Review: "Guest," by Mary Downing Hahn

Molly Cloverall is so jealous of her beautiful baby brother that she steals a protective necklace from him and says a compliment about him aloud. She has heard stories that speaking aloud how beautiful or happy a baby is will draw the attention of the kindfolk and they will steal the baby and leave a changeling in its place. When exactly that happens, Molly is ashamed and upset but keeps her fault to herself. She names the changeling Guest and starts a plan to get her brother back. Guest is such a leech on Molly’s family that her mother withers away and her dad leaves home. Molly takes Guest in the night and wanders toward the dark wood. It’s not safe for mortals, but Molly wants her family back to normal. No spoilers, but I was surprised by all the twists and turns this story took and I enjoyed the links to legend and lore. Audiobook is recommended!

Mrs. Denney's Rating: ***1/2

#review #family #fantasyfiction #fairytale #mystery