Synopsis: After their only child, nine-year-old Alice, is killed by a crazy dog, vet Patrick and his wife Louise, who works as a pharmacist, move to the small village of Wake Wood. They soon discover that the village has got a secret – the locals know a Pagan ritual that allows them to call dead people from the grave for three days to say goodbye. When Louise learns about this ritual, she is excited, and after some hesitation, her husband agrees to follow through with this plan. Unexpected problems arise when the couple lies about the time that has passed since their daughter’s death, and it is discovered that it is not only a blessing to have Alice back.

Review: “Wake Wood” is a movie with an intense atmosphere. It portrays the devastation and grief of a family suddenly losing their only child. The images are very real – there are no fancy special effects, no heavy makeup, and the gory details are shown up close and pretty realistic. This as well as the rather conservative use of camera shots makes for a movie that feels real, despite the magical side of the story. Newspaper reviews have put it into the same category as “Wicker Man”, an opinion I agree with.

The Pagan ritual in “Wake Wood” is depicted in a rather realistic way. There are no fancy robes and jewelry, no lightning or fairies. Instead, the re-birth takes place in the back yard of a farm house, with the participants wearing their everyday work gear, and instead of ancient sacred objects, they use tools they have got at hand. The whole thing appears to be witchcraft (simply doing a chore) instead of a spiritual practice – and in fact, I do not remember religion or spirituality being mentioned at any point during the movie. No elaborate chanting or rhyming prayers are used, and when the child is re-born, it emerges naked, in slime and blood. Not much is explained about the ritual, the viewer has to depend on his or her own understanding of the matter – and I had to say, except for the “people actually coming back from the grave” aspect, I found it very realistic. Another positive thing about the movie is that Paganism is not portrayed as good or evil – the ritual is shown without any further comment. In this movie, magic is just a tool, and it depends on the people who use it whether the outcome will be good or bad. If you behave in an irresponsible way, you will have to deal with the consequences.

There were two things I would criticize about “Wake Wood”: First, it was not made clear how the parents knew about the importance of the deceased having to be dead for less than a year – they lie about this point, which leads to things going downhill later. Of course this span of time is mentioned throughout Irish mythology and folk stories, hence they might be making an educated guess. The second is the extremely graphic depiction of violence and death. I really like horror and splatter movies, but in this movie it felt slightly displaced, and the story did not necessarily benefit from the bloody details.

Still, I would really recommend the movie to everyone who likes intelligent gory entertainment.

The author, Shirley Laboucane has family from both Celtic and Cree backgrounds.  And in her rituals she uses both to create her own path.  And that is what she encourages us to do.  Find what works for you, and that is the right thing to do.

She gives an introduction to her own history, and how she got into performing rituals.  She believes that we have a human drive to have rituals, regardless of faith.   That anyone would benefit from creating their own rituals.

Then she goes on to walk you through things that she does, and even gives tips on how to use it yourself.  I loved the Earth Wheel, and now I’m dreaming of someday making one and planting herbs within it.  So it would be both fun and practical.  She also has herbs, stones and incense or smudges she recommends.

There’s even a tipi ritual!  Wouldn’t having a tipi be fun?  I knew someone once that had made one.  Too bad the guy was creepy and I didn’t really get to explore it once he had it up.  I will say that it seemed to go up easier than a modern tent!  lol

And let’s not forget the importance of drums.  I’ve been dying to build one, I heard if you soak one of those rawhide bones, it will soften and then you can put it over the frame you make and VIOLA! your own drum.  (I want to see pictures if anyone actually tries this!)

While I enjoyed the book and ideas within, it didn’t really resonate too much with me personally.  It was still very well written and for such a small book, it is loaded with information.  I’m going with 4 stars on this one, I think it’s worth looking at even if you wouldn’t use it.

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Year(s) Published: 2007-2012

Available in: Hardcover, paperback, eBook, Kindle,

Suggested Retail Price: Varies from $2.99(Kindle eBook) to 12.55(Amazon.com) as of single purchased books

Available on: Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble, Half-Priced Books.

Rating: 4/5

Reviewed by: Aurora Benash

Synopsis of the Series: Zoey Redbird, a sixteen-year-old girl realizes she is not like other teenagers——-especially in her own world of vampyres! Zoey, along with her friends, Stevie Rae, Erin, Shaunee, Damien, and Erik, are faced with the most irreconcilable of challenges, including turning against each other at a time of war. Zoey and her friends must do whatever it takes in order to defeat the evil forces that surround them, and finally bring the vampyre world to peace.

Review: Although there is a lot of action and adventure, we see in the story that teenage drama, such as love and lust are tied into the unimaginable journey. As time presses on, Zoey Redbird learns the extent of her powers and how much of a special fledgling she truly is. She is faced with the most terrifying of circumstances, and it is only with the help of her dear friends that she actually gets through the just of it all.

The religious aspect of the story is based around a mixture of beliefs, mainly Paganistic cultures and rituals, with some Native American myths and legends tied in together as well. In the series, you see that the authors use the idea and practice of certain rituals following the benevolent Goddess Nyx, following the same procedures and sharing the same characteristics as we do as Pagans.  The religious ambiance in the story holds a strong moral perspective, for it seems as though all of the themes associated within the story, obvious or vague, ties into religion.

Although I love this particular series due to the real religious perspective, I still have mixed feelings on how the authors place colossal importance on love and lust between teenagers. While I was reading the series, I couldn’t help but notice that it seems as though every single one of the books have sexual themes and tones in the book, be it between Zoey and Erik, Zoey and Kalona, Zoey and Stark, etc. The first time I read the first nooks was about four years back, and sometimes I was slightly bothered by the sexual content. However, the authors could have been attempting to appeal to more mature audiences as well, who enjoy reading that kind of literature. When it all comes down to it, though, no matter what the theme, it all tied in together at the end beautifully.

The series has received mixed reviews across the board, mainly because some people are clearly just not into the whole “love and lust,” thing, when that is kinda what teenage novels nowadays are chock full of(!). There are points, however, when I can see the points some concerned parents and school districts are making. Don’t get me wrong, I HATE the idea of censorship, but to an extent. Sometimes the things I read and learn about I wish I would learn at a later point in my life. Censorship pertaining to the sexual content, adult themes, and gruesome points in books are okay in my world (filled with rainbows and unicorns, of course!), but to an extent. The censorship pertaining to RELIGION is where I draw the line.

All in all, the series was a very good read, and even though there are those spots where the story just drags on and on(it’s 10 books long!), the intense parts that have you hooked for hours are what totally make up for it.

Would I recommend this series?: Yes