Maggie Blue and the Dark World by Anna Goodall, reviewed by Tegan

This book took me a few chapters to get in to but once I was hooked, I couldn’t put the book down. The book follows a girl called Maggie who sees another girl being kidnapped by a wolf and taken into another world. She really likes the girl, Ida, and decides to go into the world and get her back.

This books is good for twelve and under because of the type of story it is and the language in the book. However, older readers are obviously able to read this and enjoy the story. The tale reminds me of a mixture of Stranger Things and other sci-fi stories. Maggie is also part of the LGBTQ community, she doesn’t like boys and likes Ida.

I enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes mystery, other worlds, and science fiction. I hope that a sequel comes out because the end made me wanting to read more. 

Hi, my name is Tegen and I am fourteen years old. I enjoy reading book genres like fantasy, crime and adventure. Some of my favourite authors are Holly Black, Alice Oseman, Stephen King and John Green. My other interests include playing chess, horse riding and writing. My favourite quote from a book is ‘that’s the thing about pain, it demands to be felt’ from the fault in our stars.’ 

About the book:

A thrilling tale of friendship and courage – Maggie Blue, strongwilled and isolated, sees her enemy from school taken through a window to a parallel world by one of their teachers and determines to follow, whatever the cost. With the help of irascible cat, Hoagy, they discover a world where happiness is being stolen – and they must do everything they can not to be caught up in its web of destruction.  

Maggie Blue is an outsider, both at home and at school. She lives with her eccentric aunt Esme, and has no friends other than the irascible Hoagy, a stray cat who can talk to her. When Magge sees Ida, her foe from school, being taken through a window to another world by one of their teachers who has transformed into a wolf, she is determined to save her, whatever the cost. But the dark world is full of danger, a place where happiness is valued above all else, and Maggie discovers that her role is far more important than anyone could have guessed. A thrilling and gripping tale of friendship, courage and the power of being yourself.