Excellent - Rated 
I have read this, originally from the library. I found it gripping and have now decided to buy the sequels. It is a must read book and shorter than the Harry Potter books so anyone who is short on time can enjoy a magical tense fantasy book too. Excellent stuff.
"None who enter shall leave unchanged. . . " - Rated 
. . . and "trespassers shall be turned to stone". So greets the reader upon opening up Brandon Mull's debut book for children. A warning that should be heeded, for FABLEHAVEN tells the story of a magical preserve hidden away in the country.
Kendra and Seth are sent away for a vacation at their grandparent's house whilst their parents enjoy a cruise. Both see this as a sentence rather than the beginning of a great adventure, as they have rarely seen their grandparents and they feel that they are getting the short end of a good bargain, being left in their care as their parents get to enjoy sea and sun.
As they approach the house, signs warning against trespassers being "persecuted" and that "certain death awaits" makes them slightly concerned about the mentality of the people they shall soon be in the care of. Once at the house, their grandfather tells them there are only two rules during their stay at FABLEHAVEN:-
#1 The woods are out of bounds
#2 The barn is also out of bounds
He does not expand on why. But, kids being curious (and eager to break rules), they soon find out why. FABLEHAVEN is a preserve that protects magical creatures. While there are some that are'good' there are also some that would mean them harm. This is never so important as during Midsummer Eve, a night when the creatures venture closer to the house and will try any means necessary to gain entry into the protected house in order to have their way with the occupants. Childish curiosity and then disregard to their grandfather's authority finally lead them to put their loved ones in danger, perhaps even the future of FABLEHAVEN itself. In order to restore things to how they should be, Kendra and Seth must venture deeper into FABLEHAVEN, seeking help from some creatures that may wish to do them harm. Will they succeed. . ?
As a children's book goes, this is not bad at all. The idea of a magical preserve for all magical creatures is relatively original, even if the story itself has elements that are tried and tested, making parts of the plot seem very predictable. However, one great feature about this book is that there are times throughout the story where issues much deeper than magic are explored. For example, what would it be like to have an immortal life, but then to sacrifice this, and so then become mortal? I don't want to say any more about this particular issue, as it could mean giving bits of the plot away. But suffice to say that the way Mull deals with this discussion is both easy enough for a child to grasp, but also considered enough to also intrigue an adult reader.
Recommended - for both the young and the young at heart.
Courtesy of Teens Read Too - Rated
It's very rare, in this day and age of Harry Potter mania (and yes, I admit I'm a very devoted victim!) to find a fantasy story that can actually hold your attention. With FABLEHAVEN, though, new author Brandon Mull manages to do just that from the very first page to the last. Not to mention, thank the fairies, that there's already another book planned in the series.
The premise is simple enough: two siblings, thirteen-year-old Kendra and her eleven-year-old brother, Seth, are relegated to spending time with their paternal grandparents, Grandma and Grandpa Sorenson, while their parents enjoy a seventeen-day Scandinavian cruise. At first glance, that might not seem so strange, but you have to understand that their family's relationship with the grandparents Sorenson is sort of an odd one. They don't visit much, they don't call; in fact, Kendra and Seth don't really know their grandparents that well at all.
This is a forced, mandatory vacation though, so the kids don't have much choice in the matter. And when they finally reach Fablehaven, where, unbeknown to them, their Grandfather is the caretaker, they're a little overwhelmed. First, there were the No Trespassing and Private Property signs that gave way to one that said Certain Death Awaits. Now, they find out that however pretty and secluded Fablehaven may be, there's no television, no radio, and a ton of rules -- not all of which make sense.
What follows is two weeks of more adventure, trouble, suspense, and magic than the kids could have ever dreamed of. When their rash actions, and disobedience to some important rules, leads to retribution from the magical world of Fablehaven, Kendra, Seth, Grandpa Sorenson, and even Grandma, who seems to be missing, are in for a ride.
FABLEHAVEN is a great fantasy novel perfect for everyone, from young adults to those young at heart. With a cast of characters ranging from witches to fairies, satyrs to imps, strange chickens and conniving trolls, there's definitely something for everyone. I plan to give my copy of FABLEHAVEN to my ten-year-old son to read next, and I'm pretty sure he'll enjoy it as much as I did (not to mention my mom, who gets it when he's done!). Kudos to Mr. Mull for such a great debut fantasy novel, and for giving me something absolutely wonderful to read during my Harry Potter-deprived winter. I can't wait for the next book in the series!
Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"
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