Book Review: "The Tenth City" by Patrick Carman

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Alexa and her friends are pursuing Grindall his ogres and on a rescue mission to save Yipes. Sometimes Alexa has Armon by her side, other times she is forced to go it alone. But along the way, she reunites with Pervis, her father, and Ander the bear. And now Alexa has a new ability, hearing the voice of Elyon himself. But she might not like everything she hears.

RETURNING CHARACTERS

Alexa goes through ups and downs. She is just as down-to-earth as in book two. More than once, she believes that she will die. Other times, she wonders what on earth she is doing, and if she can really do what Elyon says. But she acts anyway, showing a bravery and an acceptance in her fate. She doesn't go blissfully unaware, thinking that her belief in Elyon will protect her.

Armon is in the majority of the story, always Alexa's close friend and protector. He senses things that no one else does, most likely because of his ancestry and his closeness to Elyon.

Victor Grindall returns as our villain. He is rather stereotypical in some ways and I do wish he had made some more eloquent arguments about his opposition to Elyon. He seemed to recognize that he was evil, and enjoy it, instead of thinking of himself as a hero, rationalizing his selfish behavior, which would have been more convincing.

Warvold isn't in a large portion of the book but when he returns, Alexa is grateful for his reassuring presence.

PACING

The pacing in this book is just as good as book two. We start with swarming bats and a massive storm and everything takes off from there. Carmen often ends his chapters in cliff-hangers, very effectively. Although I didn't mention if before, he did the same thing in book two.

REVELATIONS-SPOILERS

Alexa is told something by Elyon that shocks and upsets her. Eventually, it turns out to be not what she thought, although it is still sad.

At the very end of the book, Alexa learns a very big secret. She handles it well, and places all of the pieces together. Her maturity is revealed in this scene. Although I do wish more hints had been given, I felt completely surprised.

FORESHADOWING

In the very beginning, Alexa and Armon see something that we don't get to see. Carmen keeps this a secret from the reader, and it's not revealed until the end. I don't think I have ever read a story like that.

Usually, it works like this: nearing the climax, the characters make a plan that we are not let in on. So while they act it out, it is a surprise and the reader is left to see it happen in real time. But this happens right after we are left in the dark, so we are not left to wonder for very long.

ALEXA & ELYON

Alexa and Elyon further develop their relationship, as she can now hear his voice. Instead of becoming best friends however, on almost all occasions, Alexa is left confused about what she hears, not knowing what will come of obeying. One time, she hears something that breaks her heart.

Carmen captures the relationship between the individual and the idea of a Judaeo/Christian God perfectly. Alexa has to keep believing there is a plan and purpose even when she doesn't understand at all. She has faith in what she doesn't know, something that is mocked in our modern age where knowledge is so abundant.

DEUS EX MACHINA?

I didn't mention it in the review, but in book 1, Alexa is about to be attacked by Sebastian when out from a hiding place, springs Darius, who Yipes has brought into the tunnels. Alexa may have gone after Sebastian, being a large part of the climax, but the resolution, had nothing to do with her. I hesitated to call that Deus ex Machina, because, after all, we already know of Darius and Yipes, and they know of the tunnels. But I would have preferred it if Alexa had managed to outsmart him herself, or her friends had merely worked with her, not come in and saved her.

As for this book, I mentioned that Armon and Alexa see something that the readers don't see in the beginning of the book. We don't get let in on the plan. So when we see it come to pass, at the end of the book, it feels weird. I almost didn't know how to feel. I didn't have the normal experience of expecting to be surprised. So when I was, it wasn't exactly pleasant. I felt kind of cheated. Like, oh, that was the plan. I kind of forgot we had a plan.

This cant really be called Deus ex Machina, but I don't know what to call it. Maybe just forgetfulness on the part of the reader.

EXPLICIT CONTENT-SPOILERS

Some ogres are killed. But nothing is explicitly described. A main character is killed, but we don't see it.

CONCLUSION

The story is fast paced, Alexa matures and grows as a character, and the story is still original. Although I have mixed feelings about the climax I would still recommend it, as it is essential to the series. I think the unique relationship between Alexa and Elyon is what makes the story. I give “The Tenth City” three and a half stars.

What do you think? Have you read this book? Agree or disagree with me on any of my points? Or just have an insight? Please let me know, by commenting.

Book Review: "Beyond the Valley of Thorns" by Patrick Carman

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Alexa thought that her troubles were over, but it turns out she was wrong. After receiving a letter that Warvold left for her, she heads to the Dark Hills to find a hidden object. After finding it, she must venture beyond the valley of thorns, to where Warvold previously traveled.

NEW CHARACTERS

John Christopher is one of the convicts who has previously lived in the caves of the dark hills. He was a petty criminal and Warvold and him became close. Although Alexa is hesitant to trust him, she eventually learns that he is willing to protect her no matter the cost.

Armon is one of the last race of the giants. He hasn't yet been turned into the ogres that the bats create by attacking them. He once lived and took care of two girls named Catherine and Laura. It has been his job to protect the stones of Elyon.

Victor Grindall is the tenth of all of the Grindalls that works with Abaddon. It is discovered to have been behind the trouble that Sebastian and the convicts planned. He commands an army of ogres and swarming bats.

Odessa, Darius' wife joins Alexa on her travels. She seems alittle stoic, and lacking in character, although she does make a few sarcastic remarks.

Balmoral, is the wife of a woman who helps Alexa and John. He knows a lot about Elyon and shares a lot of information about the deity. He also has knowledge of the ogres that hunt them, and is a very useful guide.

PACING

The pacing in this story is much better than the first. The story is put into motion almost right away, when Alexa hears knocking in the secret passage, then travels through it. By chapter four, we have been presented with what the book will be about.

ARMON & JOHN

Both characters were presented as mentors and protectors of Alexa. And both were not exactly what she expected, John being an ex-convict and Armon being from a race of giants. And both are crucial members of the team, Armon with his knowledge of the land and John with his knowledge from Warvold. Although most of this book focuses on Alexa's relationship with John, for reasons that will be obvious to the reader.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

Alexa Daley is now a year older, and ready for an adventure. She doesn't hesitate to search out an item left for her by Warvold. But traveling beyond home still feels daunting. Only with the reassurance of John Christopher does she decide to venture out. Alexa is honest, admitting when she is scared and hesitating more than once. She learns more about Elyon and her faith in him grows.

STRATEGY & MATURITY

Alexa and her group have to defeat a huge number of ogres in order to get to Grindall, in his tower. A large amount of strategy goes into the plan with a complexity that was missing from the first book. I thought that, and the death of a character, as well as the kidnapping of another, added a maturity to Alexa and a forced development of her character.

EXPLICIT CONTENT

Many ogres are killed. But nothing is too graphic.

CONCLUSION

Carmen creates a sequel that is actually superior to its predecessor. The story is not only faster paced, with a more complex plot, but also deals with deeper issues, like sacrifice, and faith in God, even when you don't understand his plans. I give “Beyond the Valley of Thorns” four stars.

What do you think? Have you read this book? Agree or disagree with any of my points? Please let me know!

