Upcoming Release Review: Whichwood

***Upcoming Release!***

Whichwood

by Tahereh Mafi

9781101994795

Age Range: 10 & up

Release Date: November 14, 2017

Dutton Books for Young Readers

I had two top reads last year. The first is one you may have heard of. A vision of loveliness called The Girl Who Drank the Moon that went on to win the Newbery this year. My other favorite (and if I’m honest with you, my top book of the entire year) was the first Middle Grade novel by acclaimed YA author Tahereh Mafi, called Furthermore. Furthermore is this wondrous, whimsical love letter to your favorite childhood books. There’s a bit of Oz in there, some Secret Garden, and definitely Alice in Wonderland. But it is entirely its own story and, quite simply, it is a masterpiece.

Now, on to Whichwood: new companion novel to the aforementioned Furthermore. Due to my intense love for Furthermore, you can imagine the anticipation for its companion. These anticipatory feelings were well founded. Whichwood is a beauty, and draws a good deal of inspiration from Persian culture. In an interview with Bustle, Mafi discussed how it never occurred to her before to fictionalize this, as “Persian culture has never been fiction to [her].” But in a time when fairy tale and mythological retellings are on top of the world, there are, as Mafi puts it, “institutionalized ideas about which mythologies generate great art,” and to see this world opening up is just spectacular. Whichwood is stunning, and the genius of Mafi’s writing is that it is a marvel in a complete and separate way than its predecessor, while still clearly belonging to the same world.

Whichwood is a land entirely different from those we saw in Furthermore. It is grand, a huge spectacle, and alive. Laylee is the mordeshoor of Whichwood, the one who guides the souls of the dead into the afterlife. This is far from glamorous, involving scrubbing the dead bodies and their souls, and other backbreaking work. Not to mention the strain on her own soul. Laylee is alone, abandoned by her father after the passing of her mother, and this grief drains her just as much as the work, leaving her prickly, defensive, and unfriendly. Her own body is even giving out on her, the silver that turned her hair now starting to spread down her hands. But soon, two visitors whom readers of the previous novel will instantly know arrive, and nothing in Laylee’s life will be the same.

While just as vivid and enchanting as Furthermore, Whichwood carries an overall much darker tone. Laylee deals with the spirits of the dead, and sometimes they are not overly happy with their lot. This darkness lends itself to the story beautifully, just as the vibrant magic lent itself to Furthermore. And speaking of Furthermore, the threads connecting the two stories are thoroughly enjoyable, but Whichwood is, ultimately, a companion. Reading Furthermore first is not a requirement (though as you may have guessed, I highly recommend it). Whenever anything of relevance pops up, Mafi adds footnotes that are both informative and cheeky. This assists any reader who either needs a reminder, or who started with Whichwood.

While familiar characters Alice and Oliver are standouts, Laylee is an entirely new kind of person, and she is spectacular. She holds so much inside her. Grief at the loss of her parents. Betrayal for how her father abandoned her, choosing to look for his wife instead of staying with his daughter. Anger with the citizens of Whichwood, who take her work for granted and take advantage of her, dropping off their dead with little to no pay and leaving her nearly starving but bound to do the work anyway. Love for her parents, which just makes the feelings of grief and betrayal that much worse. And fury with the world, for throwing all this at her at once. This causes skepticism when a pair of kind strangers come to her offering help, and she spends most of the novel fighting their kindness at every turn. Lucky for Laylee, Alice is practically built of love and kindness, and Oliver is too caring and stubborn to give up on her.

Containing all the best elements of storytelling, Whichwood is a marvel, and a most worthy successor to (in my own opinion) the best book of 2016. Mark your calendars for November 14th, and prepare yourself for a rush of wonder, awe, whimsy, and of course, magic. Can't wait until November? Never fear, Furthermore is available to tide you over until then.