The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

Crivens but this was brilliant! You know you are in for a good time when you've laugh out loud three times, and you're only half way through page 2.

In this book, another in the acclaimed Discworld series, something strange is happening on the chalk downs. Fairy tale monsters are appearing, and what are those strange little men? It is up to Tiffany Aching, to work it out.

 In the usual Pratchett style, this book is hilarious - cleverly hilarious. How can anyone not appreciate the clever puns, the twists on fantasy tropes and the commentary on real life. As with all Pratchett books too, there is wisdom between these pages.

“If you trust in yourself. . .and believe in your dreams. . .and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”

- Terry Pratchett

Tiffany could quickly become one of my favourite characters. She is smart and capable. I liked that she was not made out to be a bleeding heart. Nope, she wasn't a fan of her brother. But he was hers, and that was enough. Not that that stopped her from using him as bait in the beginning. This book is a must for girls. It questions the fairy tale tropes and definitely promotes a feminist view. It also promotes the importance of intelligence.

“The stories never said why she was wicked. It was enough to be an old woman, enough to be all alone, enough to look strange because you have no teeth. It was enough to be called a witch. If it came to that, the book never gave you the evidence of anything. It talked about "a handsome prince"... was he really, or was it just because he was a prince that people called handsome? As for "a girl who was as beautiful as the day was long"... well, which day? In midwinter it hardly ever got light! The stories don't want you to think, they just wanted you to believe what you were told...”

- Terry Pratchett

Another thing I have to mention is that Pratchett really nails putting an accent into dialogue. Unlike my experience with Wuthering Heights, this was clear and easy to understand, and really added to the story. Maybe this is because I have been exposed to a Scottish accent, whereas the Yorkshire accent was far beyond me; or maybe that it was added just the right amount. One way or another, it worked.

While this book is technically a children's book, there is nothing about this story that is childish. Not even the humour is for young readers. Adults will enjoy it, probably more, than kids, simply because I think they will get a lot more out of it.

I adored the ending. Just saying.

I gave this 5 stars on Goodreads.