attackfish

The incense is gone from my favorite indy bookstore. And they had a half off sale on some of their YA fantasy. And I have no willpower when confronted with things with actual words and pages. So I bought the series with the prettiest cover and most interesting back cover summary and went home to devour.

Ted and Laura, and their cousins, Ruth, Patrick, and Ellen play a game every time they get together. Between them, they’ve made a place they call the Secret Country. They’ve been telling each other stories about this place since before they could remember. But now, Ruth, Patrick, and Ellen have moved to Australia, and for the the first time, Ted and Laura have no one to play the game with. When all five cousins find themselves in the real Secret Country, they aren’t sure whether they want to go home, or stay together. But when the Secret Country became real, so did all of its perils.

( “Look,” said Patrick, suddenly furious, “I didn’t write this story. I didn’t make things so that all the choices are stupid.” )

Probably another way to put everything I said above is that I enjoyed The Secret Country trilogy, but I don’t think I’ll be rereading it. I’m still undecided as to whether I’ll make the effort to track down Dean’s adult novel, The Dubious Hills, which takes place in the same universe. Maybe if I see it in the library, or have nothing to read. It’s summer, after all. Pamela Dean can be found on livejournal at