by Mechthild Gläser
♦publisher: Feiwel & Friends
♦release date: January 2, 2018
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦stand-alone
♦source: from publisher for honest review
Emma is used to things going her way. Her father is headmaster of her prestigious boarding school, her friends take her advice as gospel, and she's convinced that a relationship with her long-time crush is on the horizon.
As it turns out, Emma hasn't seen anything yet. When she finds an old book in an abandoned library, things really start going Emma's way: anything she writes in the book comes true.
But the power of the book is not without consequences, and Emma soon realizes that she isn't the only one who knows about it. Someone is determined to take it from her—and they'll stop at nothing to succeed.
A new boy in school—the arrogant, aloof, and irritatingly handsome Darcy de Winter—becomes Emma's unlikely ally as secrets are revealed and danger creeps ever closer.
As it turns out, Emma hasn't seen anything yet. When she finds an old book in an abandoned library, things really start going Emma's way: anything she writes in the book comes true.
But the power of the book is not without consequences, and Emma soon realizes that she isn't the only one who knows about it. Someone is determined to take it from her—and they'll stop at nothing to succeed.
A new boy in school—the arrogant, aloof, and irritatingly handsome Darcy de Winter—becomes Emma's unlikely ally as secrets are revealed and danger creeps ever closer.
~My Thoughts~
I'm happy to say I really enjoyed this one! I went in with a little bit of trepidation because of a few issues I had with the writing (or more the translation) in The Book Jumper, but none of the few things that bothered me in her debut were present in The Forgotten Book. The storytelling does still read a little young, but not to the point where the characters come across as immature. I actually liked Emma immediately, she seemed kind of easy-going, a good friend, sharp head on her shoulders, and after going between a torturous summer with her mom and heading back to school with an overprotective dad as her headmaster, she's determined to take a little more control of her own life.
There are a few fun mysteries driving the plot along. After Emma finds the hidden book and realizes what it can do, it was amusing to see her cautiously work its magic in small ways and get bolder and bolder as she went along---until she discovers just how many dark consequences come with it. I loved all the parallels to both Pride and Prejudice and Emma and a spin on the old adage of "be careful what you wish for". The fairy tale that is woven into the plot is enchanting and a little dark so we got some good creepy moments, too. As with any good mystery, the guilty finger points at each character in turn and keeps the reader guessing the outcome, and even when it seems the culprit has been revealed, it still manages to throw some great twists in. There is more than one instance of villainous monologuing (you can take that criticism with a grain of salt, though---its just a pet peeve of mine haha) but I'm willing to forgive that, as this was just such a light and entertaining read!
•ABOUT THE AUTHOR•
Mechthild Gläser was born in the summer of 1986 in Essen. Even today, she lives and works in the Ruhr area, where she devotes herself to her studies and now and then dances ballet badly - but only when no one is looking. She started writing early, and her laptop still stands on the pink desk under which her first stories arose. She finds inspiration everywhere, but best with a cup of peppermint tea.
(translated from Goodreads author info, originally in German)
Purchase the book: Indiebound • BookDepository • Amazon
