Fablehaven

I had very recently finished Fablehaven, by Brandon Mull, and wanted to do a review on it while it was still fresh in my mind. You may have been expecting the next book review to be on The Grey Griffins book 1: The Revenge of the Shadow King by Derek Benz and J.S. Lewis, but I'm still currently reading it. Well, rereading it. I read it around a year ago, when I took a writing class from J.S. Lewis, but it's not fresh enough in my mind for me to do a proper review. So, I'm rereading it. Anyways, here's my review on Fablehaven:

Kendra, almost 14, and her 11 year old brother, Seth, get stuck staying with their Grandma and Grandpa Sorenson, because their parents are going on a cruise. The kids don't know much about the Sorensons, and they think their stay there will be boring. Grandma Sorenson is, supposedly, visiting a relative named Edna, but Kendra and Seth don't buy it. When they arrive, the kids meet Lena, the housekeeper, and Dale. Seth wanted to go explore the many forests, and so he snuck out of the house, and into the woods. After a while of exploring, he came across a witch named Muriel Taggert. She's trapped in her little hut, bound by magic that forms a rope with 13 knots, ones that can only be loosened if you're doing it under your own free will. She's down to two knots when Seth finds her, and she tries to lure him into her hut, but he runs away in time. Seth and Kendra soon find out the secrets of Fablehaven, the secret fairy preserve their grandparents live on. Fairies, demons, satyrs, goblins, and trolls galore! Grandpa Sorenson tells Kendra and Seth that there are boundaries all around the property, preventing the most evil and mischievous from entering certain areas. He tells them that there are no good guys among creatures in Fablehaven. There are simply ones less evil and mischievous. The only creatures allowed on the lawn are the fairies. A simple mistake made causes Grandpa Sorenson and Lena to be kidnapped, and Dale to turn into a statue. The kids don't know where their Grandma is, so they need help. Muriel's last knot is loosened by Kendra and Seth, when they need her to change the pet chicken, Goldilocks, back into her original form as Grandma Sorenson. The whole thing breaks out into a war, Muriel, Mendigo the overgrown wooden puppet, and Muriel's imp minions versus Grandma Sorenson, Kendra, Seth, overgrown fairies, and Hugo. When that's all over, back at the Sorensons' home, Kendra sleeps for two days straight; then, she and Seth are picked up by their parents and they all go back home.

I give this book 3 stars, and here's why:
I liked Fablehaven, because it was a quick read. I also liked it, because the fairies weren't small, delicate, and easy to hurt. They're miniature warriors, casting magic and sometimes even playing pranks! Another reason I liked Fablehaven was that what happened wasn't what I suspected, and the ending a surprise. I like books that surprise you, because, if they're too predictable, it can get boring, but this book wasn't boring! Also, I liked that it wasn't just a magical preserve of fairies, but there was actually real live dangers that even the caretakers of the preserve are afraid of. The only thing I didn't like about the book was that they didn't talk more about Warren, Dale's brother. They just said "Warren is Dale's brother" and "Dale's main reason for staying at Fablehaven is to care for Warren" and stuff, but they don't explain more about him to you. I hope they put more Warren in the second book, 'cause I'm curious!