This is a fun story, something good for children too. I didn't like it near as much as Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister (which led me to seek out another Maguire book), but liked it much more than Wicked. ( )

While it wasn't as dark as I thought it would be (not dark at all as a matter of fact) it was still a decent read. It wasn't anything like his other books, in that it isn't a retelling of a classic tale. If you're looking for another "Wicked" you won't find it, but still worth reading ( )

"What the Dickens" is an imaginative story about a rogue tooth fairy named, strangely enough, What the Dickens. It's unusual, but believe it or not, it does make sense when you read the book! I'll let you find out why for yourself.

Gage, a young man, is the one who tells us about What the Dickens. Gage is taking care of his three younger cousins during a hurricane. He had been visiting when the storm took out the power, and the children's mother needed that power to keep her insulin fresh. So the children's parents take off to find medical help, and Gage stays behind to protect the kids.

The situation for Gage and the kids is pretty bad, and to take their mind off of it, he tells them the story of What the Dickens. Is it a true story? The children never really can figure that out, but it's definitely a captivating story!

Have you ever wondered how one single tooth fairy manages to collect all those teeth? Well the answer is that it's not one single tooth fairy, there are whole colonies of them! And when one is born away from the colonies, he finds himself with no identity, and no way of learning who is is. Eventually, though, he begins to learn about the world, and he meets another tooth fairy. That takes him on a wild adventure where he meets Gage, life and limb is in peril, and there is lots to be learned! ( )

It was a dark and stormy night...Mom and Dad are missing, leaving Dinah, Zeke, and Rebecca Ruth in the care of their older English teacher cousin. He helps pass away the time by telling them of his encounters with one poor orphaned tooth fairy.

This very clever take on what happens when myth meets reality is challenging enough for young but advanced readers and fantastical enough for just about any age.

A fun aside...I had just put my book down when my son came to me to show me his very first lost tooth, or rather, it's gap. He lost his tooth at school. I told him to write a letter to the Tooth Fairy, the entire time thinking 'I know Pepper and What the Dickens wouldn't accept a note in place of an actual tooth.' Maguire's story telling is that good. ( )

Having read many of Maguire's books for adults, I was assuming this would be a twist on a story I knew, not that I really know any stories about the tooth fairy, and I thought it would be a dark one at that. Instead it is a light, whimsical tale that is completely new, just with names that I already knew. It's a nice break from all of the issue fiction and paranormal teenagers that I've been reading about lately, and I didn't even know that I needed a break. No heavy thinking involved. Just a really good story. ( )