Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi (Epub)

Description

Inspired by her childhood love of books like A Secret Garden and The Chronicles of Narnia, bestselling author Tahereh Mafi crafts a spellbinding new world 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. 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.

“Tahereh Mafi is a maestro of words, and Furthermore the most magical painting that ever existed, bursting with color and heart and humanity. I wanted to stay inside this masterpiece forever.” – Marie Lu, New York Times bestselling author of the Legend and The Young Elites series

“”A place so full of enchanting beauty and topsy-turvy adventure, it even calls to mind Wonderland and Oz…. Friendship, family and self-acceptance. What makes this book truly sing is the lush world Mafi has created, brimming with color and magic.”” —New York Times Book Review

★ “Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi is a surprising, sensuous, delicious fantasy to devour.” –Shelf Awareness, starred review

★ “”A fast-paced, funny, and richly imaginative story that embraces and celebrates individuality.”” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ “”Rich, luscious, clever prose.”” —Kirkus, starred review

User’s Reviews

Review ★ “Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi is a surprising, sensuous, delicious fantasy to devour.” -Shelf Awareness, starred review

Reviews from Amazon users, collected at the time the book is getting published on UniedVRG. It can be related to shiping or paper quality instead of the book content:

⭐ I started this book with a nasty attitude, assuming that I wasn’t going to like it. (Shame on me I know). With that being said, I loved this book. The world Mafi built was incredible.If I had to compare this book to anything I’d have to say it reminds me of a happy version of The Series of Unfortunate Events. The writing style was so similar to Lemonys, but the actual world Mafi built gave me some deep Neverending Story vibes. (The book, not the movie.)This story is magical, whimsical, adventurous, and heartfelt. This is a story about love, courage, self acceptance, friendship, family, and embracing the strange and unusual. I would recommend this book to children and adults alike.Bonus review : there is a scene in Furthermore where our main character is having a bath and ultimately being pampered. The purpose of the scene was to make the main character as relaxed as humanely possible. As I was reading this part I actually fell asleep, I was so engrossed into the scene that it gave me the relaxing effect as well. I will honestly remember that warm milky bath for the rest of my life.

⭐ “Furthermore” feels like a mesh between The Secret Garden and an Alice in Wonderland retelling, something only compounded by the main character being named Alice, as well. In the land of Ferenwood, everyone is blessed with an abundance of bright colors, from their eyes, to their hair, to their skin, and the more color they have, the more magic they can command. Alice is almost completely white, except for a bit of brown around her eyes. She has always hated this; hated that she wasn’t as colorful as everyone else. And when her father vanishes (three years ago from the story’s start) she hates her lack of color and her talents even more. With a mother who ignores her and seems to not like her, and with a town that rejects the talent she offers them, Alice runs away with her “friend” Oliver to bring the only person who ever understood her and loved her just as she was back: Father.Mafi’s writing in “Furthermore” is incredibly charming, taking on the role of a classic narrator retelling the story of Alice and Oliver as if the characters had told the story to her themselves. It’s sweet and fun and full of personality; watching these two young characters race through amazing, but also richly dark, lands is a treat. Mafi is able to not just write cute characters and a brightly unique world, but she is also able to impart some wonderful lessons in her story for young readers: the importance of acceptance and loving yourself, of embracing the things that make you different and seeing it as something that makes you special, rather than an outcast. She is also able to write some incredibly deep and painful scenes as Alice and Oliver experience loss and despair while they struggle through the land of Furthermore hunting for Alice’s father. It gets pretty dark at times—extreme bodily harm, threats of cannibalism, hints of drug use, plus just the sadness that comes with a child thinking she’s unwanted—which makes me think this isn’t actually a book suitable for true MG readers.Alice is 12, but she doesn’t really act her age. That, coupled with the rather adult themes that I mentioned and just the maturity with which Mafi writes—even if it is a fun narrative voice—make me waffle on this book as an actual MG read, which it is marketed as. I’m sure with the whimsy and silliness that is inherently part of Ferenwood that this book felt better placed in the MG category rather than YA, but I have mixed feelings about this… The recommended age for this book is between 9-12, or grades 4-7, and I frankly don’t think that’s true. When I read MG, it’s specifically for the purpose of finding new books for my niece and nephews (shhh, let me have this lie) who range from 2-11. Obviously, the youngest doesn’t really count right now because he can’t read yet, but I still read this wondering how children will enjoy the story. Will they enjoy “Furthermore”? Parts, absolutely. But I’m an adult and there were parts that just broke my heart, and not in a way where a kid may gloss over it but an adult will see it for what it is. There were also parts that had me literally going “well, that escalated quickly!” While I’m not a fan of the idea that kids’ books can only be light and fluffy, I do think darker themes need to be presented in a way that won’t freak out nine 9 year olds. Also, while the writing is beautiful, after a while it did feel as if the story was just lagging, purposely making the journey longer for Alice and Oliver with no real purpose. This is a long book for a kid, and I’m not entirely convinced it needed to be.Overall, “Furthermore” is a colorful—in every sense of the word—read. Most of its messages are great and Mafi had me feeling all the things: joy, whimsy, loss, heartbreak. I loved the narrative voice; it was refreshing and just a lot of fun. I will be giving this book to my niece and nephew to read, but with a caution that parts may be scary and potentially to read it when they are ready to sit down with something that will take them a bit of time to digest. Ultimately, that’s why I have a hard time giving this book 5 stars; I don’t think it’s all that appropriate for the young readers it’s marketed to. I liked it and will definitely be reading more of Mafi’s work, but this is isn’t quite the 5 star read I was hoping for… But it is a very high 4 stars! I’d say if you have an older and more mature MG reader, that this book would be perfect for them, and probably the adults in your life, too.

