Have you ever read a book that you weren't sure you liked while reading, but then couldn't stop thinking about it afterwards? The Various, by Steve Augarde was one of those books for me. It took me a month to read it because I had several other books taking precedence, but once I gave it my undivided attention I did enjoy it.
The main character is a girl who's mother is a professional violinist. She goes to spend time with her uncle on his farm while her mother is on tour. She loves the farm and the woods and soon finds that there are ancient, mystical creatures inhabiting the old woods on the farm. She finds a magical tiny flying horse who's been injured and cares for him. It's not all fairy dust and laughter though, there are many of the Various (all the mystical creatures) who don't approve of her presence and some who even try to kill her. A tale of the strength of family, finding the beauty around us, the mystery of our earth, the frailty of parents, and the power of a little girl. I keep thinking about it now. It's the first in the Touchstone Trilogy, and I'll probably read the rest now. ( )

This is quite a charming story with a very old-fashioned feel about it. We've all read books like this before - a child stays with an old relative in the country and discovers an impossible world where magic exists. In fact, this has so many resonances with the Narnia chronicles that, at times, I felt horribly close to the edge of that plagiarism cliff. But, you know what they say - there are no new stories - so I guess a reworking is OK. Pegs the flying horse annoyed me but I guess I'll read the other two in the series as I do like the fairy characters. ( )

An enchanting cover; the story, not so much.

It took five separate attempts over the last two months before I could finally push my way through to the end. Midge didn't talk, act or react like a 12-year-old girl, and I found the adults all rather self-involved and unlikable. So there weren't any characters with whom I really felt a strong connection.

The world of the Various should have been exciting and mesmerizing, but it just wasn't. It needed more oomph! I was almost - and I loathe to say this - bored. Perhaps it was too much description where not a whole lot was needed, and too little where it would've added depth and intrigue? For these reasons I will not check out books two and three. I will say that I rather enjoyed the perspective of the Various: how they saw the Gorji (humans); how they feared and avoided the felix (cats) at all costs; how they described and used books.

I would only recommend The Various to young readers, up to around age 10, who have not been exposed to much fantasy. Otherwise, the frequent readers and/or the older readers would likely give up on this one.

2.5 stars ( )

Same old story: Girl discovers fairies,learns of the danger to fairies, and works to protect them. However, this story has great flesh - decent writing, a well described environment, and relatable characters. Really enjoyed Pegs. I would have liked a bit more with him. I will definitely read more of the series. ( )

See What I Have Been Reading, February 2011 at From Word to Word