The Thief of Farrowfell

I love to read the acknowledgements before I start a book, and the question Ravena Guron asked herself before creating this story had me intrigued and quite excited about what was to come: “What if you could steal magic?”

I found The Thief of Farrowfell to be a captivating book and was completely hooked after the first chapter. The story starts with such an intriguing sentence, it makes you want to read on. I actually used the opening page with my intermediate students as an example of a great writers’ hook.

The descriptive language used is just enough to give the reader a picture in their minds without going into detail or extensive vocabulary too much, which makes it a great novel for younger students.

The Ripon family are extremely appealing and relatable, with the annoying sibling, not taking each other too seriously, regular family dinners, and of course, family arguments. Even though we have mystery and magic, most children would be able to relate to at least one of the characters. I also liked how Jude (the main character in the story) was very much a loner at the start, but makes friends who support her in her adventure.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and am very pleased that there will be more to come!