⭐ ** spoiler alert ** (4.5 stars)I finally picked up this book (well, virtually because it was on my Kindle) because I’ve been wanting to read it for a while now and because Penguin kindly sent me a finished copy of Whichwood.The book introduces us to Alice, an entirely pale girl living in a town filled with color. She wants to have color and, lacking it, causes her to feel like an outcast. She doesn’t have a good relationship with her family and she is convinced it’s because her father has been gone for so long with hardly a trace. The Surrender, an event for kids to show their powers, causes Alice to look for her father with an old childhood enemy, Oliver.DetailsI knew just from the cover that I would enjoy this book. I love anything colorful. The details of each village that Alice and Oliver go to is astounding. There’s a village where people stay still and go nuts if you move, a world where people and everything are made of paper, a world called Left, etc. Each world was just nuts, but it actually reminded me so much of Wonderland. I don’t know this myself of course, but I wonder if Tahereh got some inspiration from Alice in Wonderland. In my opinion, this book is a bit crazier than Wonderland. You can’t trust anybody in Furthermore and rightly so until you get right to the end. Tahereh’s descriptions of each village was very enticing, though. It felt like I was dropped right into Furthermore myself. Just like Alice, I didn’t want to stay forever either. I hardly think I’d survive.AliceAlice is quite a character and very unique. It’s not just because she is void of any color. This is what makes her special, adding on to the fact that her ability is, ironically, to change the color of anything around her except for herself. This power, though, is her biggest secret. It causes her so much pain and it was hard not to stay on her side. It got rather annoying when Oliver, while in Furthermore, kept trying to treat her like she was an idiot. She knows nothing about this strange world so she has every right to be confused on its rules, customs, people, etc. I do think that she trusts to easily, but it’s because she is meant to see through lies. However, it gets her into trouble sometimes since that ability doesn’t go through into Furthermore. Her strength to find her father, though, is admirable. She is so dead set on finding him and she knows in her heart she is going to find him. That’s the kind of determined behavior I like to see in a character.OliverThis boy is so annoying. He definitely has an ego all because he has been to Furthermore before. He constantly lies to Alice from the beginning, too. He basically tricks her into going with to Furthermore, saying that he knows exactly where her father is and that he has seen him. He puts Alice down through most of the journey, though he apologizes profusely afterward. His ego and pride get the best of him through most of the book and it’s so annoying. Of course, like any male character, he is a “good” guy in the end. I still don’t like him. For a thirteen year old, he sure is bossy and immature. Maybe he’ll learn more respect since the book is done.The WorldsLike I said in the first paragraph above, the different worlds reminded me of another version of Wonderland. It’s crazier than Wonderland, but it’s so enticing. You can eat flowers, obtain magical gifts, enter other worlds. It’s never really said that this is Earth, but there is mention of non-magical folk. The crazy thing is that, in Furthermore, the citizens of the different villages can eat you just if you have magic. It’s like, to them, magic is a drug. They get one sniff and they want more. It’s just crazy that you can’t not talk about it or think about it afterward.The Bottom LineI’m trying my best to get more into middle grade books so I’m not stuck in the same social circle of books. I was very pleased with this novel. I was more interested because of the cover, so I’m very happy that the story kept me intrigued. It’s hard to turn away as Alice and Oliver’s journey keeps going with humor, sass, and craziness on every page. There are many lessons to be learned in the story, too. For younger readers who aren’t ready for YA, this is definitely a good starting point before they reach that level.

