What if the land of fairy tales, also known as the Wild was real, alive and currently residing under your bed? Welcome to twelve-year-old Julie Marchen’s world where not only are fairy tales real but if you are very unlucky, you are condemned to living out the tale over and over again. After eating one of the Three Blind Mice, the Wild unaccountably spits out Julie’s father, none other then Handsome Prince who rescued her mom, Rapunzel from the lonely tower. Naturally, Julie is delighted to have her Dad back but there are problems, not the least of which is creating a name and identity for a man totally unprepared for the wonders of the modern world.
As Julie’s family ponders the ramifications of her father’s return, he dashes off to rescue a damsel in distress. Meanwhile, the Wild has plans of its own and Julie must set out on a daring cross-country journey in an attempt to not only keep her family safe but find a way to save the world from the Wild. She will have to solve a riddle, walk storybook paths and figure out a way to trick the Wild in order to keep a bit of mystery and magic in the world while protecting its secrets.
Fairy tales spring to life in unexpected ways in this charming tale geared toward the preteen audience. Julie provides a suitably strong female role as she confronts family secrets, copes with the trials of growing up and begins to realize what she is capable of. The imaginative storyline will captivate young readers and parents can rest easy knowing there is nothing here that will give sensitive children nightmares.
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