
Daisy Thistledown has traveled around the world with her beloved journalist mother. But when her mother disappears and Daisy finds herself alone, on the run from an unknown enemy attempting to steal her dandelion paperweight, she stumbles into a place far more mysterious than any she’s entered before: the Greenwild, a magical pocket of the normal world where Daisy, impossibly, belongs.
Daisy has never lived anywhere long, so when she discovers that the Greenwild might hold the truth about where her mother has gone, she’s more than happy to stay there for a little longer. Surrounded by new things to learn, magical plants, and unexpected friendships, Daisy can almost forget about the enemies hunting her on the other side of the door—and the mysteries about her own life that she finally has the chance to answer. Particularly since her new friends are helping her uncover the truth about her mother’s disappearance.
But whoever took Daisy’s mother is still out there. And their next target might be the Greenwild itself.
When I first came across Greenwild, I had a feeling it would be the kind of magical, atmospheric adventure that made me fall in love with middle-grade fantasy to begin with—books like Finding Serendipity, Magyk, and The Dark is Rising. It was everything I hoped it would be! Accompanied by Thomson’s beautiful writing and gorgeous interior illustrations (which are honestly some of my favorites that I’ve come across in MG), the Greenwild sprang to life in my mind, atmospheric and quirky in all the right places. Thomson truly has the knack of creating a fully formed, believable world nestled within our own, and the Greenwild has the perfect balance of the utterly fantastical and details grounded in stunning realism.
I loved the characters. Daisy was a brilliant protagonist, with such a complicated and relatable mix of emotions. The supporting cast was particularly excellent, and watching secrets be revealed and new characters get introduced was utterly delightful. With plenty of twists and clever surprises, I didn’t want to stop reading this book! I highly recommend Greenwild to readers ages ten and up.