the stress takes its toll, Alice and Oliver (characters from Furthermore) arrive to help--if only they can make it past Laylee's prickly shell. Another boy with his own bit of magic, Benyamin, joins the group and the romantic pairings are inevitable but also appreciatively complex. Drawing heavily from Persian culture and featuring a heroine of color, this fantasy novel feels both fresh and classic. The cadence may be initially difficult to get into for some readers, but the story pushes forward and those who stick with it will be rewarded with a complex and layered tale. A couple of aspects of the book seem a bit disjointed: the pacing is interrupted and flags a bit in the middle. Time also seems to rearrange itself on occasion in order to serve the plot, rather than flowing organically from the decisions of the characters. Nevertheless, fantasy fans looking for something new will find much to enjoy here. VERDICT A pleasing selection for precocious middle grade and middle school readers.--Erin Reilly-Sanders, University of Wisconsin-Madison