Get Your Music on Amazon!
Get Your Music - and everything else - on Amazon! All purchases made on Amazon through this link earn a commission for Jesusfreakhideout.com!

JFH Staff Book Review


Scary Close

John Choquette
Burlwood Forest

Genre: Fantasy / Adventure
Page Count: 330 Pages
Street Date: September 29, 2014

It didn't take very long after starting Burlwood Forest for me to think that my 10 year old daughter would probably like this book. It's imaginative, quirky, and written from the perspective of a kid right about her age who doesn't quite fit in. Sure enough, she curled up on the couch with it and I heard her giggling. Very soon, she was lost in the world of Burlwood Forest.

It's hard to describe exactly what this book is; the style is reminiscent of Diary of a Wimpy Kid (but without relying on bad examples for humor), with a little Lemony Snicket flavor, and the plot takes you to a magic forest, Narnia-style. But it's really hard to draw exact comparisons as Burlwood is pretty unique.

The basic premise of the story is about an awkward boy named Michael, who isn't quite as successful at this thing called life as he'd hoped he would be. He becomes the unlikely hero of a mission to find and defeat the evil Lord Piper. Michael finds himself smack in the middle of the adventure, just figuring it out as he goes along, and you can't help but cheer him on. There's a smorgasbord of characters to meet along the way as he travels through a magic forest, and the whole journey is unpredictable and really captures the imagination. At times, however, some of the characters and elements thrown in seemed a little nonsensical or unclear, and my daughter and I both found ourselves feeling confused.

Overall, if you like fantasy and adventure, magic, silliness, and wit, and a book (refreshingly) without anything objectionable, you'll really like this one. It's written to be a book your kids will laugh through and enjoy. The end leaves you hanging, though, so be prepared to need the sequel.

- Review date: 2/14/15, written by Kevin Hoskins of Jesusfreakhideout.com

 

. Publisher: Pumpernickel Art
. Page Count: 330 Pages
. Street Date: September 29, 2014
. Buy It: Amazon.com (Paperback)
. Buy It: Amazon.com (Kindle)

 



Leave a Comment

 

 

go to main Book review page

 

                 
Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 13!

Search JFH



This Friday, July 25, 2025
ALBUMS
Anchor & Braille New Mexico [Equal Vision]
B. Tee Told You [Syntax]
Bride Scarecrow Messiah CD Re-Release [Girder]
Empowered SALT - EP (independent)
Homesick Prodigals Different Good (independent)
KDNS After Eden [Syntax]
Olivia Lane Songs About Jesus (Deluxe Edition) [BEC]
Tasha Cobbs Leonard TASHA [Motown Gospel]
Kevi Morse Kingston We Winning [Syntax]
Pulpit Vomit Hospital Lens [Rottweiler]
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno Dance for Jesus - EP (independent)
Taylor & Co Worship Breakthrough - EP (independent)
Josh Wright LEAD (independent)

SINGLES
abenezer i was lost - Single [Gotee]
Joe L Barnes Good Shepherd (Studio Version) - Single [Provident]
Sho Baraka Still Got Faith (ft. L3xdivine) - Single [Syntax]
Gracie Binion Easy To Please - Single [BEC]
Katty Camargo Shine Upon Me - Single (independent)
The CCC Collective Thankful - Single (independent)
C4 Crotona Mr. Gritty - Single [Syntax]
CXMMXNS Trust and Obey (feat. CAIN) - Single [Provident]
EJ Swavv & Nickwit2Ks Growth - Single [Syntax]
Forrest Frank GOD'S GOT MY BACK - Single [River House / 10K]
gio., Dell Mac oxygen (H3nry Thr!ll remix) - Single [Capitol CMG]
Andrew Gonoude Closer To You - Single (independent)
Noah Paul Harrison Oh Lord My God (Live) - Single [Bethel]
J.Solo All I Have (ft. Kaboose & MotionPlus) - Single [Syntax]
Kings Kaleidoscope + Kings Kaleidoscope Hymns Amazing Grace - Single [BEC]
Tasha Layton Life In Me - Single [BEC]
Lecrae Bless You (feat. Torey D'Shaun) - Single [Reach]
TobyMac God Did It (feat. Jamie MacDonald) - Single [Capitol CMG]
Matt Maher Wait (Radio Version) - Single [Provident]
Passion The Lord Will Provide - Single [Capitol CMG]
Hunter Plake Down to Earth - Single [BEC]
Tommee Profitt, Bryce Green Adrenaline Rush - Single [Capitol CMG]
QEW JOYXFIX (ft. Stevie Rizo) - Single [Syntax]
Naomi Raine God Will Work It Out - Single [Tribl]
Rave Jesus Runnin' - Single [Provident]
Saints in Exile Bad Vibes - Single [Syntax]
Xander Sallows infinite - Single [DREAM]
Silent Reflection Left Me for Dead - Single [Syntax]
Michael W. Smith Your Love Is A Flood - Single [The Fuel]
John Stratton The Body and the Blood - Single [Pure Mosaic Services]
Regina Vandereijk You're the Light - Single (independent)
Joel Vaughn Feel It - Single [DREAM]
Zach Williams Killed A Man - Single [Provident]
Zauntee Jesus Down In Florida - Single [BEC]

VINYL
Bride Scarecrow Messiah Vinyl [Girder]

DVD
Jordan Smith The People's Hymnal DVD [Gaither]

This Saturday, July 26, 2025
SINGLES
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno What Would You Do? - Single (independent)

Next Friday, August 1, 2025
ALBUMS
Crash Rickshaw Big Sir - EP [Velvet Blue]
McKamey Legacy Holding to Truth [Horizon]
Ordained Thunder Roar [Girder]
V1 Worship Archives [DREAM Worship]

SINGLES
Dan Bremnes Human - Single [Curb]
Lauren Daigle Let It Be A Hallelujah - Single [Centricity]
Sleeping At Last Believe - Single (independent)

VINYL
Disciple Attack! (Limited Run Vinyl) Vinyl [Girder]



For all release dates, click here!
 

Join honey and save on online purchases!
Get all of JFH's indie compilation now totally free!
Check out depositphotos for royalty free images