Orla and the Wild Hunt - Anna Hoghton

 

Orla and her brother, Apollo, have chosen to spend the summer with their gran in Ireland instead of in France with their father, his new fiancée and her children.  They anticipate a quiet summer but as soon as they arrive, Orla notices that her gran is behaving slightly differently and then when she goes missing Orla realises that it is up to her and her brother to find her and bring her home.  With the help of a creature they discover locked in the shed and a local boy who turns up on the doorstep, Orla and Apollo set out on a life-changing journey that will change them forever. 

I adored Anna's first book, The Mask of Aribella, which has made me long to head to Venice since I read it (something I will be doing very soon!), so when Chicken House got in touch about Orla and the Wild Hunt, I didn't have to think twice about jumping at the chance to read it.  

Orla and Apollo are clearly still grieving for the loss of the their mother two years ago and Orla, in particular, is finding it difficult to adjust to life without her.  She resents her father for moving on, feels isolated and on the outside of everything and hopes that summer with her gran will help to rectify this.  However, when she sees Apollo getting on with her gran that just makes her angry and she shuts herself away even more.  It's her grief that is controlling her and she doesn't know how to move on; she needs help but doesn't know how to ask for it.  She doubts everything and everyone one, and is the complete opposite of her younger brother who is trusting and charming at every turn.  

Beneath the tension that exists between Orla and her brother, love is at the heart of this book.  It is a wonderfully told story, combining adventure and Irish mythology seamlessly.  It will draw you into its pages and won't let you go until you have finished it - I read it in a day and was spellbound by the mythical creatures, the journey the siblings make and the tasks Orla has to endure.  A book perfect for readers who enjoyed The Chime Seekers and The Storm Keeper's Island.