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Quick little fantasy read that left me with mixed feelings. It's sort of an adult's version of a childrens' fairy tale...but it didn't quite do it for me.

This book started out with a lot of good promise, and I thought it was going to be better than it was. The whole time it sort of hinted at a greater fantasy world...but we never really got there. It's like we were allowed glimpses...A manta wolf? Oh boy, surely we're going to see all kinds of other ocean creatures hybridized into woodland creatures that are inhabiting this wooded "ocean" at the end of the lane!.....But then we never really get to see more. I think perhaps if this was kept as a short story, it would have been less disappointing. If kept short, then it would have been expected that we're only seeing the tip of the iceberg with the pond/ocean, the mysterious old/young witches, and all the spooky evil creatures....But instead, the longer length made it feel like we should be seeing more that we weren't getting...I guess? I don't know how to explain the feeling of unfinished business with this book.

This actually felt a bit like "The Book of Lost Things" by John Connelly at first (a young boy, feeling alone and miserable, getting glimpses of a sinister fantasy world, a scary evil being that invades his home so that even his bedroom (a child's sanctuary) is no longer safe)....But doesn't quite get to the same level.

Won't be rereading. 4 stars for the book's promise toward the beginning (at one point, I was genuinely getting spooky goosebumps) and for the descriptive writing and general feel..........and then 2 stars for the final result. The plot just wasn't doing it for me and I REALLY wanted to enjoy it.