This book is in the Young Adult section in our library--right where it should be. Maddy, the main character gets involved in a secret relationship with a stone fey (a mythical creature right out of her grandmother's tales) which takes her from her family and the ideals she is working for. Not a book that you can read quickly because McKinley writes in a twisty worded way, " I'll write Ifgold, so that he can look us out a place to stay." Huh?? It's a book you must think about afterward to really get it.

A strange picture book with a adult story. While I LOVE McKinley, I don't think this medium worked too well.

I remember reading this as a child and enjoying it immensely. With that in mind, I've rated it appropriately, I hope.

A good read. Very McKinley-esque.

I am usually fine with mythical stories and characters, but this fell completely flat for me. It was too short and simply needed further development. Has potential though...that is why I gave it two stars.

Why my dear Robin, why?

This story was beyond boring. The writing was convoluted and hard to follow. The plot was all over the place and the characters were not fleshed out well. This to me really came across as a short story that she never bothered to finish and went ahead and published anyway. Best to just pass on this one.

Haunting, strange and beautiful. Not something I'd read more than once.

Meh ...

An odd little story, almost poetic in the things it leaves unsaid. Lovely illustrations.

A simple and lovely story, set in Damar, about a young shepherdess and the inhuman being she encounters in the hills. Beautifully illustrated, but not really for kids.

Weird!

Probably one of Robin McKinley's more adult stories. It's a story less of the beautiful and innocence romance she generally writes and more of a difficult and dark sort of romance where there can't really be thoroughly happy endings. Though short it's evocative and enthralling.