Book Review: "The Dark Hills Divide" by Patrick Carman

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

In the Land of Elyon all of the cities are surrounded by a massive wall. Alexa Daley has grown up with it her whole life. But she secretly dreams of finding out what exactly is outside. Is it really as dangerous as people say? She ends up investigating, and discovers a plan to invade her city.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Alexa Daley is the daughter of the mayor of Lathbury. She secretly desires to know about the world beyond the walled towns. She is small for her age of twelve years and cannot imagine anything is special about her. But she is an inquisitive girl, and her desire to learn helps push her forward.

Yipes is the small, agile man that guides Alexa when she gets out of the walled area. He is quiet at first, but eventually talks more after the truth is revealed. He and Alexa become close friends. Yipes is rather blunt and tends to say things no one else does.

Pervis Kotcher is the head of the city guard. He does his job well, but is such a disagreeable person that Alexa goes out of her way to avoid him. Even so, he manages to cause trouble for her. In the beginning, he comes across as the main villain.

Darius is a wolf that Yipes leads Alexa to. In turn, he leads her to a small tunnel. Although Alexa is intimidated by him, and doubtful about his trustfulness, eventually she comes to trust and rely on him.

Murphy is a squirrel who Alexa meets. He has a hard time staying still and is rather excitable.

PACING

Pacing is really the only criticism I have for the story. The beginning may start with a drastic event, but it then flashes back for four chapters to give us some background of Alexa and Bridewell, as well as the story behind the walls that surround all the cities. And there is five more chapters before Alexa makes a discovery that sets the rest of the story in motion. I understand why this was done, but I think it could have been shortened and the information condensed better.

ANIMAL CAST

One of my favorite aspects of this story were the animals. They don't all have a big part, but in the woods we are introduced to a massive amount of animals. Some might be annoyed by this list of seemingly inconsequential creatures, but I loved it. I wanted Carmen to go on and name more. I think this comes from reading so many books about animals as a child.

ECHOES OF NARNIA

I thought it was obvious once we meet the creatures, who talk of Elyon, that he is similar to C.S. Lewis' Aslan. They say he is on the move, a line straight from the fantasy novels. Also, they call the Land, the Land of Elyon, implying that Elyon is the ruler and creator of all. There isn't any preaching in this book though, so if you are an atheist or agnostic it shouldn't bother you. The villains are not people who hate Elyon, and the good guys don't seem to have enough knowledge to follow him.

THEME

I would say a large part of the story is realizing that God(Elyon) can use anyone to do great things. Throughout the book it is clear that Alexa does not think highly of herself. She considers it incredible that she should be put in such a situation to do amazing things. And yet she always at least tries. There is nothing amazing about her. She is not particularly smart, athletic, bold, or pretty. She seems quite average. And yet she is the key to protecting a city.

GENRE

I mentioned how the pacing is rather slow in the beginning. Well, this really isn't a action story, but more of a mystery with puzzles to solve. Alexa finds various clues through the Jocasta during the story. Most don't make sense right away, and we are left wondering what things mean. This, more than fast pacing, pushes our desire onward to read. Although there are many chapter endings that are cliff-hangers, they are ones that leave us confused, so we want to read on. Not the classic-something really drastic and action-packed has happened, what will happen next-kind of thing.

CONCLUSION

Carmen creates an original story with charming animal creatures and a likable heroine. The very slow pacing in the first part is the only thing that affects the story negatively. I give “The Dark Hills Divide” three and a half stars.

What do you think? Have you read this book? Agree or disagree with any of my points? Please let me know!

Book Review: "The Wrath of Mulgarath" by Holly Black

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

When the Grace children discover who the hostage of Mulgarath is, they know they must mount a rescue mission. They must finally find Arthur Spiderwick, and get some answers. And they must go to where the hostage is being kept, a castle among a massive junkyard. But there is more than Mulgarath and goblins to deal with, but dragons as well.

RETURNING CHARACTERS

Jared resolves his issues his his father by the end of the book. I thought for a main character, it made sense why all of the character development was focused on him.

Simon actually gets another opportunity to be a crucial part of the story. He has to do something very difficult for him, in particular. It's obvious when this happens.

Mallory plays the part she usually plays, the girl with the sword. She is useful, and she protects her brothers while harming a dragon. I appreciate how she is important to the story, but I still thought we never got to learn about her that much.

NEW CHARACTERS

Mulgarath is a massive ogre, almost resembling a tree. He is rather two dimensional. I can understand why he would hate humans because they rule the world and are much weaker. And the magical creatures must hide. But when he explains why he killed the dwarves, it doesn't make much sense. Perhaps if the story had been longer, we would have learned more about him.

Arthur Spiderwick finally makes his appearance. We know he cannot simply step and solve all of Jared's problems. He merely offers advice and shares some information about Mulgarath that later comes in handy. I appreciate that he wasn't built up, and then knocked down. Instead he was simply portrayed as an innocent man with an interest in faeries.

PACING

The pacing is good. Just as fast as the previous two rescue books from the series.

MEETING ARTHUR-SPOILERS

Jared goes to Arthur with mixed feelings. He previously wanted to hate him for abandoning his daughter, but now he needs him. Suddenly Arthur has risen much higher in his opinion. So to see it all come crashing down is sad, but not surprising. When Jared shows his desperation, we know that he must go on his own. He must face his fears.

Perhaps it would have been nice for Arthur to become a mentor character, but it was just too late in the story for that.

FAMILY TIES-SPOILERS

I appreciate that their mother was brought into the story in the last book. Most fantasy books I read have the parents completely in the dark about the activities of their children. Their interaction with their kids is minimum at most. I appreciate that Black realized that since the kids were going through a lot already, with the divorce and relocation, that there needed to be healing and closure in the family before the story ended.

THEME-SPOILERS

One theme that reoccurs is letting go of anger and moving on. For the entire book, Jared has held onto his anger to his father. Something happens in the climax in which Jared is forced to admit the truth: his dad is not going to change, realize he has been selfish and destroyed his family, and come home. And Jared has to recognize that and try to move on. It's terrible that a nine year old has to do that. I do wish that forgiveness would have been emphasized a little more. But it seems implied: when He see's how Lucinda treats her father, not with anger and a desire for revenge, but forgiveness and love.

CLIMAX

The location of the climax is a blend of a medieval castle and a junkyard. And instead of a long, drawn out battle with a beast that the kids probably wouldn't stand a chance against, we finally get to see Byron the Griffon in action. And Jared and Thimbletack have to think of a way to outsmart the giant ogre. Although the use of the sword does come into play.

CONCLUSION

Mulgarath was kind of a generic villain, but I appreciate the resolving of family issues, as well as including their mother in the story. I give “Mulgarath's Wrath” three and half stars.

What do you think? Have you read this book? Agree or disagree with any of my points? Please let me know!

Book Review: "The Ironwood Tree" by Holly Black

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Mallory is excited to have her first fencing competition, but Jared notices some odd behavior around him at the school. He investigates, but only finds trouble. He and Simon end up having to go underground and face a bunch of dwarves.

