• The Forbidden Library: The Forbidden Library, Book 1

  • By: Django Wexler
  • Narrated by: Cassandra Morris
  • Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (204 ratings)

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The Forbidden Library: The Forbidden Library, Book 1  By  cover art

The Forbidden Library: The Forbidden Library, Book 1

By: Django Wexler
Narrated by: Cassandra Morris
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Publisher's summary

The Forbidden Library kicks off a brand new classic fantasy series perfect for fans of Coraline, Ink heart, and The Books of Elsewhere.

Alice always thought fairy tales had happy endings. That - along with everything else - changed the day she met her first fairy.

When Alice's father goes down in a shipwreck, she is sent to live with her uncle Geryon - an uncle she's never heard of and knows nothing about. He lives in an enormous manor with a massive library that is off-limits to Alice. But then she meets a talking cat. And even for a rule-follower, when a talking cat sneaks you into a forbidden library and introduces you to an arrogant boy who dares you to open a book, it's hard to resist. Especially if you're a reader to begin with. Soon Alice finds herself INSIDE the book, and the only way out is to defeat the creature imprisoned within.

It seems her uncle is more than he says he is. But then so is Alice.

©2014 Django Wexler (P)2015 Listening Library

Critic reviews

"Vaguely reminiscent of Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland, and Inkheart all rolled into one, it’s good fun.... Working in the grand tradition of children’s fantasy, Wexler’s off to a promising start." (Kirkus Reviews)

"Wexler ingeniously creates an inventive world with interesting creatures and frightening situations." (School Library Journal)

"Fans of Harry Potter and Cornelia Funke's Inkheart (2003) will relish that the library houses magical books.... It's a joy to watch the dutiful Alice develop her innate curiosity and become a proactive, resourceful heroine, matching wits with snarky cats, dangerous beasts, and a certain smug boy. This is a charming, adventuresome fantasy from a promising new author." (Booklist)

What listeners say about The Forbidden Library: The Forbidden Library, Book 1

Average customer ratings
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My Kids Loved It

They immediately asked why it had to end and were thrilled when I told them there is a second book.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Prisoners in library books!

Interesting creatures and "library books". Wish there was someone to trust for the main character...maybe there is and she just doesn't know it yet. Sure there should be a sequel.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Not for me

Her voice is grating to listen too. Story is a bit dark and depressing for me.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Exciting thriller

loved the book and illustrations. can't wait for next one. definitely worth reading. great book

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Confusing

it was ok but nothing very exciting happened. Some parts were good but most of it was crap.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Forbidden Library #1

good story. It took me awhile to get thru it listening at night.
The narrator fid a nice job. I will get the next book.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fun read for Mom and Daughter

My 9 year old and I listened to this book and both enjoyed it. The story has suspense but is somewhat predictable. I think my daughter liked feeling a step ahead of the characters, so this didn’t bother her.
As an audiobook, I noticed the expansive use of adjectives and descriptions. The vocabulary was great for painting a mental picture without exceeding the target audience’s reading level.
Overall, this was a fun adventure, and we were happy to find out it is part of a series! Off to download the next book now!


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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Unusual characters

Liked that there is some resolution even with it being the start of a series. And talking cats are the best.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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it is a amazing fun book

I love this book I have listened to it since I was 12 and now I am almost fifteen and still enjoy this book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fun and creative

Easy readability level. I enjoyed this book, and I'm happy to see that a sequel has been written. The author's well-done imagery sparked imagination and visualization, and the unique characteristics of the library and its books held my interest. The young heroine has tenacity and problem-solving skills. She continues to work through issues as they arise and does not give up hope.

Cassandra Morris's youthful voice was a perfect choice for this genre, and she brought the various characters to life with personalities and shifts in tone/timbre. Well done.

In addition to looking for the sequel from Wexler (and hoping Morris is again the reader), I will be looking up additional books read by Morris. Thank you both for a fun and creative read.

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