Rating: 3.5
Description: Midge isn't sure what to expect when she's sent off to spend the summer with her Uncle Brian on Mill Brook Farm, but she certainly doesn't anticipate discovering a miniature winged horse that needs her help. Soon, Midge finds herself dragged into a world she never knew existed, the world of the Various - five tribes of little people that have lived in the woods on Uncle Brian's property for ages, but now find themselves threatened by the encroachment of the Gorji (humans). Midge, the first Gorji to enter the Royal Forest since the legendary Celandine, is greeted with curiosity, apprehension, fear, and even, in some cases, outright hostility. Can Midge help the Various while managing to steer clear of those who see only a Gorji giant, the cause of all their troubles?
Review: "The Various" is a fairy tale unlike any other, and while the plot is not very exciting, it's easy to get caught up in the respective stories of Midge and the Various as each begins to explore the world of the other. Midge is a believable heroine who doesn't do things beyond the capabilities of the twelve-year-old that she is, and the Various are a unique people with a fleshed-out culture that makes sense in their environment. "The Various" is a pleasant, if tame, fairy story, and I look forward to reading the further adventures of Midge and the Various.