I picked this up after seeing another member (Ireth?) mention it in a forum discussion. I like to have more than one book going at a time. About a third of the way in, I have to say it is very good indeed. Has shades of Narnia and Potter, both, but in a grownup fashion, not in the context of a children's book.
Another thing I note is that Grossman does a lot of "telling" in his writing of the story, and it is very effective. Goes to show that despite the "show don't tell" absolutism writing forums and writing books sometimes adhere to, you can not only write a great story with a good deal of telling in it, you can even get it accepted by editors at the major publishing houses (Viking/Penguin, in this case).
Another thing I note is that Grossman does a lot of "telling" in his writing of the story, and it is very effective. Goes to show that despite the "show don't tell" absolutism writing forums and writing books sometimes adhere to, you can not only write a great story with a good deal of telling in it, you can even get it accepted by editors at the major publishing houses (Viking/Penguin, in this case).