Wildwood

Soon to be a major motion picture from the studio behind Coraline. Look for the film in October 2026!

The first book in the New York Times best-selling fantasy series full of magic, wonder, and danger from Colin Meloy, lead singer of the highly celebrated band the Decemberists, and Carson Ellis, the award-winning illustrator of Du Is Tak and Home.

Prue McKeel's life is ordinary. She lives in Portland, Oregon, where it rains a lot. She has a mother, a father, and a baby brother. Ordinary. At least until her brother is abducted by a flock of crows. And then things get really weird.

You see, on every map of Portland, there is a big splotch of green in the centre of the city labelled "I.W." This stands for "Impassable Wilderness." No one's ever gone in—or at least returned to tell of it.

And this is where the crows take her brother.

So begins an adventure that will take Prue and her friend Curtis deep into the Impassable Wilderness. There, they uncover a secret world in the midst of violent upheaval, a world full of warring creatures, peaceable mystics, and powerful figures with the darkest intentions. What begins as a rescue mission becomes something much bigger as the two friends find themselves entangled in a struggle for the very freedom of this wilderness.

A wilderness the locals call Wildwood.

Wildwood is a spellbinding tale full of wonder, danger, and magic that juxtaposes the thrill of a secret world and modern city life. Original and fresh yet steeped in classic fantasy, this is a novel that could have only come from the imagination of Colin Meloy, celebrated for his inventive and fantastic storytelling as the lead singer of the Decemberists. With dozens of intricate and beautiful illustrations by award-winning artist Carson Ellis, Wildwood is truly a new classic for the twenty-first century.

The New York Times bestselling trilogy from Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis consists of Wildwood, Under Wildwood, and Wildwood Imperium.

"Wildwood is a beautiful object and a beautiful read. One half fairy tale, one half coming of age story, one half unrepentantly gorgeous work of art, this book is overflowing with gifts." - Jonathan Safran Foer

"Dark and whimsical, with a true and uncanny sense of otherworldliness, Wildwood is the heir to a great tradition of stories of wild childhood adventure. It snatched me up and carried me off into a world I didn't want to leave." - Michael Chabon

"A satisfying blend of fantasy, adventure story, eco-fable, and political satire with broad appeal; especially recommended for preteen boys." - Kirkus Reviews

"If you like stories in which spunky adolescents emerge from secret tunnels only to be greeted by smartly outfitted badgers operating rickshaws, this is a book for you. Meloy's debut is the kind of delicate, elaborate fantasy that is so well-versed in classic Narnian tropes that it is destined to be enthusiastically embraced. Frequent, droll illustrations further solidify Wildwood as a uniquely alive place—right down to the stubborn blackberries and vengeful ivy." - Booklist (starred review)

This book is like the wild, strange forest it describes. It is full of suspense and danger and frightening things the world has never seen, and once I stepped inside I never wanted to leave. - Lemony Snicket

"Wildwood is an irresistible, atmospheric adventure - richly imagined and richly rewarding." - Trenton Lee Stewart, New York Times bestselling author of The Mysterious Benedict Society

"Meloy has an immediately recognizable verbal style and creates a fully realized fantasy world... Ellis's illustrations perfectly capture the original world and contribute to the feel of an instant timeless classic. Further adventures in Wildwood cannot come quickly enough." - School Library Journal (starred review)

"A richly satisfying weave of reality and fantasy." - New York Times Book Review