I am delighted to be on The Three Impossibles Blog Tour. Many thanks to Poppy Stimpson at Pushkin Press for inviting me on the tour.
SYNOPSIS:
Mim grew up surrounded by secrets. On the day she was born, her mother died and a mysterious curse was cast on her family. Ever since, she’s been isolated in a walled castle, forbidden from venturing to the Outside.
But Mim has never been able to stop asking questions – and when her father enlists the suspicious Madame Marionette to train her in the art of being a princess, her curiosity only gets more intense.
Determined to understand, Mim sets out on an epic adventure in which she will break all the rules, encounter strange creatures and use all her cunning to solve impossible problems. But will it be enough to bring happiness back to the lonely castle on the rock?
MY THOUGHTS:
This magical rollercoaster of a story was simply a fantastic read. There was an element of familiarity with both the setting and its fairy-tale quality but in the same breath an originality and uniqueness in the storyline.
Mim is a princess who lives in a castle. She is forbidden to go outside the walls that surround and protect her home. Her mother sadly died the day she was born and her father has been in mourning ever since. Mim longs to retreat to the library and read or explore the outside world but Foggy has other plans for her. She must become the princess that she was born to be. However, tight dresses and high-heeled shoes are rather restricting especially when she wants to run and see her only friend Smith, the Blacksmith.
Things change rather suddenly with the arrival of Madame Marionette. A women determined to educate Mim on how to become a princess, as Foggy has clearly failed to do so in the time she has been in charge. When the elocution and dancing lessons don't go to plan, Mim escapes to the outside world and embarks on a remarkable, scary journey. Here she meets many characters, from the old alchemist, to the frightful Mers and Wings. Mim must conquer her fears and take on many treacherous tasks in order to help Mac succeed in his mission to make gold, and in doing so save her beloved Smith from the tortures of Madame Marionette and her men.
The fast paced-chapters really heighten my overall enjoyment of the novel and with each chapter ending in a cliffhanger I just had to read on. The tension builds as the chapters mount and there is danger all around. There was a dark undertone to the story which I'm sure older readers will appreciate. This is not just a story about a princess, this is a story of a young girl with an enquiring mind who faces many challenges and setbacks. The characters are divided into two camps: the villains and the heroes. The villains of the story are truly horrid, dark and twisted. The Heroes, simply loveable characters. I loved the fantasy element with the Mers and the Wings, both characters gave me chills and added a spooky, darker quality to the novel.
The ending was a real surprise, which I thought was very clever and fitting. Many thanks to Pushkin Press and Susie Bower for such an engaging and enjoyable read. Highly recommend for Upper Key Stage Two children.
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