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Horns and Wrinkles
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-When Claire's cousin Duke drops her off the bridge and into the Mississippi River, he grows a horn over his nose that get longer every time he is mean to someone. Claire is rescued by a little old lady in a boat who explains that the only way for Duke to reverse this process is for him to perform a selfless act of kindness. Claire knows that's not likely to happen anytime soon. To make matters worse, their families are turned to stone by trolls and the children become involved in a feud between the Rock Trolls and the River Trolls. There is much high adventure as Claire, Duke, and three river trolls take on the Great Rock Troll, Bodacious Deep Think. Jessica Almasy does a remarkable job of narrating Joseph Helgerson's debut novel (Houghton, 2006). Her ability to imaginatively differentiate the voices of the various quirky characters makes this a winning rendition of this fanciful tale.-Kathy Miller, Baldwin Junior High School, Baldwin City, KS (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Bullies beware! In the town of Blue Wing, Minn., on the banks of the Mississippi River, 12-year-old Claire watches with fascination as her mean cousin Duke grows a rhinoceros horn after throwing Claire and her pet turtle off a bridge. Debut novelist Helgerson, through the heroine's first-person narration, does a remarkable job of making the magical goings-on seem completely plausible. The old woman who rescues Claire from the river, for instance, explains that only bullies who fall into that particular section of the river will grow a horn (Duke winds up getting tossed into the water himself); each month, rock trolls put a potion in the river to cause the physical change, then collect the bullies. The only way to reverse the spell is to perform a genuine act of kindness-and promptly, or the afflicted will transform into a wrinkly rhinoceros. It turns out that these horns have plagued Claire's family for generations; even the medical community is aware of these "rivery" effects. As with most memorable enchanted tales, it's up to the children to reverse the curse, and Claire asks in exchange for a good deed of her own. This likable heroine, full of spunk and tenacity, unspools her lively account at a quick pace, and quirky characters such as Bodacious Deepthink, the Great Rock Troll, add plenty of pizzazz. Nicoletti's half-tone chapter openers combine meticulous detail with fuzzy shadings, contributing to this charming book's paradoxical success as a thoroughly believable fantasy in which magic and the real world co-exist. Ages 9-12. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
On a stretch of the Mississippi River between Blue Wing, Minn. and Big Rock, Wis., magic still works thanks to a bluewing fairy's sacrifice. Each time Claire's cousin Duke bullies her, he is cursed to become a rhino, starting with the horn and progressing each time he bullies. Things go downhill from there. Their families are turned to stone, and the two are embroiled in an ages-old curse feud between the Rock Trolls and the River Trolls. After much adventuring, Claire and Duke face off against Bo the Great Rock Troll in different ways with quite different results, and everything turns out well for most. Helgerson's debut is a confusing, nonsensical mish-mash. The character quirks are forced, the narration is overly chatty and much of the humor is lame. The first-person narrator frequently knows the motivations of other characters, and the magic is silly and arbitrary. There's plenty of imagination here, but little logic or thought. Ceccoli's jewel-eyed spot illustrations don't make this a worthwhile purchase. (Fiction. 9-12) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Twelve-year-old Claire and other Blue Wing townsfolk know there's something magical about living along the Mississippi River. How else can they explain Claire's bullying cousin Duke suddenly finding a rhino horn growing where his nose was? Or Duke's parents mysteriously turning to stone? Seeking antidotes, Claire, who can't resist an adventure, joins Duke and a motley trio of river trolls on a quest filled with obstacles, magic, and mayhem that ultimately leads to a showdown with a Rock Troll, who may hold the key to it all. Folksy charm, inventive fantasy, and diverse characters blend in this offbeat river tallish tale. Claire's droll first-person narrative details settings and events with storytelling flair and occasional poetic eloquence, and elegant, shadowy cameo art opens the chapters. Though multiple story lines and back stories--human and troll--occasionally overwhelm, and Claire's narrative sometimes reads older than her years, fantasy fans will still enjoy this humorous, imaginatively rendered story in which trolls wear nylon bicycle suits and bullies get a second chance. --Shelle Rosenfeld Copyright 2006 Booklist