RETURNING CHARACTERS

Jared and Simon are the two main characters. The contrast between the brothers is on full display. We witness Jared giving into his temper, but for the first time, apologize instantly. He seems more aware of it. Also, we learn that Jared thinks of Simon is much smarter than him. Simon does get a chance to shine, where previously Jared was the one who solved most of the problems.

NEW CHARACTERS

Lord Korting is the king of the dwarves, who seems to think little of humans. Apparently, dwarves live much longer than humans, maybe forever, if kept from harm. I would have liked to learn more about them.

The knocker, a strange creature that resides underground and can hear information through the stones. He was barely in the story, and he seemed to come out of nowhere, make himself useful and then leave.

PACING

The pacing is just as good as the previous rescue mission in book two. There is a small part that relies on Simon solving a puzzle, but the rest of the book is more action.

THEME & PATTERN

The genre, not the theme, is a rescue mission. We tend to go from mystery to action and back again. Book one: mystery. Book two: rescue mission. Book three: mystery and confrontation. Book four: rescue mission.

CLIMAX

After finding what they came for, they still have to escape from the quarry. It's no easy feat, as its a maze. A knocker comes in and helps. And although I would have liked to learn more about it, we move onto the next problem fast. I expected more. But the chase scene was exciting and the resolution of the robot dogs was amusing.

CONCLUSION

Jared is developed slightly more and we gain insight into his feelings of abandonment by his mom. We learn more about Mulgarath, and the pacing is good. I give “The Ironwood Tree” three and a half stars.

What do you think? Have you read this book? Agree or disagree with any points I made? Please let me know!

Book Review: "Lucinda's Secret" by Holly Black

Note: Because this series has such short books in it, it is more set up like parts of a story. So I am going to review them like they are sections of one story, not a stand-alone story.

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

The Grace's go to visit Great-aunt Lucinda. Secrets are revealed, but also more questions. What really happened to Arthur Spiderwick? Did he abandon his daughter and leave her the mercy of the vengeful faeries? When they find a map, they decide to follow it and see where it leads in order to learn more. But trouble ensues.

RETURNING CHARACTERS

Jared is quite affected by the revelation that Arthur went missing and left Lucinda behind. He takes it personally, obviously comparing it to being abandoned by his father.

Simon's character doesn't show himself much. Except his naivete is revealed in one scene when he references his dad.

Mallory changes slightly during an event, she trusts that Jared has figured something out. Also, by the end of the book, she has changed her mind about the guide. There was one scene where her femininity came out slightly. I would like to see that more.

NEW CHARACTERS

Phooka is a shapeshifter they encounter. He speaks in riddles and is very Cheshire Cat-esque. It's impossible not to smile while reading his dialogue. He is more than just amusing though, he helps to direct the kids to the elves and gives Jared an idea about where Arthur Spiderwick is.

The elves are condescending and arrogant. They are bigoted against humans because of the way they chop down trees and destroy forests. They reveal they want the guide simply to prevent an ogre named Mulgarath from getting it.

Lucinda lives in an asylum. People think her to be nuts because she refuses to eat any food. She eagerly tells the children her story when they reveal they know about the faeries. She is kind but sad, still wondering why her father disappeared.

PACING

The pacing isn't as fast as book two, because the book is not the action part of the story. Since the last one was, it makes sense that this part of the story be balanced with questions and hints at what is to come.

THEME

Not really a theme, but a genre. Book three in the series presents a mystery like the first book. But this one also has an investigation, which leads to danger. Although this book is similar to book one, in which it ends with a hint at what is to come: further investigation into Arthur.

CLIMAX-SPOILERS

Again, not a traditional climax. Since the story is mainly an investigation part of the story, when the climax arises with trouble, it is easily and readily outwitted by Jared. But that it wasn't action packed wasn't the point. The point was to get information and come away unscathed, which we did.

CONCLUSION

This book probably has the best look into Jared's feelings. That is one of my favorite aspects. The phooka is charming and reminiscent of the Cheshire cat and the elves are arrogant enough to believe they are royals. I give “Lucinda's Secret” three and a half stars.

Book Review: "The Seeing Stone" by Holly Black

Note: Because this series has such short books in it, it is more set up like parts of a story. So I am going to review them like they are sections of one story, not a stand-alone story.

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Now that Simon and Jared have discovered the field guide and their first brownie, they learn more about the world around them. But this leads to trouble, when one gets kidnapped and the others have to mount a rescue mission.

RETURNING CHARACTERS

Jared and Mallory are in the book the most. They have to learn to work together, and they may get along worse than Simon and Jared do. In the first chapter, she makes a snide remark about him getting detention.

NEW CHARACTERS

Thimbletack, the brownie who they met in the end of the last book, returns. He serves a purpose, as he helps them find the seeing stone, which in turn, helps them rescue Simon.

The Troll is huge, creepy monster that lives in the stream. It is presented and later serves a purpose in the climax.

Hogsqueal is a goblin that seems different than the others. His eyes are different, and he has odd teeth. He says that he is a hobgoblin. It remains to be seen if he is trustworthy.

LIKABILITY

Jared still refers to Simon's animals as dumb. I kind of hoped that would stop. But he is still angry and there is still time for him to mature. Mallory yells at her brothers to shut up, which just shows her temper is similar to Jared's. Hopefully, she will change, seeing how the story is still in it's infancy.

THEME

Again, not a theme. But a genre. It's basically the first adventure the kids go on. The first time they have to work together to solve a problem.

CLIMAX-SPOILERS

I think the climax of their first confrontation was done well. We see Simon's compassion for animals get them in trouble, while at the same time Jared uses his cleverness to trap the goblins and turns a previous enemy into a temporary ally.

CONCLUSION

The story is well paced and it was nice to see Mallory and Jared have to work together. I give “The Seeing stone” three and a half stars.

Book Review: "The Field Guide" by Holly Black

Note: Because this series has such short books in it, it is more set up like parts of a story. So I am going to review them like they are sections of one story, not a stand-alone story.

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Twins Simon and Jared and their older sister Mallory are moving away from the city into an old Victorian house in the country. They have enough to go through, moving and dealing with their parents' divorce. But this new house brings more trouble, as disasters befall them right and left, and Jared is blamed.

OUR CAST OF CHARACTERS

Jared Grace is probably isn't dealing with the divorce any worse than his siblings, but getting in one fight at his old school has caused him to be blamed for things. Because of his anger issues, he often snaps at his siblings, most often at Simon.

Simon Grace has a large affection for animals, and had stuffed his apartment in the city with small animals like mice and frogs. Because of this attribute, he is less upset about moving than his brother.

Mallory Grace is the older sibling to the twins. She can be rather harsh and doesn't quite see herself as a caretaker of her younger siblings. She has no problem snapping at Jared and making him angry.

Helen Grace is the mother of the main characters. She is obviously struggling herself from the divorce, and doesn't have the patience with Jared perhaps she once did.

PACING

The pacing is decent. We are presented with the sounds in the walls in the first chapter, and in the second chapter we learn the house contains mysteries. From each chapter we either learn more or the problem escalates.

