Release Day Review – The Green Children of Woolpit by J. Anderson Coats (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Middle Grade
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Length: 272 pages
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 10, 2019
ISBN-13: 978-1534427907
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: eGalley from NetGalley.com
Rating: 4/5 stars

“It is the autumn of 1160, and twelve-year-old Agnes is helping with the harvest when she hears a frightened voice calling from the nearby woods. When she goes to investigate, Agnes can’t believe what she sees. There, at the bottom of the deep wolf traps, are two children. They are shouting in a language no one understands—and their skin is bright green.

Agnes soon discovers that these are no ordinary children; in fact, they aren’t even human. They are of the Fair Folk, and they are here to take Agnes home to their world. Trusting that the Fair Folk cannot lie, Agnes agrees to venture underground. But she soon learns just how dangerous their world is—and what it will take to break the ancient bargain meant to keep her there.”

I have really enjoyed some of Coats previous books and was excited to read this one. This was an intriguing dark fairy tale like story with a very old world feel to it. I ended up enjoying this and it’s a pretty quick read. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley to review.

Agnes is prone to dreaming and making stories in her head, which doesn’t help her parents get in the harvest. However, when Agnes finds two green children trapped in a pit on the edge of town her whole life (and that of the townspeople) is turned topsy turvy.

There is something about Coats’ writing style that I really enjoy. It always flows beautifully and is descriptive and well written, it’s pretty much effortless for me to read. I loved the themes of family and friendship throughout. I also enjoyed what a large world Coats gives us a glimpse into in this brief novel.

This story was magical in a very dark fairy tale like way. I loved the faerie elements and how the plot twisted and turned. This ended up being a very quick and engaging read for me.

Overall I enjoyed this. It was an engaging, beautifully written, and fast-paced dark fairy tale. I would recommend to those who enjoy stories about faerie and changelings.