Wicked Nix

by Lena Coakley

On Sale: 10/09/2018

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Wicked Nix

by Lena Coakley

On Sale: 10/09/2018

Format:

Amazon Indigo

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Book Overview
Author Info

Rocky Mountain Book Award

Saskatchewan Young Reader’s Choice Award - Diamond Willow Award

Silver Birch Express Award Finalist

CBC Best Book of the Year

Sundogs Award (Manitoba Young Reader’s Choice Awards)

About the Book

Wicked Nix starts out as the whimsical story of a woodland fairy who is up to no good but has the best of intentions. He brings to mind Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream—he is wonderfully awful and charmingly mischievous, and, for some reason, we know we won't be able to resist delighting in his misdoings, even as members of his enemy party: people.

Nix himself narrates the story of his experience with a human intruder in the fairies' forest, describing the impish tactics and spiteful threats he uses while attempting to drive the “tallish and oldish and baldish" man away. The truth is, though, that Nix lacks in the wicked magic he professes to have, and he fears the fairy queen who has left him in charge of the forest. The sordid tricks Nix uses to deceive the cottage-dweller into believing he does possess charms never sit well with him, and we begin to see that Nix is not exactly like Puck. He dreams of glory and feigns an overblown pride, but he has an empathic heart of gold and a deep-seated fear that we cannot help but want to quell. Eventually, we learn that not only is Nix not foul, but that he may not be a fairy at all.

Critical Praise

“”[Coakley] strikes a thoughtful balance between fairy tales and the realistic feelings of loss and love. . . . Heart-warming.” — ALA Booklist (starred review)

“Read alone or read aloud, Coakley’s tale has a tangible sense of wonder that conjures a cozy magic.” — School Library Journal

“Coakley offers up a secretive tale with an abundance of turns and surprises . . . 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.” — Kirkus Reviews

“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, New York Times bestselling author of The Night Gardener

“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, Newbery Award winning author of The Girl Who Drank the Moon

“Sheer delight.” — Kathy Stinson, author of Red Is Best and The Man with the Violin