THEME

Traditionally, I don't think there is a theme, exactly, but maybe more of a genre. This first book is basically a mystery. And the book doesn't conclude until the mystery is solved.

LIKABILITY

Simon is likable because of his love of animals.

I was rather indifferent to Mallory, although her temper seemed sometimes as bad as Jared's own.

Since the story is told from Jared's perspective, I still felt sympathy for him even though he is mean and snaps at his siblings often,(even before he becames a victim). We learn how he misses home the most and got into a fight before.

CLIMAX

The climax isn't a traditional climax. Like I said, the story is short and each book is really more like a portion of one story. The book ends with the discovery of the brownie, the one who has been doing all of the damage. It's a fitting end to an introduction story.

CONCLUSION

The illustrations are beautiful. The characters are reasonably likable, except for Mallory who I felt indifferent to. The pacing is good and it sets up a good amount of mysteries to be solved later. What happened to Arthur Spiderwick? Is Lucinda really crazy? I give “The Field Guide” three and a half stars.

Book Review: "Palace of Mirrors" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Cecelia is just an orphan who is raised by her nanny in a little village in the country. At least that's what everyone thinks. But she knows better. Sir Stephen, a knight comes and teaches her all the time, teaching her how to be a princess. Him and her nanny have told the story to her often, about how her parents were killed, but before they died, they huddled her off with their most trusted knight. When Cecelia's life is put at risk, she leaves home with her best friend, Harper, to claim the throne. But getting an audience with the fake princess Desmia, is harder than she thought.

OUR CAST OF CHARACTERS

Cecelia dreams of taking the throne. She imagines a life where she can finally be treated as she deserves to be and to have power to affect change in her country. When she is ridiculed and mocked for her poor appearance, she vows revenge.

Harper is Cecelia's best friend who she grew up with. He is forced by his mom to play the harp everyday. Harper is blunt and bold, often telling Cecelia what she needs to hear, even when she doesn't want to hear it. And although he acts tough, he is actually quite sensitive, often withdrawing from Cecelia when she hurts his feelings, or saying something sarcastic to hide his pain.

Desmia is the fake princess, or maybe the real one. She is timid and fearful, admitting she cannot trust anyone in her life. Not her nanny, and not Lord Throckmorton.

Ella Brown is from the neighboring kingdom. She is here with her fiance to negotiate peace and end the war with her home country. Ella is also training to be a doctor. She is Desmia's only confidant and eventually earns the respect and friendship of Cecelia.

PACING

The pacing goes back in forth. In the beginning, it reminded me of a Gail Carson Levine book, setting the tone and informing the reader all about the main character's history and personality. It actually takes eight chapters for Cecelia to leave home.

From there it picks up. Although I wouldn't say it's an action novel. As parts of the book are sneaking around, looking for a way into the palace, or hoping to be rescued. But it's full of drama and mystery that keep the story going.

THEME-SPOILERS

A large theme is that of deserving. Cecelia feels so entitled to be a princess that it often causes her to rise to anger and jealousy. She is envious of Desmia to the point where it engulfs her, and her desire for revenge at being mistreated is referred to multiple times. She views this same attribute in the other girls that she meets and it wakes her up to the truth: she isn't entitled to anything.

Another theme is the idol of chasing perfection, believing you will happy once you get something better than what you have. Cecelia believes that once she is princess, she will have the perfect life. She doesn't imagine any of the problems that Desmia tells her of. Even at the end of the book, she realizes nothing was what it seemed. She learns to be content with who she is, and the life she is living.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

Through the first half of the story, we learn that Cecelia feels she deserves more than what she has, being that she is a princess. But this evolves into anger and a strong desire on revenge on those who have wronged her. She is actually quite selfish. But because she has to go through many trials, and shows genuine worry and love for Harper, it doesn't overwhelm the reader and keep us from liking her. We may see her selfishness, but we also see it comes from her naivete and mistreatment and through new revelations, she must learn and change.

HARPER & CECELIA

One of my favorite aspects of the book is their relationship. This isn't a romance story with adventure, it's an adventure story with hints throughout the story that the two have romantic feelings for each other. It isn't flowery and dramatic, but very down to earth. Cecelia recounts how they grew up together, and have always been best friends. But now that they are teenagers, she feels their relationship is changing.

When Cecelia is selfish and bratty, Harper calls her out. He balances her well, and although he loves her, he doesn't indulge her bad behavior or ignore it. There were many scenes were they had problems communicating, which I'm sure most couple's can relate to. Haddix shines in this aspect of her reading. Just as Ella's relationship with Jed was real, rather than dramatic and exaggerated, in “Just Ella”.

She easily portrays couples as two imperfect individuals, who need to learn to understand and love each other better. There is no perfect couple, perfect ending, or perfect life. I admire this refreshing honesty in a culture of narcissism and hedonism, where we are told that we deserve the best and we are perfect the way we are.

EXPLICIT CONTENT-SPOILERS

Desmia's life is threatened by her so called adviser. Men are shown in a sad state, having been tortured.

CONCLUSION

Haddix creates an original twist on “the hidden princess” idea with characters that develop and face their own flaws. The story is decently paced and the romance between Harper and Cecelia is sweet and innocent. I give “Palace of Mirrors” four stars.

What do you think? Did you read this book? Agree or disagree with me on any points? Please let me know!

Book Review: "Transformation" by Kara Dalkey

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Nia returns to Atlantis, this time with fellow Avatar, Corwin and the farworlder, Gobaith. They set out to find Ma'ael and stop him from returning Atlantis back to the surface and starting a war with the land-dwellers.

RETURNING CHARACTERS

Nia is horrified at what her city has become and awed at the newfound respect she is given as the avatar. But she is also horrified at what Ma'el has done, sometimes letting her anger overtake her judgment.

Corwin provides many amusing moments as he learns to speak Atlantean. It was one of the only light spots in a serious story. He also shows his bravery and knowledge, making himself useful in a foreign world.

Ma'el proves to be a worthy opponent once more. But I would have liked to dive into his history some more. I think that would have made him more believable. I thought his desire to to go war with the land-dwellers was kind of lacking. We basically only got a summary of his reasons: he was power-hungry, angry, maybe racist. But how did he get that way?

Callimar returns, although we're not sure of her loyalty. Only Corwin doubts her. She doesn't get much time in the story, so we really don't get to know her enough to be shocked by any betrayal she may be plotting.

Gobaith is slightly more mature than he was in the last book. He treats Nia and Corwin like siblings, not afraid to scold them or be blunt. He is often relied upon, but has to rest long periods of time after use of his abilities.

PACING

The pacing is perhaps the best of the three. There isn't just sharks but killer whales, and the kraken, and also rides on blue whales.

POINT OF VIEW

This story switches back between Nia's and Corwyn's perspectives. I appreciate it, as we get to see actually what Nia is thinking and how she feels about things. But I still felt it was a little too late. The last book should have been set up this way.

THEME

The theme of the book may have been responsibility and sacrifice. Or at least, you would think so, since the ending takes that to the extreme. Perhaps there should have been hints of this coming sacrifice throughout the book. It might have made the ending better. Then again, perhaps Dalkey thought it would have been too predictable then.

