Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Furthermore
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Publication date: August 30, 2016
Pages: 416
Source/format: ARC from Publisher

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

The bestselling author of the Shatter Me series takes readers beyond the limits of their imagination in this captivating new middle grade adventure where color is currency, adventure is inevitable, and friendship is found in the most unexpected places.

There are only three things that matter to twelve-year-old Alice Alexis Queensmeadow: Mother, who wouldn't miss her; magic and color, which seem to elude her; and Father, who always loved her. The day Father disappears from Ferenwood he takes nothing but a ruler with him. But it's been almost three years since then, and Alice is determined to find him. She loves her father even more than she loves adventure, and she's about to embark on one to find the other.

But bringing Father home is no small matter. In order to find him she'll have to travel through the mythical, dangerous land of Furthermore, where down can be up, paper is alive, and left can be both right and very, very wrong. Her only companion is a boy named Oliver whose own magical ability is based in lies and deceit--and with a liar by her side in a land where nothing is as it seems, it will take all of Alice's wits (and every limb she's got) to find Father and return home to Ferenwood in one piece. On her quest to find Father, Alice must first find herself--and hold fast to the magic of love in the face of loss.

M Y  T H O U G H T S

Furthermore is a modern fairy tale about a girl named Alice who is born without pigment within a colorful world called Ferenwood. Because Alice lacks color, she is seen as an outcast since color means magic in this world. Alice and Oliver go on an adventure in the world of Furthermore to find Alice's father who disappeared over three years ago.

This is Tahereh Mafi's debut middle grade novel and boy it doesn't disappoint. Mafi sends a message to reader's that it is okay to be different. Just because you don't fit in with everyone else, it doesn't mean that you are not loved or special. Everyone is unique in his or her own way. Mafi created a masterpiece and a new classic!

The world building is fantastic! Mafi paints the world of Ferenwood and Furthermore perfectly. Her descriptions are lush and vibrant. She captures the emotions of the characters exquisitely. The quirkiness of the book lends itself to all possibilities. Nothing is ruled out in Furthermore. Anything is possible. Alice and Oliver explore different villages in Furthermore, each village with its own quirks and rules. Mafi is extremely creative to make each village one of a kind.

The concept of the Surrender for 12-year-olds is quite interesting. At the young age of 12, each child is given a score after presenting their magical ability. Based on the score, each child is given a task to complete based on their magical ability to better Ferenwood. I found Alice's true talent to be charming and ideal for her.

Alice can be stubborn at times and is definitely not patient. Oliver grounds Alice. Both characters are well-developed and compliment each other well. Even though they have their differences, they have a common goal. I am glad Alice was able to become more open-minded as the story progresses. Also, her love for bangles is very unique and how every month, she buys a bangle for each month her father is gone. Oliver, on the other hand, uses his talent to charm and lie in order to complete his task quite well. Without his persuasion, Alice and Oliver wouldn't have made it through Furthermore. Their friendship started fairly rough but they become the best of friends by the end of the novel.

Furthermore is a splendid and whimsical fairy tale for fans of Harry Potter and Alice in Wonderland. This charming book is one for all ages but be forewarned that there are mentions of cannibalism. Furthermore is a coming-of-age story about acceptance, embracing your talents and discovering your deepest desires.