Turner, M.W. (2005). The thief. New York: Greenwillow. (First published 1996.)

Genre: Fantasy

Intended audience: Tweens / young teens

Personal reaction to the book: The thief got the Douglas Adams review: Mostly harmless.

You have read better fantasies; you have read worse fantasies. It is appropriate for younger teens / tweens and is a safe recommendation for them. There’s a little violence, no sex, no swearing. It’s a standard quest fable with a nice twist in the tail.

A fun read, but nothing to set it apart from hundreds of other fantasy novels. Writing this from my notes three weeks after reading it, I can’t remember details already, so it’s not destined to stick with me (nor I think many other readers).

Author facts: She lives in Ohio with her husband. They spent a year in Oslo, Norway. She has a degree from University of Chicago.

Related website: http://www.meganwhalenturner.org/