Wildwood Dancing by Juliet MarillierReading level: Grade 6 and up
High in the forest of Transylvania, live five sisters and their loving father. Jena, the second eldest, spends her time exploring the mysterious forest with her pet frog, Gogu and generally having fun. For nine years, on the night of the full moon, she and her four sisters have been crossing over to the Other Kingdom for a night of dancing with the fairy folk. On their last visit, Tati, the eldest becomes entranced by Sorrow, a strange young man who may be one of the Night People, a dangerous group of vampires. To make matters worse, their father falls ill and must spend the winter in a warmer climate away from the family. It is up to Jena to take care of the family business with her cousin, Cezar. Much to her dismay, Cezar is more interested in running the business without her help and has other ideas about she spends her time in the forest. Since the mysterious death of Cezar’s brother, Costi, he has hated the Other Kingdom and been intent on destroying the forest Jena loves so much. Can she save the forest and the Other Kingdom from Cezar? Can she stop the union between her sister, Tati, and the mysterious man she loves while finding her own true love?
Readers who love fairy tale romances will be thrilled with this story. The novel combines aspects of different fairy tales and folk tales and spins them into a well told story. Jena is a strong, courageous, yet flawed character that many readers will root for. While the book is long, it is well worth the effort!