CLIMAX-SPOILERS

Nia and Corwin have to return to Britannia to stop Ma'el. I thought their use of each others skills was well done. And to have Gobaith stay behind was good, because it meant that the two of them had to rely on their own skills. Gobaith is so powerful that the climax would have no doubt featured him, leaving the other characters as mere spectators.

THE ENDING-SPOILERS

After the story, the reader is left wondering if Nia and Corwin will ever be together again. We get an epilogue where we learn the truth. But that's really more of an afterthought. The real message is who Nia has become, a character from British mythology we all know of. I suppose it was clever. It made me stop and go, oh, so that's who she is. And Corwin as well. But I have to admit...I prefer happy ending to clever ones. It's not as though the ending is terribly depressing. Neither Corwin or Nia dies...exactly. But I couldn't help feeling let down.

CONCLUSION

Dalkey creates an original ending and a clever spin in the epilogue. I appreciated the dive back into Nia's mind but the ending felt wanting to me. Also, nothing was ever resolved with her family relationships. I give “Transformation” three stars.

Did you read this series? What do you think? Agree or disagree with any of my points? Please let me know.

Book Review: "Reunion" by Kara Dalkey

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Corwin is a young man who is in hiding. After his master got caught stealing from the king, he was sentenced to death. Corwin managed to escape. But after he finds a giant squidlike creature dead on the beach, and snatches up a unique shell, suddenly he starts hearing voices. Nia shows up, and tells him about the farworlders. He learns they are linked together, and if one dies, they all do.

NEW CHARACTERS

Corwin is an orphan who has grown up with Fenwyck, an old man who was a con artist and entertainer. Corwin hasn't learned much except for how to steal and perform some tricks.

King Vortigern is king of Britannia, where Corwin lives. He is ruthless and paranoid, believing Corwin and Nia to be a threat to his kingdom.

The Baby farworlder is bonded with both Nia and Corwin, and can communicate telepathically with both of them. He is quite young and scared, depending on his new friends to save him. But he has some powers of his own.

PACING

The pacing is a little slower then the last book. I kept waiting around, waiting for Nia to show up. And I felt the scene where we first meet Corwin was a bit long. But then, it could just be I was assuming this was an introduction, and then we would switch to Nia's perspective. That may be why I was restless while reading. After that, the pacing picks up.

THEME

Since the story is about Corwin, I would have to say the theme was finding one's place. Without his guardian, Corwin has no direction. He has no family and no real skills. And although at first he doesn't desire to help Nia, eventually he realizes that he cares for her and want's a future. Also, he desires to learn of his parentage.

VILLAINS

The king and his sons are stereotypical power-hungry jerks. But it doesn't ruin the story, because Ma'el and his farworlder Joab are much more menacing. Both prove to be worthy opponents. Although their transformation did remind me of a “Transformers” character.

WHAT ABOUT NIA?

The entire book is told from Corwin's perspective. Nia doesn't show up until chapter four. I expected the story to simply switch back and forth between the two of them. I think it would have served to story much better if it had.

There are so many things I was looking forward to seeing: Nia's reaction to an entire world of a dry room, her impressions of the culture versus her own, ect. I especially wanted to see her thoughts on seeing Cephan again. Were there signs that he wasn't who she thought he was? We'll never know, because we view all of this through Corwin's view, and Nia tells him next to nothing, until the end of the book.

It could have added so much depth to her character and the story if we had seen some things from her perspective. Instead, the most we get, is her muttering “Land dwellers,” in annoyance.

NIA & CORWYN

I think the romance between Nia and Corwin is one of the most charming aspects of the book. It adds some whimsy and a light-hearted air to an otherwise serious story. Corwin is much more charming than Cephan was, also we learn more about him. If Cephan had perhaps had a backstory, the reader might have had the desire to sympathize with him.

THE CLIMAX

Corwin plays a huge part in the climax, so I understood why it was told from his perspective. But when something huge happens: Nia taking a life for the first time, the curtain is drawn. We just wake up as Corwin, and think, that must have been hard for her. Really? Maybe we should have seen how hard it was. Maybe we should have witnessed it.

Was there any indecision? How did she feel afterwards? Did she feel guilty? Again, we'll never know. Because we only know what Nia says to Corwin and she says next to nothing. It was such a disappointment. It would have been a chance to dive into her character.

CONCLUSION

Dalkey's sequel is well paced, and Nia's relationship with Corwin is sweet and charming. And Corwin is a likable character. But Nia's lacks depth and growth, as her feelings are basically a mystery throughout the entire book. I give “Reunion” three stars.

What do you think? Did you read this book? If so, do you agree or disagree with me? Please let me know!

Book Review: "Ascension" by Kara Dalkey

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Nia is a mermyd, living in the underwater city of Atlantis. She is a descendant of an Avater: a mermyd chosen to make a psychic connection with the Farworlders, aliens who turned the humans of Atlantis into mermyds long ago. Nia is sure she will be chosen to compete to be one, but when things don't go as she planned, she's forced to rethink her life. And something seems odd about the trials. Nia is determined to find out the truth.

OUR CAST OF CHARACTERS

Nia is confident in her skills and her chance of being chose to be the Avatar. She is outgoing, athletic and dreams of overseeing Atlantis. She thinks she can make a difference. She is also slightly naive.

Cephan is Nia's friend and love interest. He is from a clan below her and often puts himself down. He shares a secret with her, perhaps to feel important.

Dyonis is Nia's grandfather, and a previous Avatar. He is kind to her, but refuses to answer all of her questions.

PACING

The pacing is decent. We jump into the story right away when those are chosen to compete with the trials. It sets many questions in motion about Atlantis. When Nia isn't witnessing the trials, she is investigating about the council or inquiring with her grandfather. There aren't many slow parts.

THEME

If there is one theme I picked up on, it's losing one's innocence and naivete about the world. Nia suddenly realizes that her world carries lots of secrets.

WORLD OF ATLANTIS

Dalkey creates a detailed world, with a unique history, clan system and government. It's a hierarchical system where people try to marry into clans above them and the government has a massive amount of power. It's sold almost like a utopia, where people don't often commit crimes bad enough to be jailed, and those that do commit such crimes are banished. Normally I would roll my eyes at trying to portray a utopia, but Nia starts to learn that her utopia isn't so perfect, and that there are many secrets.

A BETRAYAL-SPOILERS

Near the end of the book, Nia is betrayed by someone she trusts. It was a surprise to me, and I would have liked a few more hints. I wouldn't have even minded if it was obvious. It may have been more believable, seeing how Nia could have been blinded by her emotions.

FAMILY TIES

Nia isn't close to either of her parents. And her friend, Callimar plays a minuscule part in the story. The only person she trusts enough to confide in is Cephan. Even so, she doesn't know much about his life, as she admits. I think the story could have benefited from a relationship with someone who she trusted completely. Maybe a sibling, or a mentor figure. We could have seen another aspect of her.

