May Bird and the Ever After by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Information

Goodreads: May Bird and the Ever After
Series: May Bird #1
Source: Library
Published: 2005

Summary

May Bird lives on the edge of the woods of Briery Swamp and, though most people find the woods creepy, May thinks of them as freedom.  There she can be the girl no one at at school would expect–the Amazon warrior; the princess who can fly; the girl who sets forth on adventure with her one trusty friend, Somber Kitty.  But then May starts seeing ghosts.  Of course no one believes her.  Soon, however, it does not matter who believes her or not because May finds herself dragged down into the world of Ever After, a place of ghouls, ghosts, and specters.  A place where Live Ones are not welcome.  Now on the run from the evil ruler Bo Cleevil, May must find and read The Book of Dead or risk being turned into nothing.

Review

 May Bird and the Ever After is the perfect kind of book for any who can relate to what it feels like to be different.  In her imagination, May is free and fearless, a warrior princess, an inventor, yet when she goes to school she is shy and remains an outcast.  All she wants is for someone to recognize her worth, yet even her mother thinks her a little odd.  Falling through a portal into the world of Ever After thus proves the opportunity she did not realize she was waiting for–the opportunity to show everyone her true self.

Thus Jodi Lynn Anderson introduces readers to a world magical and dangerous.  From the moment May finds herself in Ever After, the uncanny and the unexplained intertwine to create an atmosphere that beckons the readers ever farther in, promising adventure and beauty even as it threatens.  Tension lies ever beneath the surface, but it seems impossible not to want May to stay, just a little longer.

A cast of likable and strange characters completes the charm of this book.  From the loyal Somber Kitty to the fearful yet friendly Pumpkin, the story is full of personalities who invite the readers’ interest and sympathy.  Even the evil Bo Cleevil and his terrifying henchman the Bogey Man prove intriguing–no one wants them to capture May, of  course, but a few runs-in just so readers can meet them seems only fair.  With so many personalities to meet, May and the Ever After seems almost too short.

Fortunately, however, this book is only the first in a trilogy (and, these days, such words from me are usually not a recommendation).  May and the Ever After proves a fun romp through the afterlife, complete with just the right amount of danger and mystery, but the story knows when it is time to end and how to provide a satisfying conclusion while still promising wonderful adventures to come.  I cannot wait to journey with May through more of Ever After.