Reckless (MG/YA)

Reckless by Cornelia Funke. Translated by Oliver Latsch. 2010. Little, Brown. 394 pages.
 
The night breathed through the apartment like a dark animal. The ticking of a clock. The groan of a floorboard as he slipped out of his room. All was drowned by its silence. But Jacob loved the night. He felt it on his skin like a promise. Like a cloak woven from freedom and danger.

Reckless is a dark, bittersweet story of brotherhood. The newest novel from Cornelia Funke stars Jacob and Will Reckless. Jacob, the older brother, is the first to discover the world behind the mirror. The first to explore its beauties, its mysteries, its dangers. But his younger brother, Will, will follow one day. And while Jacob has--so far at least--escaped the dangers he's confronted--from unicorns, faeries, dwarfs, etc--his brother, Will, isn't quite so lucky.

After a brief prologue, Reckless opens with readers learning about the trouble facing the Reckless brothers. Will has been injured--and unless his brother can find a cure--his brother will turn to stone. Jade to be exact. He'll soon lose his humanity, his identity, he'll become a Goyl. Fortunately--or unfortunately--he won't be just any Goyl, he'll be the Jade Goyl. Of the prophecy. The one who is destined to protect the King.

Can Jacob--with the help of some friends (Clara and Fox)--find a way to save his brother? Is his brother's life worth risking his own? To save his brother, Jacob must decide who to trust...but that isn't going to be easy in war-torn Mirrorworld. 

Reckless was a great fantasy read. I liked the characters. I really enjoyed Fox--she was one of my favorite characters. I would have loved to know more about her. Same goes with the Faery sisters--the Dark and Red Faeries.

The storytelling was great too; it was difficult to put this one down!

"Mount up!" Hentzau whispered to Nesser. "Let's catch ourselves a fairy tale!" (157)

What was this yearning, tearing at her insides like hunger and thirst? It couldn't be love. Love was warm and soft, like a bed of leaves. But this was dark, like the shade under a poisonous shrub, and it was hungry. So hungry.
It must have some other name, just as there couldn't be the same word for life and death, or for moon and sun. (254)

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews