This book was not at all what I expected, but I really enjoyed it! I love the author's writing style- concise and careful in it's construction. Each vivid word placed in the sentence just so, in order to paint the picture. Sometimes it feels like you are reading poetry, even though it's prose.

The overall mood of this book is gloomy and mystical with a sense of urgency. I can see why it is compared to LotR, although the plot and characters are nothing like LotR. I would compare it more to Wrinkle in Time, especially with the similar themes of mind-control, searching for what is lost, finding one's identity, and a friendship being cemented in the midst of conflict.

I had no idea this book would be so violent! Only 20 pages in, four people die in a fire, an innocent man is gunned down in the street, a cop is killed in a shoot out, and a 10 year old girl is kidnapped. Very scary for a children's book, but that's the worst of it. There is much less violence in the rest of the book. The plot is certainly thrilling!

I thought some of the friendships that Ellen develops felt a little forced and trite. She just suddenly meets some random stranger and they stop their whole lives to help her on her journey. What a coincidence! haha.
But overall, I loved it! I wish this author had written more books.