Willow the Vampire and the Sacred Grove (Book) - 4/13/2012 4:17:19 AM
6 Great Reasons to Read Willow the Vampire and The Sacred Grove
After years of studying Literature and Creative Writing, I have devised my own way of writing book reviews. I like to deconstruct the mechanics of the book to see what it really consists of. I particularly like to do this with children’s books because sometimes, thankfully not a lot, writers think that they can just write any old thing simply because it is for children. This is not the case with Willow the Vampire and The Sacred Grove. As the title suggests, here are 6 great reasons why it should be read.
Reason 1 – Plot.
Willow Band is an eleven year old girl who loves animals, goes to ballet lessons and writes poetry. We might be fooled that this is just an ordinary girl but Willow is a vampire – worse still, a vampire with a difference. She was not born in the ordinary vampire way but in a normal human way. Even more bizarrely, Willow can go out in the daylight. As if that is not enough of a mystery, we find out that the Band family had to move quickly from London to the rural village of Stinkforth and Alice, Willow’s mother has disappeared for days at a time, on occasion. As old documents are found, it becomes obvious that there is a deep secret attached to Willow’s birth and Alice’s past disappearance. When vampire men turn up in the village of Stinkforth things turn nasty and we find out that Alice and Willow have something which a ruthless, dastardly Count wants. With everything to lose, Willow must use both her brains and vampire strength to save her world as she knows it.
Reason 2 – Characters.
The characters in Willow and The Sacred Grove are served up to us as wickedly as the Band household serve up the local vicar or a banker. They are truly delicious whether you are 10 or 100. Eleven year old Willow is a vampire with a kind heart. She befriends Eddie, an elderly convict who has finally been released from prison. He killed his wife, baked her in pies and then sold them to the local hostelry. The main characters appear to be a bunch of grotesques but this is the clever part, we actually start to sympathise with them. Although we cannot ever condone, for instance what Eddie did, we find out that his wife was a harridan who slaughtered his favourite pet chicken and made his life totally miserable. The relationship which develops between Willow and Eddie is poignant. We witness how two people, who have been thrown into the margins of society, produce their own small society of grandfather and granddaughter.
Reason 3 – Setting.
The setting in Willow the Vampire and The Sacred Grove is as important as the plot and the characters. We are in a world of vampires and therefore the time seems as fluid as the blood which is drank in goblets. In other words we have Dylan Band, Willow’s father who is four hundred years old, we have the rural village of Stinkforth which conjures up a world of 1950s England and then we have the mobile telephones of the here and now. This is setting used craftily as it echoes the theme of identity which is paramount to the book. As modern readers we can take the setting and forge its identity to our own place of escapism. We are Willow as we ride along the country lanes with our pigtails flying behind us.
Reason 4 – Theme.
One of the great themes in Literature is that of identity. This is the main theme in Willow the Vampire and The Sacred Grove. As mentioned earlier, Willow does not know why she was born normally instead of in the vampire way. The question of identity works particularly well here as Willow is eleven. It is the age when we start to realise that we are completely separate from our parents. In this case, Willow’s identity is dynamic but I am not one for spoilers so you have to read the book to find out about her birth.
Reason 5 – Comedy.
Willow the Vampire and The Sacred Grove is full of wicked comedy. We can all envisage poor Mr Wilberforce, the village vicar asking Dylan, Willow’s father to attend the Sunday Service and ending up served with “sandalwood, cinnamon and cloves.” When Willow bites the neck of the security guard from the cosmetics testing factory and transports him home in a wheelbarrow for tea, we can see her trundling up the leafy lane in her wellington boots. It is delicious, wicked comedy which is pure escapism to thrill to as we keep all of societies rules.
Reason 6 – Its Educational Teaser.
Willow the Vampire and The Sacred Grove delves into Norse Mythology. We follow a mystical trail which involves runes, old documents, the sacred spear Gungnir and of course, the gods Odin and Freya. Apart from this enhancing the plot, it is also a wonderful introduction to mythology for children. My son, who is now fourteen, started off with mythology and went onto being fascinated with history. So as well as Willow the Vampire and The Sacred Grove being an exciting and funny tale, it is also has a sly educational element in it.