AN IMPERFECT HEROINE

I understand that characters need to be imperfect, for realism and to show development. In the beginning, Nia is shown to be rather arrogant, believing she will most likely be chosen to compete. I thought it was a contradiction, seeing how she tries to look past clan status with Cephan. It would have served the story well if she saw her own hypocrisies.

Also, she acts slightly snotty when she meets Garun. I understand her thinking he was boring, but she came across as obnoxious. Again, if it showed her being kinder to him later, that would have helped. And when she refers to him being his "usual selfish self" later on, I couldn't help thinking, I thought he was just dull, unambitious, and sometimes pedantic. Now he's selfish too? It felt overblown.

VICTIMHOOD

Another point of contention I have is that pretty much everyone but Nia and Cephan are kind of jerks. Except for Callimar, but she is barely in the story. I am not even sure if she was necessary.

Her dad is distant and rude. Her mom is controlling and judgmental. Even her grandfather is rude sometimes. When we met Garun and he too, acted like a jerk, I felt a little annoyed. Was everyone in Atlantis a jerk, accept for Nia? The only reason this didn't put me off from reading the story was that there was enough time spent away from other characters, simply solving mysteries.

CONCLUSION

Dalkey creates a detailed world and an enticing mystery. If you like stories about mermaids I think you'll enjoy it. I give “Ascension” three and a half stars.

What do you think? Did you read the book? Do you agree or disagree with any of my views? Please let me know!

Book Review: "Double Identity" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Bethany lives a relatively normal life with her two overprotective parents. That is, until they drive for days and drop her off with an Aunt she never knew she had. Her parents won't tell her why, but her mom has been breaking into tears for no apparent reason for a long time. And then there's the mysterious girl named Elizabeth. Who was she? Bethany is determined to find out.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Bethany is twelve year old girl from Pennsylvania. She is an only child, rather spoiled by her parents, but at the same time overly sheltered. She has never even spent a night away from them.

Aunt Myrie is the aunt that Bethany never knew she had. She is kind but rather hesitant. She seems to know an awful lot about what Bethany likes, considering they have never met.

Joss is Aunt Myrie's daughter. She is a pastor who is quite blunt and honest. She ends up telling Bethany all about Elizabeth.

PACING

The pacing is decent. We get thrown right into the story, starting with the drive and being left with Aunt Myrie. There is time in between investigating about Elizabeth, but we learn a lot about Bethany and her relationship with her parents. Haddix piles up enough questions where we keep wanting to learn more.

THEMES

A large theme of the book is the desire for freedom. Bethany feels trapped with her Aunt, unable to live her normal life. When new revelations occur, she no longer feels like she is her own person, with her own choices.

There are questions about morality in what her parents did, and her existence. The conversations Bethany has with Joss are nice, but lack depth. We may never know...so don't ask questions. Really? It's kind of a big deal. I understand the desire to forgive her parents, but morality is still an issue.

You can believe someone did something wrong and still forgive them. “Don't worry, be happy” is kind of vague advice from a pastor (I understand it about the-wondering why some die and others live-question). I was kind of expecting something deeper, maybe even biblical. It would have added depth to the story if Bethany came to moral conclusion about her parents' actions, and had to learn to forgive them and love them.

AWKWARD NARRATION

Haddix has the habit of trying to tie in past experiences to current events of the book. But this often comes off awkward, taking you out of the story to tell an anecdote that could easily be skipped.

Like when Bethany recalls a student who wrote a paper saying that teenagers aren't bad, it's just that parents are over-protective. It felt awkward and unnecessary. A paper? Why not just have Bethany realize that she was responsible and her parents never gave her credit. The idea that teenagers as a group are are well-behaved is silly. Teenagers are individuals. The whole point she was trying to make failed, simply because she reached too far.

Another time, when her mom calls her from a gas station, Bethany recalls a government intuitive to give cell phones to gas stations so anyone can use them. What? Whose heard of this? It was so random that it made me think, did that really happen? It pulled me out of the story. Why not just say she had a burner phone? An old pay phone? Something that everyone has heard of.

THIS NEVER HAPPENS

There are multiple times where she tries to reference Bethany's past to make it seem as though she is overly sheltered by her parents, but they don't seem to align with reality.

Because she was around her parents a lot, she never learned to lie? How does that make sense?

She wasn't allowed to trick-or-treat without a parent at twelve and younger? Neither were the rest of the children of America.

When she talks about bad parents she witnesses, she talks of parents smacking around their toddlers, and yelling at their teenagers to stop bugging them. Again, who see's these parents? I just witness kids having tantrums and parents' ignoring them or bribing them to stop.

Bethany never got a babysitter, because her parents were always around. Sounds terrible. She must have really suffered. I think I had a babysitter a whole four times in my childhood. I turned out okay.

There were enough instances where I was rolling my eyes, and thinking, “What is she talking about?”.

A VILLAIN?

The man who might be the villain is shown later on in the book, but it's so cheesy that it's hard to take it seriously. Van Dyne fired someone who spilled coffee? Bragged about firing a huge group of people on Christmas? Who does this? Is this “A Christmas Carol”? No one acts this way. Even when big corporations screw their employees, they don't brag about it. They coach it in fluffy language. They want people to work for them, after all, and to buy their products.

And then we get a quote saying that he loves adulation. Again, who talks that way? People who love attention don't go around saying “I love adulation”, anymore than jerks call themselves jerks. They say they “can be demanding” or they “are perfectionists.” They sugar-coat it. Just like their friends and family do.

CLIMAX-SPOILERS

Bethany's parents sound really screwed up. The more we learn about them the more we think that maybe they are nuts. Bethany says as much. But we never get a confrontation scene. This disappointed me. I wanted them to see how broken she was. But their relationship is only referenced after the story, in the epilogue. I like how she reveals the truth about herself in public in the climax, as if she is letting go of her anger, but I really wanted a scene with her parents.

CONCLUSION

Haddix creates an intriguing mystery with a decent main character, but unfortunately it's bogged down by awkward narration and some weird anecdotes that pull the reader out of the story. It would have been nice to dive deeper into issues of morality. I give “Double Identity” three stars.

What do you think? Did you read this book? Agree or disagree with me? Have any other points you think I missed? Please let me know!

Book Review: "13 Treasures" by Michelle Harrison

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Tanya has the curse of the second sight, she can see faeries, and they are always causing trouble for her. When her mom can't take it anymore, she sends Tanya to live with her grandmother Florence. But Tanya finds more than just faeries. Hangman's wood behind her Grandmother's house carries a deadly secret: it has a history of people going missing. Although Tanya tries to stay out of trouble, eventually her and her friend, Fabian, decide to investigate themselves.

OUR CAST OF CHARACTERS

Tanya has a strained relationship with her mom. She is determined to stay mad and is rather stubborn. She doesn't wish to be friends with Fabian at first and tries to avoid him, as well as his father, Warwick. Because of her abuse at the hands of faeries, she doesn't trust easily.

Fabian is outgoing, and interested in everything in nature. He seems to go out of his way to annoy his father, calling him by his first name. But Warwick is rather harsh on his son and calls out his faults whenever possible. During her name at the house, Tanya and Fabian eventually become friends, even confiding in each other.

