Wicked Nix

by Lena Coakley, Jaime Zollars (Illustrator)

Overview

A visually stunning middle-grade classic in the making about Nix, the foulest fairy of all

Mischievous woodland fairy Nix is up to no good. His beloved fairy queen has gone away, leaving him with a very important job. He must protect the forest from a most dangerous enemy: humans. When a determined invader trespasses on Nix’s territory, putting his skills to the test, the prideful fairy boasts of all the wicked tricks he’ll use to chase the sorry fellow away. But, the reader soon learns, this sprite is not at all what he seems. This kid-friendly fairy tale explores the timeless bonds of family and the joy of finding home in unexpected places.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419737039
Publisher:	Amulet Paperbacks
Publication date:	10/08/2019
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	570L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Lena Coakley is the author of Witchlanders and Worlds of Ink and Shadow. She concentrated in creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College and now lives in Toronto. To learn more, visit the author online at lenacoakley.com.


Jaime Zollars is inspired by fairy tales, Flemish painters, and flea-market photographs. Among other things, she is an illustrator of children’s books and book covers. She lives in Charleston, South Carolina.

Editorial Reviews

"This is a magical fairy tale that leaves the reader’s heart aching for an abandoned, homeless child in the forest, and culminates with a touching ending."

School Library Connection

**STARRED REVIEW**
"[Coakley] strikes a thoughtful balance between fairy tales and the realistic feelings of loss and love."

Booklist

"As Nix reveals himself to be an increasingly unreliable narrator, readers will guess Nix’s true nature and the human’s relation to him . . . [will] satisfy young readers who like their fairies more tricky than glitter."

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

The best stories have a deeper truth to them . . .  In opting for humanity, love, and family, Nix not only gets himself into his proper place, but he also keeps Rose from making his mistake and letting herself be seduced by the fairy promises. Highly recommended.

CM Magazine

Wicked Nix reads like a fairy tale, but one where nothing is as it seems. . . . Half of the magic comes from fairies, and half comes from the unexpected twists and turns of real life.

Resource Links

Wicked Nix is a rare and enchanting book. Equal parts mischievous and poignant—this story is destined to linger in the hearts of all readers lucky enough to discover its magic. Easily the best fairy story I’ve read in years.

Jonathan Auxier

Sheer delight.

Kathy Stinson

With humor and heartbreak, devastating loss and the hope of connection, Wicked Nix is a meditation on the lies we tell ourselves to protect ourselves, and the unexpected ways we might build a family. A sharp, startling, wondrous story.

Kelly Barnhill

”[Coakley] strikes a thoughtful balance between fairy tales and the realistic feelings of loss and love. . . . Heart-warming.

ALA Booklist (starred review)

**STARRED REVIEW**
"[Coakley] strikes a thoughtful balance between fairy tales and the realistic feelings of loss and love."

Booklist

08/01/2018
Gr 3–5—Charged by the fairy Queen to keep the forest free of "peoples," Wicked Nix is furious when an old man moves into the abandoned cottage in the woods. Despite Nix's best fairy mischief, the man paints the cottage, plants a garden, and prepares to make a home. In a confrontation with Nix, the man is surprised to find Nix is not a real fairy but a boy, stolen by the fairies long ago. Nix's first-person narrative has a poignant charm; his journey from changeling to beloved brother and follower to hero, is smoothly developed at a lively pace. Secondary characters are precisely drawn and integral to the action. Black-and-white illustrations are scattered throughout. VERDICT Read alone or read aloud, Coakley's tale has a tangible sense of wonder that conjures a cozy magic. A strong purchase.—Janice M. Del Negro, GSLIS Dominican University, River Forest, IL

School Library Journal

2018-07-03
When a man-people moves into the old cottage in the woods, Wicked Nix isn't happy.Having been given temporary responsibility for the forest, Wicked Nix is afraid that when the Good Queen returns from the Summer Country, she'll be angry to see a people living in the woods. That's not allowed, according to fairy rule. And if the Good Queen is angry at Wicked Nix, she might leave him behind again when all the other fairies go to the Summer Country at next Midsummer, like she did last year. So Wicked Nix sets to work trying to trick the man-people into leaving, using ideas inspired by his friends Mr. Green and Rose the Wise, a little girl-people with "strange and amazing powers." But as Wicked Nix learns more about the man-people, he begins to suspect all is not what it seems. Coakley offers up a secretive tale with an abundance of turns and surprises, illustrated with Zollars' black-and-white sketches (in which Rose the Wise presents black and the man-people and Wicked Nix have pale skin). The worldbuilding in this short tale occasionally feels forced and at times inconsistent, but readers pulled in by the premise will enjoy puzzling through unreliable-narrator Wicked Nix's mysteries.This dark twist on the old legend of stolen children is a spooky, compelling read. (Fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews