Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
It has been awhile since I’ve read something by Jessica (hurry up and write more!), and so it was so much fun to get back into her head and this great book about love and family and castles that are alive!
Setting: The book is set in a medieval time in a land where it is possible for castles to be alive. There are hints of other kinds of magic, but that is the main focus of the book. We spend a lot of time with young Princess Celie, who seems to understand the castle best as she explores new areas of the castle and then as she uses her knowledge to try to find out what has happened to her parents and the new councilors who have come to “guide” her and her older siblings in ruling the kingdom in their parents’ absence.
Characters: Celie is young, but very brave and caring – which makes this a fun read. We get to know her courageous and smart brother, Rolf; her conscientious and dependable sister, Lilah; and a host of foreign dignitaries who run the gamut from quiet to overbearing. And we aren’t really sure who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. And, of course, Castle Glower is a special kind of character. All the adding of rooms and such that it does magically makes me think of the Winchester Mystery mansion, but even cooler than that!
Plot: The basic plot is that the king and queen go on a little trip but are apparently attacked. They seem to have been killed, but the Prince and Princesses don’t want to believe it. They are forced into taking on the responsibilities of running the kingdom while trying to do what they can to protect themselves from supposedly well-meaning councilors, save the castle from stealthy invaders who are up to no good, and try to determine what happened to their parents and why.
Conflict: There is a little bit of sibling conflict, but the main conflict is between the kids and the grownups who are trying to control them. Who is doing it out of concern and who is doing it for power? There is also the heart-wrenching conflict of losing one’s parents and having to fill those shoes at an early age.
Text: Jessica’s writing is always full of light – it just sparkles!
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