Audiobook6 hours
Horns and Wrinkles
Written by Joseph Helgerson
Narrated by Jessica Almasy
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
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About this audiobook
As her cousin Duke-the bully of Blue Wing, Minnesota-dangles her precariously from a steel bridge 20 feet above the flood-swollen Mississippi, Claire doesn't expect to softly land on a passing boat or to see Duke floundering in the river. And yet as these unlikely events-and more-suddenly begin to happen, some in the sleepy river town don't seem at all surprised. But when a rhino's horn suddenly sprouts from Duke's face and his parents turn to stone, 12-year-old Claire decides to take action. Tracking down trolls and convincing them to reverse a curse, however, may not be as easy as she thinks. Garnering starred reviews from School Library Journal and Publishers Weekly, Joseph Helgerson's debut novel Horns Wrinkles is a captivating American fantasy that features a "touch of the Pinocchio effect" (School Library Journal) and a tenacious, likable heroine whose understated eloquence makes this endearing tale "thoroughly believable" (Publishers Weekly). "Tongue-in-cheek humor brings a delightful zing to the playfully inventive storytelling and fast-paced plot . A new Mississippi River fable has been born."-School Library Journal, starred review
Author
Joseph Helgerson
Joseph Helgerson lives next door to Theodore Wirth Park, where he often hikes. His book The Lost Galumpus is the first time he’s written about that park’s remarkable residents. He’s previously written about river trolls (Horns & Wrinkles) and talking crows (Crows & Cards).
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Reviews for Horns and Wrinkles
Rating: 3.6948052077922076 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
77 ratings6 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I have had this book for a long time read and was excited to finally read it. A while ago I read Crows and Cards by Helgerson and enjoyed it, that book prompted me to pick up this one. This was a cute and fun read about faerie magic along the Mississippi river.Claire lives along an odd portion of the Mississippi river and is playing with her bossy bullying cousin Dane when he is cursed. Then his family is found turned to stone and Claire is determined to turn them back. Ends up Dane is keeping company with nasty rock trolls who are on a mission to find their fathers no matter what the cost. Claire infiltrates their group and with the help of a blue fairy works to turn the curse around.I love that this book is set along the Mississippi river. The story has a very classic fairy tale feel to it with curses and trolls and people being turned to animals and stone. The whole story is told in a very tongue and cheek tone that made it fun to read. I enjoyed Claire as a character and loved the setting and the quirky characters that surrounded Claire. There’s a lot of good discussion in here about the bad things that can happen to bullies too.The illustration by Ceccoli throughout was beautiful and fit the whimsical tone of the story perfectly. I really enjoyed it.Overall a very cute and whimsical story about the fae magic that drifts along the banks of the Mississippi. I really enjoyed the classic fairy tale feel to the story and enjoyed the beautiful illustration throughout. I would definitely recommend to readers middle grade and older who enjoy fairy tales with a bit of irony and humor in them.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This middle-grade novel does things a little differently than the typical fairy-tale-style children's book. It feels more like a genuine folktale, with its river trolls and its wise old folks (who are secretly... oh, but I won't give it away). It features a young heroine who hasn't any special destiny or mark. What makes her special is a healthy measure of sense and a good dose of kindness. The adventure undertaken is swift -- our heroine must save her bully of a cousin from a bad troll, as well as from his own worse nature -- but the imagination on display here is a pleasure, especially when the novel conjures up something magical, like a blue-wing fairy. The story is set along the Mississippi River, but up at its northern end rather than in the more frequented south. Unusual details like that abound here, and each small unexpected thing adds to the next to create a book that feels fresh even for the experienced reader. Overall, this was a quiet pleasure and a treat to read.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5One of the best kids fantasies that I've read in years! Unique, funny, silly, clever, and touching, with a very American form of magic, and a very American witch.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is the story of Claire and her cousin Duke on this journey to finding the unknown and unthinkable thing that trolls and fairs and such really do live near their small town. Duke is and always has bullied Claire and one day he gets a physical change for is effort his nose changes to a rhino hornthat grows every time he is rude or bulling. And so it starts. I recommend this for most kids and teens to read alot of good morals in it
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5River trolls, rock trolls, fairies, crickets, and curses combine to form a clever and enchanting story in Joseph Helgerson's Horns and Wrinkles. Set along a northern stretch of the Mississippi River, the novel follows Claire, a young girl constantly bullied by her cousin Duke. Claire has always heard stories about a spell upon the river causing strange "rivery" occurrences, but she didn't know the truth to the legends until Duke sprouted a strange - and constantly growing - horn. Claire also never anticipated helping Duke nor enlisting the aid of river trolls to do so. Horns and Wrinkles was a charming and creative book. The mix of magic and mythology with a local flair made the tale unique and enjoyable - a fun story for readers of all ages.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5An absolutely marvelous book, an opinion seconded by all with whom I've shared it.