Florence is Tanya's grandmother. She isn't very friendly, and through most of Tanya's life, she hasn't seen her. This is made clear why, later in the story.

Red teaches Tanya a lot about faeries and about those who have the second sight. Tanya discovers her on accident and fears her at first. The two eventually develop a trust.

Morwenna Bloom is the young girl who went missing in Hangman's wood. She was the first to go missing, although many followed.

PACING

The pacing of the story is decent. We learn in chapter one about the faeries who torment Tanya, as well as her relationship with her mother. By the second chapter, we are already at Grandmother Florence's house. By chapter six, we enter the Hangman's Wood. The most dramatic events happen here, and it's where the climax takes place as well.

OUR VILLAIN

Throughout most of the story, the faeries are the villains, or at least the trouble makers. The mystery of what lies in the forest isn't revealed until the climax, and we see who the true villain is. I think this was done well. It's obvious that the villain must be someone we already know of, because revealing a new character so late in the story wouldn't work. But enough new information is revealed about this villain that the reader gets to step back, and say, “Oh, that's why,” even if they guessed right at who the villain would turn out to be.

MYSTERY

The story is much more like a mystery than an action/adventure novel that fantasy novels often tend to be. Although there is danger, it doesn't come all at once, and sometimes the trouble isn't life threatening, but still quite troublesome for Tanya. Harrison does a good job presenting hints throughout the story, not just about Grandmother Florence, but Morwenna Bloom, and Fabian's Grandfather, Amos. So in the end it comes together well.

THEME

If I had to pick a theme of the book, I would say it was about desiring a sense of belonging. Tanya doesn't feel that she is wanted by her grandmother (with good reason) nor by her mother, who she cannot confide in about her faerie problems. Fabian has a struggling relationship with his father as well. By the end of the story we have not only solved a mystery, but helped a family heal.

EXPLICIT CONTENT-SPOILERS

It's implied that Amos, Fabian's Grandmother, physically abuses Fabian. Also, Tanya and Fabian doubt his innocence regarding the disappearance of a girl, and although it's not spoken, it seems implied that he may have raped her. There is on instance of swearing.

CONCLUSION

Harrison creates an original, and well paced story as well as a likable and sympathetic heroine in Tanya. She desires to be loved and accepted and fears most being rejected. I give “13 Treasures” four stars.

What do you think? Have you read this book? Agree or disagree with me on anything? Please let me know!

Book Review: "Dragon's Keep" By Janet Lee Carey

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Rosie is a princess with a secret, one finger is scaled and taloned. She has kept it her whole life. She has also lived under a six hundred year old prophecy by Merlin saying that she will end the war between dragons and people. Rosie struggles to be who her mother wants her to be, all the while she wonders if any man could ever love her knowing the secret she holds. She has more things to worry about when a dragon kidnaps her.

OUR CAST OF CHARACTERS

Rosie is constantly aware of her secret and is lonely. Although she is close to her mom, she desperately wants a friend. She eventually grows to be friends with Kit and shows kindness towards the girl. Her time with the dragon pushes her to the limit but she raises to the challenge, showing bravery and cleverness.

Kit becomes Rosie's only friend and her lady in waiting. She is mute but Rosie works hard to be friends. The two become close and have ties that at first Rosie does not know of.

Lord Faul is the dragon who kidnaps Rosie. He seems heartless at first, and although he is very tough on her, eventually he grows to respect her. But he cares nothing for humans, in fact, he harbors deep hatred towards them all.

Kye is the young man who helped kill a dragon. He is the only one sickened by the horrible treatment of the dead beast's corpse other than Rosie. The two get to know each other and spend time together before her kidnapping.

PACING

The pacing is decent, even though Rosie is not taken by the dragon after more than half of the book. The time is spent learning about Rosie's life and troubles, and many mysteries are set up. How was Rosie really born? How did certain characters really die?

STRUCTURE

The book is split into three parts. Rosie is taken by the dragon near the end of Part 2. Most of part 3 is spent with Lord Faul. This is surprising because the title is called Dragon's Keep.

Although we do learn a lot about Rosie and her life during the first section. We see her relationship with her mother, as well as her loneliness for friendship and her desire to be loved. Carey does a good job entertaining us and informing us about Rosie's life, her desires and her troubles so when she is taken we know who she is and what she wants.

FORESHADOWING

We learn about Merlin's prophecy and have most of the book to ponder how it will connect to Rosie. It references a dragon's talon, automatically making the reader think of her and leaving us to wonder how it will play out.

CHARACTER DRIVEN

Once again, I think this story is character driven, rather then plot driven. Although the last half of the book is where Rosie is trapped with the dragon, before that, it's her own choices that push the story forward.

Her wanting to take Kit with her, and her effort to form a friendship. Her desire to see the dragons' egg saved, even though she doesn't know why. Also, she pushes hard to learn the truth about the circumstances behind her birth which moves the story onward and even cause something terrible to happen.

THEME

Victim-hood is a theme throughout the book. Rosie is a victim to her curse, her mother's expectations for her, as well as a victim of the dragon. Lord Faul is also a victim of past crimes against his kind. But Rosie doesn't sit around whining about things, which is why she is a likable heroine. She see's the victim-hood that the dragon has claimed and feels confused about it.

Indeed, Rosie eventually lets go of her hatred of Lord Faul and realizes she is a part of his family. It was one of the most moving parts of the book.

Deception is another theme, as Rosie learns secrets of her family and humanity's past with dragons.

CLIMAX-SPOILERS

When Rosie comes back home she has to prove who she is and is put on trial. I was kind of disappointed by how it ended. I am not against men saving women at all, but when Kye appears with the Scepter to prove her lineage, it would have been nice if there had been some hints about what he had done or was going to do. It came out of the blue and saved Rosie.

It felt kind of cheap. Perhaps if Kye had seen her once and had learned of the whereabouts of the scepter...we could have waited with baited breath for him to save Rosie.

EXPLICIT CONTENT-SPOILERS

Various people get killed and devoured by the dragon. This isn't played down or censored in anyway. Kit is revealed to be bastard child, being she was born out of wedlock.

CONCLUSION

Carey creates an original story about dragons and a curse, as well as a relatable, likable heroine in Rosie. I give “Dragon's Keep” four stars.

What do you think? Did you read this book? Agree or disagree with me on any points? Please let me know!

Book Review: "The King in the Window" by Adam Gopnik

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

When Oliver looks into a mirror with a toy crown on, he unknowingly makes himself the King of the Mirrors. Armed with a glass sword and a bubble wand, he is informed that it is his job to defeat the Master of Mirrors, who steals souls through mirrors.

OUR CAST OF CHARACTERS

Oliver is an American boy who lives in Paris with his parents. He likes it, but still misses his best friend, Charlie. At first he doesn't quite believe that he is the new king, but eventually he realizes that he must embrace it, with all of the dangers.

Charlie is Oliver's best friend. He is tech savvy and bold, quite the opposite of Oliver. He easily adapts to living in Paris on his visit and makes friends quick. Although he doesn't believe his friend at first, eventually he comes to help him.

