The Barren Grounds by David A  Robertson

This is an interesting book and one that I felt was very scary as I could see this happening.  Morgan and Eli are indigenous children who are fostered to a white family and you can feel the confusion and the anger about the situation.

Morgan is shy and doesn’t really like people.  You can tell that she has bitterness in her soul as she has been passed around from family to family.  She never seems to stay in one place long.

Eli is withdrawn for the most part from the real world living in his drawings which is the last real link to his family.

You can really feel the young adult vibes in this book as Morgan is a typical teen who seems to also be rebelling against the world.  She also feels disconnected from her past and culture as well as feeling unloved.  This is standard for a lot of teens and even more so when you have lost what makes you unique.

The build up to get to the fantasy parts of a new world that they are drawn into was slow were it felt more of a standard book.  I think the pace to get to the new world should have been sped up so that instead of 7 chapters of the normal day to day life it would have been more like 2 chapters maybe 3 before they get to the new world.

Don’t get me wrong it is written well before the new world change but with the information on the back of the book it just made it hard to get past all the buildup.  I am glad I didn’t give up on it as the next part feels very exciting.

The portal world Misewa is interesting and is very much based on the old ways from what I can tell.  There are powerful creatures that can speak and help our young main characters along the way.

I enjoy the talking animals as they bring humour to the story and also a touch of nostalgia.  I am reminded of Charlotte’s Web which also had the talking animals and that was a book that meant so much to me as a kid.

The adventure which is generally part of any fantasy book is actually quite fun and simple.  Simple is not bad in this case as they make it so it’s straight forward which is perfect for the age range this is for.  I also like when they keep things simple as possible as if the plot and action gets too complicated the fun can be lost.

When I completed the book I was content with what I had read.  The book was very good just a bit slow at points. I think that with the pace picked up a bit this would have been a phenomenal read.