Book Review ~ "The Word Changers" by Ashlee Willis

The Word Changers by Ashlee Willis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Received to Review
Genre: YA Fantasy

Book Description:  A place where words can change an entire world …
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Escaping from the turmoil of a broken family, fifteen-year-old Posy finds herself at her usual haunt … the library. This time, though, when she chooses an unfamiliar book from the shelf, she does not devour its words and pages as she usually does.

Its words devour her.

Posy is pulled into the pages of a fairy tale, even mistaken for one of its characters. But all is far from perfect in this story’s Kingdom. Characters are whispering of rebellion against both their Plot and the deadly king who has seized control of it. And Posy must find a lost princess whose role in the story is crucial before her own story comes to a horrible end …

With the proud and haughty Prince Kyran as a reluctant companion, Posy ventures past the Borders of the Plot, into the depths of the gloomy and treacherous Wild Land forest that lies beyond. Secrets are buried there. Dark mysteries and shadowy creatures, dangerous and deadly.

Yet the deadliest danger of all is the one that Posy carries 
within herself.

Soon it is clear that finding the lost princess is the least of Posy’s concerns. The Author of the book must be found. His Plot must be put to rights again, his characters reminded of who they were first created to be. Only then will the True Story be written, both for Posy, and for the tale she has now become a part of.

Courage and forgiveness are needed for Posy to find her way home again. But bitterness and shadows haunt her every step of the way...

My thoughts: I found the idea of the book fascinating. A young girl who has turmoil in her life is suddenly in the book she is reading. I will admit that has always been a fantasy of mine. I have been pulled into a story and wished I could be a part of the fictitious world.

For Posy, her book world is more of a nightmare. She is to replace a Princess who has run away from the story. The plot rules most of the characters. Every time a reader opens the pages of the book, they act out the sequence of events. Depending on how well they do in their parts, the reader will stay or become disinterested with the plot.

Posy quickly finds that the plot and kingdom are in tatters. The Princess has left because she wants to rid her people of the evil that has invaded the story. Posy and the Prince, Kyran, leave on a quest to find the missing Princess and alter the story they are living.

I enjoyed the enlightening process that Posy underwent. She grew as a person because of her experiences in the Kingdom. She learned life lessons that altered how she viewed life and her expectations of her family and herself.

I loved the message about forging your own destiny and not feeling that life has to be endured. The book has a feeling of hope. There is a little romance, but it's not the all encompassing love that are typical of Young Adult books. The love is more about caring about someone else enough to let them grow. It's a great message for youth.

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About the Author: Ashlee Willis is the author of fantasy for young adults. She lives in the heart of Missouri with her husband and young son. While most of her days are balanced between writing, reading and homeschooling, she also finds time to enjoy tea with friends, forest walks, photography, and piano playing.