Neige is the daughter of the woman who looks after the building that Oliver's family lives in. She is rather blunt, and often rude. But Oliver has known her for years and tolerates her attitude. She agrees to help him on his quest to defeat the Master of Mirrors.

Mrs Pearson is an older, British woman who Oliver goes to for information. His father tells him about her, and he realizes she must know a lot about the seventeenth century. She also knows about the Master of Mirrors and has a deep connection to that world.

PACING

The pacing isn't exactly fast. Oliver spends a lot of time trying to explain things, like the Way, and how time works. Charlie explains the theory of multiverses. There were sometimes when I was tempted to skim over them, as some explanations were hard to understand.

RIDDLES

When Oliver meets Nostradamus, he learns that the man is cursed to talk in riddles, even though he is a prophet. Oliver asks various questions but none of the answers seem to make sense. Gopnik does a good job of planting these seeds and allowing them to make sense in time.

THE CHOSEN ONE

The story takes the idea of the chosen one, and turns it on it's head. Oliver learns that he wasn't chosen for any real reason. His expectations are dashed. He is not special. He is not chosen. But he has the chance to be a hero now and do what's right.

FOLLOW YOUR HEART

When Mrs. Pearson meets with Oliver to give him advice on how to defeat the master of Mirrors, she asks him he plans to defeat them. This is one of the best scenes in the book. Oliver grabs from pop culture, saying that he must have been chosen, so he should use his instincts, go beyond his conscious mind, basically follow his heart and it should lead him to victory. Because his heart must be true...or something.

Mrs. Pearson goes off on him, asking him if he intends to defeat evil by not thinking. I wanted to applaud her speech. She basically explains that Oliver must work hard, think hard, and give up any notions of some easy win.

NEIGE

It is revealed early on that Oliver has a crush on Neige. I never quite got why. She was pretty but not a very likable character as she doesn't feel quite real. When she reveals how her and her mother or on two sides of a war, she sounds seriously screwed up. But we never dive into her character, so we just assume there is nothing to her. She is bossy and shows little emotion. Also she is judgmental against Americans, and calls Charlie an idiot.

The problem is, she never develops. She never learns that she is wrong about Americans, maybe too judgmental, and to express herself. I felt completely indifferent to her the entire story.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

Gopnik ties his own story to a classic that most readers love, me included, “Alice in Wonderland”. I was surprised how well this was done. We've already seen the original story tried to make darker by Tim Burton, which always felt so contrived to me. And although Gopnik does reference the story, he doesn't live and die by this. In fact, we don't even learn about the connection to the mirror world and Lewis Carol until much later in the story.

EXPLICIT CONTENT

There are a few swear words.

CONCLUSION

Gopnik paints a story that is original and amusing. But the long explanations can get tedious and really slow the pace of the story, and Neige was a rather dull, unlikable character that never developed. I give “The King in the Window” three and a half stars.

What do you think? Did you read this book? Agree or disagree with me on any points? Please let me know!

Book Review: "The Last Dragon" by Silvana De Mari

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Yorsh is a young elf who knows nothing of the real world. However, he meets a young man and woman who try their best to keep him out of trouble. Chaos and hilarity ensue. Along the way he meets a dragon and ends up being his caretaker. But Yorsh knows he cannot live alone in a cave forever. So he sets off to find his old friends, and a wife. He ends up meeting a young girl named Robi, who lives in an orphanage. Her life is forever changed when she is accused of being a witch and sent to die. But Yorsh won't let that happen.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Yorsh the main character of the first part of the story. He is an elf and has a happy-go-lucky, whimsical nature. Being one that was born lately, he doesn't quite comprehend the danger he gets in. He knows nothing of people, and has a habit of talking too much. Also, he can be quite dramatic, his emotions changing fast and being prone to outbursts.

Sarja is the women who first comes across Yorsh. She finds him amusing but troubling. Eventually she comes to care for him through his kind actions.

Monser is the hunter who comes across Sarja and Yorsh, and feels inexplicably drawn towards them. He, like Sarja, finds Yorsh amusing but sometimes annoying. He is blunt and rather sarcastic at times.

Robi is the daughter of Sarja and Monser. She lives on the dream that a dragon and a boy are going to save her but tells no one. She is kind and somewhat of a leader among the children of the orphanage she lives in. She has mastered the art of stealing in order to feed herself and others.

Erbrow is the dragon that Yorsh has helped raise. He is condescending, arrogant, and yet somehow charming. He complains often, and boasts of his greatness even more so. Although he seems self-absorbed, it is obvious he cares about Yorsh, as he accompanies the elf on his travels to help him find Sarja and Monser.

FORESHADOWING

Robi mentions the dream of a dragon saving her. It isn't revealed until much later that this is much more than a dream. And that Robi has a special role to play. There is a prophecy that Yorsh learns of in the first part, but it's not quite as simple as it seems. Especially since he didn't get to read the ending of it.

PACING

The book is in large part, a comedy. As such, there are long dialogues, and bouts of exposition, where we learn about Yorsh's day to day life, or simply realize just how odd he is. There are scenes of great excitement and chaos, for instance when Yorsh flies over the orphanage for the first time, but they are not the norm. Not that the book feels slow in any way, all of the scenes are used to push the story forward. It's just not an action/adventure novel.

THE MOOD/THEME

The book may cover serious issues, like racism, but it does so with a light touch and a surprisingly funny way. Yorsh never mopes around thinking that humans are evil and he is a victim. He never seeks revenge. He may think that humans are stupid but he does so in a naive and amusing way that makes you laugh. That's because there is no malice behind his beliefs.

The first half of the book had me laughing out loud, something I rarely ever do when reading. De Mari uses Yorsh's naivete and youth to get him into so much trouble. She isn't just a funny writer, I would say she is clever too, thinking of how Yorsh can mix up words and titles, and using his unique perspective to cause hilarious scenes.

OUR VILLAINS

The story doesn't have classical villains, not ones that we fight against, physically. The two owners of the orphanage are obnoxious and abusive, but they are far too comical to be considered a real threat. At least not to Yorsh. Although we do get a classic villain that leads us to a climax, he isn't introduced until near the end of the book. We don't learn quite enough about him except he seems insane. The story does not suffer for it, as much of the trouble in the first part is because humans don't like elves, and that Yorsh makes such a mess. And most of the trouble in the second part comes from Yorsh's search for Monser and Sarja, and his rescue of Robi.

MONSER & SARJA

Although I found the two characters likable enough, they were outshined by Yorsh. They weren't exactly distinct characters. Although both seemed to be intelligent, and have common sense, that really only stood out in juxtaposition to Yorsh. And although the characters are likable, it's mainly there caring for Yorsh that makes them so.

CONCLUSION

De Mari paints an original story, with humor and charm that is indelible. Her two main characters are likable, flawed, and develop into admirable heroes. They also have a sweet, innocent romance that is surprsing since their relationship starts out a bit rocky. I give “The Last Dragon” four stars.

What do you think? Did you read this book? Agree or disagree with me on any points? Please let me know!