Publishers Weekly - Audio
06/05/2017
Eleven-year-old Tess and her younger brother, Max, are having trouble entertaining themselves while spending the summer with their Aunt Evie in the English countryside. Then one day Tess stumbles upon an old rusty key that unlocks an ornate gate near her aunt’s house. She and Max enter through the gate and follow a long path, on which they encounter a strange but friendly boy named William. As Tess and Max spend more time with William, they cross over into a world that is wholly different than their own. Actor Newman’s versatile and lively reading will capture the minds of young listeners. She provides distinct character voices and keeps the prose exciting and engaging. Her vocal stylings and emphatic declarations capture the surreal mood of the story while upping its entertainment value. Ages 8–12. A Philomel hardcover. (Feb.)
Publishers Weekly
11/21/2016
Ephron (Loose Diamonds) draws on elements common to classic children’s stories—secrets gardens, powerful wishes—in her first book for young readers. Tess, 11, and her younger brother, Max, are sent to live with their widowed Aunt Evie in the English countryside for the summer, where they spend their days playing Monopoly, fighting, and helping Aunt Evie in her garden. After a particularly nasty fight with Max, Tess finds a rusted key that magically opens the gates to the estate next door. Within them are a magnificent garden, a castle, and a boy Tess’s age named William. Tess, Max, and William forge a friendship, but something is amiss, and Tess isn’t sure what it is. Ephron spends a great deal of time explaining characters’ motivations, and the overall narrative arc feels rushed. Though there are moments of wonder, such as a carousel that runs on wish-granting, these are undercut by Ephron’s need to clarify and oversimplify events (“Aunt Evie was lying to them, but they didn’t know that”) at the expense of a fully developed plot. Ages 8–12. Agent: Kari Stuart, ICM. (Feb.)
From the Publisher
Praise for The Castle in the Mist:
“Bursting with imagination and warmth, Amy Ephron’s first novel for young people is a magical book in all ways.”—Holly Goldberg Sloan, New York Times bestselling author of Counting by 7s
"This beautiful story’s quiet, peaceful tone nicely evokes both the serenity of country life and the haunting magic of the castle, and the emotional heft of Tess and Max’s separation from their parents, as well as their strong bond, keeps the tale firmly grounded in reality. Perfect for middle-graders who love classic fantasy."—Booklist
"Rich description of the castle along with an elaborate map at the book's beginning and an illustration at the end enhance the fantasy world....A sequel is suggested; beguiled readers will hope it happens."—Kirkus Reviews
"There are scenes...that are transcendent in their beautiful, ethereal descriptions [in this] uplifting novel about family and connection."—BCCB
"A slightly darker, updated take on magical realism classics such as Edward Eager’s Half Magic and E. Nesbit’s The Enchanted Castle."—School Library Journal
"A near-perfect 9....This book defies gravity because it’s hard to put down!"—Time for Kids, kid reporter
"Ephron renders this magical world with such assertive beauty that readers of all ages, who are fortunate enough to believe in the power of magic, will enjoy immersing themselves in the roller-coaster fun of these stories, and come to trust, even if for a short time, that in this 'alternate universe' it is possible for us to come together and 'touch the sky.'"—Jewish Journal
School Library Journal - Audio
05/01/2017
Gr 5–7—Tess and her younger brother Max are spending the summer with their widowed aunt in a small English village. Their mother is recuperating from a serious illness at home in the United States while their father is on assignment as a journalist covering the war in Afghanistan. While out walking one afternoon, Tess finds a peculiar key that opens an unusual gate. On the other side she meets William and finds a castle with a carousel, a garden, and more. Tess later returns to the castle with her brother during a blue moon, when magic, history, and mystery thrive. The tale is dramatically read by Laraine Newman. Plausible English and Irish accents are used when appropriate to enhance characterization and setting. The drama is heightened by the narrator's effective pacing. VERDICT Ultimately, the families of both past and present are reunited in this satisfying though rather contrived saga. For those seeking a more intense take on the magical realism genre. ["A slightly darker, updated take on magical realism classics": SLJ 1/17 review of the Philomel book.]—Maria B. Salvadore, formerly at District of Columbia Public Library
School Library Journal
01/01/2017
Gr 3–6—It's been a topsy-turvy year for Tess and her brother Max. Sent away from their New York home to a boarding school abroad, they are now spending the summer in the English countryside with their aunt Evie. Isolated and bored, Tess stumbles upon a mysterious gate atop a hill beyond her aunt's home. She unlocks the gate and discovers beautiful castle grounds and a boy her age named William. Tess is quickly charmed by William's earnestness, and the two develop a fast friendship, despite the curious circumstances surrounding the castle's sudden appearance and William's cryptic warning to avoid hawthorn trees. Strange happenings occur at the castle, and events become subsequently stranger each visit, culminating in Max's disappearance. Though the story is set in the present day, the use of old-fashioned, sentimental prose works well. References to the lack of Wi-Fi and Tess's father reporting from war-torn Afghanistan help ground the book as a contemporary tale. There is also an undercurrent of danger that adds a layer of depth and suspense to the storytelling. Readers new to the fantasy genre will appreciate the conflict Tess feels: she is torn between doubting the fanciful episodes and embracing the existence of magic and other worlds. VERDICT A slightly darker, updated take on magical realism classics such as Edward Eager's Half Magic and E. Nesbit's The Enchanted Castle.—Sophie Kenney, Vernon Area Public Library District, IL
FEBRUARY 2017 - AudioFile
Narrator Laraine Newman infuses magic into this story about children who discover a friendship that goes beyond time and place. Americans Tess and her brother, Max, are spending the summer in Hampshire, England, with their aunt. Newman captures the children’s initial reticence about their visit, separation from their father, and lack of access to the Internet, and reveals how the discovery of a key to a gate changes their attitudes. Newman conveys the sensitive nature and loneliness of 12-year-old William—the boy in the mysterious castle—in a soft, tender voice. She fluidly transitions between English and American accents for both child and adult characters. Best of all, her dramatic pacing and whispered warnings bring out the enchanting magic of the castle in the mist. M.F. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2016-11-02
Although contemporary in setting, adult author Ephron's (Loose Diamonds, 2011, etc.) first children's book is a paean to classical English children's books of yore.With their journalist father in Afghanistan and their mother supposedly writing a book but actually ill, Long Islanders Tess and Max are sent to their aunt's Wi-Fi-less home in a little English village. While exploring the environs, Tess finds an antique brass key that opens an ornate gate in an invisible wall. She discovers a new friend, William, and a magical castle with beautiful gardens, a maze, and carnival rides and sculptures that come to life. Could this be the abandoned Bramsfield Castle? On one particularly fantastical night—a night of both a blue moon and a blood moon, when Tess dances with the stars—Max, although warned, steps into the ominous hawthorn wood and disappears. Attempting rescue, William and Tess encounter Morphons, rocks turned into gryphonlike, soul-stealing creatures. Tess learns the power of wishes. Rich description of the castle along with an elaborate map at the book's beginning and an illustration at the end enhance the fantasy world. At the novel's happy ending, the castle's history is revealed, including the importance of William's French governess. All characters, past and present, appear to be white. A sequel is suggested; beguiled readers will hope it happens. (Fantasy. 8-12)
