I like the way Durst's heroes are not naturally brave, but find courage in fighting for the people they love and causes they believe in.

I realized that I hadn't read any fiction yet this year so I grabbed this book off of my want to read shelf.

It's slow... and it really didn't live for me. Clever idea but it didn't speak my language. The humorous sidekick wasn't and conflict was all too easily resolved. Probably fine as a filler (if you need it) but I skimmed most of the last half. Disappointed. ( )

I was super excited to read this and it ended up being good but not great. The story was a bit slow and boring for me, but I think younger readers would find it more entertaining and interesting. This book would be great for kids of all ages.

Mayka is a girl carved from stone whose Stonemason died. While Mayka and his creations live on in the mountains, some of the creations are starting to wear out and fade. As a result of this, Mayka decides to begin her long journey down the mountain to find a Stonemason to help save her friends.

This is a unique concept and I loved the idea of stories carved into stone making stone alive and real. Unfortunately, I thought the whole thing was a bit oversimplified and never really engaged with the characters or story. This was a super simple and easy read that left me feeling a bit wanting.

I think younger kids will probably enjoy this story a bit more. It’s a simple story with some interesting concepts and some adventure.

Overall this was a good read but not as wonderful as I had been hoping for. The whole thing felt a bit simple and under-thought to me. I think younger readers will enjoy this more than adults. ( )

A creative premise here - Stone carved animals and a stone girl that are ambulatory. All were created by a master carver who the girl (Mayka) considers he dad, The problem is that over time they must be recarved or they will stiffen up. So Mayka must journey from their mountain home to find a master carver (dad died) to bring back to update their cuts. They meet many on their quest including a very evil carver who wants to control all the stone figures by cutting an obedience mark on them. The weakness for me is that the characters spend too much time discussing what they are going to do and not enough time doing it. But, kids will like it. ( )

A good solid story of how stories about who we are can determine who we are. Good characters, good plot, it flows well enough if not perfectly. Something in the language, dialogue and description doesn't mesh with the almost mythic tale being told. ( )