Book Review - Barefoot on the Wind

Title: Barefoot on the Wind
Author: Zoe Marriott
Publisher: Walker Books; 01 edition
Release Date: 1 Sept. 2016
ISBN-13: 978-1406333374

Synopsis

A magical retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” set in a fairytale Japan. A companion title to Zoë Marriott’s critically acclaimed Shadows on the Moon. There is a monster in the forest... Everyone in Hana’s remote village on the mountain knows that straying too far into the woods is a death sentence. When Hana’s father goes missing, she is the only one who dares try to save him. Taking up her hunting gear, she goes in search of the beast, determined to kill it – or be killed herself. But the forest contains more secrets, more magic and more darkness than Hana could ever have imagined, and the beast is not at all what she expects..

My Review

When I was much younger I read ‘The Swan Kingdon’ and ‘Daughter of the Flame’ and really enjoyed them, I still have them on my bookshelves today. At YALC in London last summer Zoe Marriott was on the guest list, remembering how much I enjoyed those other books I knew I wanted to meet her. As I’ve been a bit out of the loop with YA releases the last couple of years as I’ve mainly been reading old classics for my English degree, I wasn’t aware that Zoe had any other books out. When I got to the convention I saw posters for this book ‘Barefoot on the Wind’ and another called ‘Shadows of the Moon’. They sounded so good, I love things to do with Fairy-tale retellings so I was desperate to get a copy, however by the time I got to the book stall at the convention both of these books were sold out – the supplier had underestimated their popularity. I was gutted, but I still had the other two original books with me so I queued up and got them signed. (Zoe by the way was absolutely lovely and a pleasure to talk to) I promised I would get hold of the books and read them and then write reviews, so once back I ordered the books from the library and waited eagerly for them to arrive.

This one arrived first and I dived in as soon as I could. Hana lives in a remote village surrounded by a forest, no one ever goes into the forest as there are rumours of a beast lurking within. Every now and then someone disappears and is said to have been captured and taken away by the beast. When Hana’s father is the next victim, she swears to put an end to it all once and for all. But nothing is ever as it first seems and Hana faces more than just a simple beast, and the beast himself is nothing like she expected.

The world in which this book is set is amazing, the imagery Marriott uses really lifts the small village off the page, I felt like I was walking down the dirt tracks by Hana’s side, playing in the river, going out hunting. I could picture everything and it was beautiful yet slightly ominous at the same time.

Obviously, knowing the story of Beauty and the Beast, there were some points that were going to be obvious and I was waiting for them to happen, but even the most obvious events were transformed into something exciting with Marriott’s own little twist to make you stop and think, nothing is as you expect.

Hana is a great character, strong, determined, and feisty and I felt myself connect to her and her story, the beast was also something else. The man is a gentle and calming spirit, he feels a connection to the earth around him and seems so helpful. How can a beast lurk within?

This book will sweep you into a world of magic and wonder, excitement and adventure and will leave you wanting to know what happens next.

An excellent read that I highly recommend.

My Rating