The Far West

The Far West (2012) Patricia C. Wrede

There are plans for a new expedition to explore and research the Far West, and they’re looking for scientists and others with experience to join.

In my experience, the things everybody knows are just exactly the ones that are most likely to be mistaken in some important way or other, if they’re not flat-out wrong right from the start.

Lots of people Eff knows are being offered positions, including one of the scientists she works with at the Nature Center.

“Bureaucrats!” Professor Torgeson said, like it was a really horrible swear word.

Of course, it is the bureaucracy that is helping to organize the expedition.

Eff has finally gotten comfortable with her magic, even though her approach is very different from anyone else, since she initially had to work around all her problems. Now most of her problems with being her are a little more normal.

Sometimes I couldn’t help thinking that the unluckiest thing about being a thirteenth child was having all those older brothers and sisters telling me what to do.

There is one thing that bothered me about this book, however. On the expedition they follow the river, and at one point they discuss traveling away from the river.

Here’s the thing, even if this is the Great Plains, wouldn’t there still be trees and rocky ground and other landscape features that make traveling with *wagons* very difficult to do? Don’t expeditions normally travel on horseback or in boats?

I could well be wrong, but… it bugged me.

Mind you, that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story, because it’s not like the traveling was easy. But I do wonder.

I do love this series and recommend it to almost anyone.
Rating: 9/10

Publisher: Scholastic Press

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