⭐ 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 Futhermore. 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.Futhermore 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.

⭐ For more book reviews check out my blog at […]Alice Alexis Queensmeadow lives in Ferenwood where magic is the lands currency and color is everything. Even in such an unusual place, Alice has always been abnormal. While the entirety of Ferenwoods people are rich in color (dark chocolates, mossy greens, warm cocoas) Alice is devoid of color, stark white. Three years after her Fathers sudden disappearance and spurred by an abysmal showing at her Surrender ceremony, Alice sets off on a journey with an unlikely companion, her childhood nemesis Oliver, to the land of Furthermore to bring him back. Alice and Oliver must combine their talent, wit, and heart to survive the journey through Furthermore with its twisted rules and convoluted regulations. Oh, and try not to be eaten by the locals. Their adventure through Furthermore is perilous and treacherous, yet filled with self discovery and revelations.This was such a fun, whimsical read; a unique hybrid, something along the lines of Alice and Wonderland and A Wrinkle in Time. Bursting with adventure and strange worlds, comic relief and crippling self doubt, it kept me hooked from page one. Alice was such a quirky, determined character, I loved her spunk and tenacity. She was fierce! The nagging insecurities and desire to fit in really resonates not only with YA readers but with everyone at one point in their life, I feel. It’s a struggle we all face at some point. Ferenwood and Furthermore were such wonderfully unique worlds filled with magic and wonder. Paper foxes and shrieking women in pants suits, c’mon what’s not to love?! Mafi so eloquently and beautifully brought to life these worlds with her delightfully written prose, alive with imagery. It was truly a breath of fresh air. I cannot recommend this book enough. Such a versatile read that I think people of all ages would really enjoy this one, kids and adults alike.

