Beyond Mulberry Glen

Beyond Mulberry Glen by Millie Florence, is a very interesting story of change and includes many diverse and interesting characters! The moment you open this book, you know that it is a different kind of fantasy, I feel like it is different because it focuses more on the character than the world or mystical creatures and it doesn’t go into extreme detail. The characters are indeed quirky, and the storyline is unique, and although it didn’t grab me in the beginning, I found the ending very gripping! Eleven-year-old Lydia Green is faced with many frustrations as she navigates growing up, it is a difficult process, (especially when you have to become an apprentice.) the fact that she loves her mismatched family makes it even harder. Garder and Pit are great! (I mean, a philosopher and a fairy! What could be better?) Plus there’s Livy and the Z’s. Lydia doesn’t want anything to change, she wants to live in Mulberry Glen forever! But when the Z’s get everyone in trouble, she must decide between the fear of change and the love for her family. Her adventures lead her to dark places, but as she meets new friends and finds help along the way in finding the Z’s, her heart and her beliefs begin to change. Change? Isn’t that exactly what she’s afraid of? Yes, but as she navigates through truth, darkness, friendships, her quest, and a few misleading undecided bookshelves, she finds herself in a different place, “growing towards the light.”