I'm enjoying it, but not quite loving it yet. Windblowne is a very cool place where everyone lives in these tree houses up in ancient oaks. Bridges connect the houses up in the air, but there is also a town on the ground below. The town's fame is connected to its winds and its annual kite flying contest, and one's popularity and status in town is connected to one's ability to build and fly kites. Oliver, who desperately wants to build and fly the amazing kites he imagines, just doesn't seem to have the talent and almost gives up on his dream until he discovers crazy great-uncle Gilbert, a recluse who is a master kite-builder, inventor, and (apparently) traveler between worlds. Great-uncle Gilbert has just been kidnapped by an evil relative from another world, and Oliver has been carried to find him by one of great-uncle Gilbert's amazing kites....I'll keep you posted. I’m actually not sure where to begin this review. I mean, so many things about this book are unique. But, since a cover is what we usually see first, I’ll start there. Oh. My. Goodness. It blew me away (pun intended). The contrast of the moonlight and the red kite…amazing. The boy flying over the tops of trees, two moons, just enough clouds and dark objects here and there to make it a tiny bit creepy. Wow! I couldn’t wait to read it.It only got better from there. When I opened that first page and started reading about a town named Windblowne, where everyone lives in tree houses built on limbs of luscious Oaks, where night winds often blow with gale-force, I was captivated. Immediately transported to this vivid world. A world where kite flying is life. And that means disaster for Oliver, because no matter how hard he tries, his kite never lifts off the ground. With the annual kite flying festival days away, Oliver finds out he has a great uncle who was a master kite flyer years ago. If only he’d help Oliver build the strongest kite ever, Oliver might finally earn a little respect from the townspeople. But, when Oliver manages to track Great-Uncle Gilbert down, in a well-hidden part of the forest, he discovers a magical secret. There’s not just one Windblowne. There are possibly millions. Each with the same map of oak trees, but with different whispers of the wind. An evil Great-Uncle Gilbert clone, named Lord Gilbert, is set on gaining power over all Windblowne’s, but this involved taking energy from the Oaks, and in turn killing them. Lord Gilbert zaps Great-Uncle Gilbert to a hell-world Windblownem when he tries to save the tress. This sets Oliver on a quest to find his uncle, uncover the secret of the whispering winds, and discover that if kite flying isn’t his talent, what is. Kudos to Stephen Messer for a truly original, capitivating story. This fantasy world is so rich, I actually feel the need to reread the book. The clues planted along the way were surely missed the first time around. But, now that I know what links the worlds, I’m excited to go back and see Stephen’s extraordinary ability to weave so many threads into one satisfying ending.
What do You think about Windblowne (2010)?
Sounds so intriguing and fun to read. A really different premise than most books I hear about.
—blackshadow_17
It was ok but not something that interested me
—Jane
This was so creative! Definitely recommended.
—Missmich