⭐ Furthermore is a book full of life, adventure, friendship, family and colors.I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the idea of having a world full of magic and colors.Alice was a wonderful character. Even though she is colorless, she’s full of color inside, but she doesn’t approve that. That isn’t what she really wants. I enjoyed following her adventure through Furthermore with Oliver. She’s a character full of love for her family, even though their connection after her father’s disappearance was poor. Her power was so amazing. On the other hand we have her friend, Oliver. While I knew I couldn’t trust him (at the beginning of the book), I liked him, and I found him interesting. I’d love to read more about the relation with his parents since he discovered what his power was. I wish I could have Alice power, but I’d hate to have Oliver’s. However, I’d find his power one really amazing if it’s use for good.The family concept in this book was beautiful. I like united families, and Alice’s family was like that. Yeah, something happened and their connection was really poor, but they loved each other so much. I liked how real Alice’s mother felt. I think she was one of my favorite characters just because of how real she felt for me. Her pain, how she treated Alice? I know I can’t say that’s a good thing, but it felt so real that I need to say: Tahereh, you did an amazing job writing her character.The world of Furthermore was a place full of wonderful and mysterious things, but also, a complex one. I really loved this place, and I adored all the adventures Furthermore can provide. However, it would’ve been more amazing if it wasn’t so complex. There were many things I didn’t understand about that place. There was always a new rule, a new place, a new thing I couldn’t understand. I couldn’t give this book five stars just because I think we needed more information and details about such a complex world. Don’t get me wrong, it was amazing, but the world of Furthermore had a lot of things I couldn’t understand, and maybe a little bit more of info would’ve helped me.Even though I had that issue, I enjoyed the plot. As I said before, Alice’s father disappeared three years ago, and Alice was so sad because of that. She lived every day waiting for her father to come back. When she had the opportunity to go into an adventure to find him, she left everything behind and went looking for him. Thanks to Oliver, she had this opportunity, and I’m so glad she did. You know, she didn’t like herself; she hated her power, she hated being colorless, she hated that her mother didn’t love her. Not only on this adventure she found her father unexpectedly, she also found herself.You can’t start reading this thinking that it would be something like Shatter Me, because it’s nothing like it. Yeah, I love Shatter Me more than Furthermore, but Tahereh’s writing is more magical and poetic in this book. Two different worlds! The world building, the character development, and Tahereh’s writing were phenomenal. Even though the world of Furthermore was confusing, the book didn’t got slow. That issue didn’t made me stop reading. For me, Tahereh has a magical way to write, and her writing makes you fly through the pages, and feel like you are in the story having an adventure with Alice and Oliver.If you like Middle Grade and Fantasy, make sure to pick this one up online, or in your local bookstore. Sometimes it’s good to read something different than Young Adult. I’m not disappointed by this book. I think it fulfilled my expectations completely. Highly, highly recommend it. I swear you won’t be disappointed.If you need a quick read full of magic and colors, read Furthermore!

⭐ It didn’t take long to suspend belief and fall into the strange world of Furthermore. Who knew the outwardly colorless twelve-year-old Alice held the gift of color inside her or that she could change the sky from blue to green or a tree from green to pink or think a different color for anything and it would happen. And who could imagine the strange adventures she would have when she teamed up with fellow twelve year old Oliver to find her father, lost in Furthermore, a land where you might find yourself the main course on the menu.And who could possibly imagine that within all the adventuring, and the magic, that clear lessons emerge, like never give up, and love who you are.

⭐ This book looked so interesting. I had been wanting to read it for a while. I’m so glad I finally did! This is another book that I read rather quickly. It was so easy to get into and get lost inside the world of Alice Alexis Queensmeadow. She seems like she is a plain girl; she has no color in a colorful world. Her father left and she can’t quite control her emotions and actions. She tends to act first and then think. She is a daydreamer, a silly heart, a flibbertigibbet. She is an odd child out and doesn’t have any friends. She spends her days alone mostly and keeps to herself whenever anyone is around. Her mother is withdrawn and doesn’t seem to care what happens to Alice Alexis. She feels truly alone.The world of Ferenwood is really unique and what they require of their children is intense. They give them tasks when they reach a certain age and they must relinquish their talent. Alice Alexis doesn’t think she has a talent and is sad because she will never get a task and move on. But, her frenemy Oliver, may have a way for her to complete a task and get something that she has been wishing for for the past 3 years: to find her father. He has a plan but he needs her help. She’s not sure what she can do as she is plain, has no color, and doesn’t get along with anyone. However, she decides to take the risk and hope that she can find herself and her father along the way.This was the first Tahereh Mafi book I have read and I will definitely be looking at her other books. I really and thoroughly enjoyed this book a lot. Highly recommend.

⭐ Such an endearing and whimsical story with lovely prose! I pre-read this as I usually do before I read a book aloud to my children and I can not wait to read it to them soon! It is a beautiful story and the prose, made me want to melt into this lush world and never return. Reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland and possessing descriptions that take you right into the brilliant worlds of Ferenwood and Furthermore…I found myself wishing it wouldn’t end. As I read, I sank into a beautiful trance where the world was full of magic and whimsy and there I stayed many hours after the story said the end.

⭐ What a fun middle grade! The only other book by Tahereh that I’ve ever read was Shatter Me, which was a four star read for me. I wasn’t super sold with that book. But who could resist this cover art? I dove in and finished the book in a day. It was so fun and imaginative, following the journey of a girl who is devoid of color in a world where color means everything. It was perfect. I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a well thought out and insanely creative story!

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