Book Review: "Dragon's Egg" by Sarah L. Thomson

SPOIL FREE SUMMARY

When Mella ends up with with a dragon egg, she feels its her responsibility to reunite the egg with its kind. Roger, a squire invites himself along and together they head to the nesting grounds. But along the way they face many problems.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Mella tends to her own tame dragons on her family's property. She is a dragon keeper, but these dragons are not big or dangerous.

Roger is a young man who stays at the Inn that Mella's family owns. He is enthusiastic, curious and helps Mella often on their journey.

Gwyn is a man who ends up giving Mella and Roger a place to stay. He also ends up as an ally against an enemy.

PACING

We don't start fast, which I don't think is always necessary. We learn of Mella's home and her role as a dragon keeper. Then we meet Roger and his master.

We don't start on the actual journey to return the egg until chapter six.

There are chapters with cliff hanger endings that help with pacing. Also some mysterious moments like when Roger's master, Damien seems satisfied about something we know nothing about.

MELLA'S MOTIVATIONS

In the beginning Mella has an obligation towards dragons. She seems to like her tame dragons enough, but at the same time feels she has no choice in the matter.

We flash back to her waking up at night because of the dragons, and her Gran says she will be a dragon keeper. But it's not exactly a happy memory.

And earlier, when her Ma says she has a way with dragons, Mella avoids being touched by her. As though she is not quite sure she wants to accept the mantle.

ROGER & MELLA

Their relationship isn't exactly harmonious in the beginning. Mella doesn't even want Roger along and is shocked that he is eager to help her. And the first time he makes a mistake, Mella yells at him. To his credit, Roger forgives her without being asked.

And when they get kidnapped, Mella blames him for having a wealthy father. So their relationship is definitely a rocky one.

Mella comes off slightly annoying at times, but its never to the point where I truly despised her. It's just that Roger never deserves the mistreatment, since he goes out of his way to help her.

GRAN & PA

Mella mentions briefly that her Gran was superstitious and her Pa disagreed with her. Oddly enough, Mella seems more at odds with her Pa (not her Gran for pushing this responsibility on her).

She says he doesn't believe in anything beyond the inn they run. It's as if Mella has dreams we don't really get to learn about it, and a struggling relationship with her father that is never addressed.

DRAGON SONG

Early on, both Mella and Roger have different versions of the same childrens' rhyme about dragons and King Coel. They mention it later near the climax, but it doesn't seem that important.

ROGER'S ROLE-SPOILERS

Roger proves crucial to the plot multiple times. When he and Mella are tied up, he is the one who manages to get loose. He climbs a tree to retrieve a lost lamb (from being kidnapped by a hawk) and ends up earning a stranger's trust.

Also, he helps reveal information about the dragons to the reader, asking if tame dragons are related to wild ones. Which was something I was confused about until then.

REVENGE ON A THIEF-SPOILERS

After Mella and Roger manage to subdue their captor, instead of just running off, they decide to get revenge. Turns out he steals everything he sells, so they burn all of his fabrics, ect.

I think it was supposed to be bold, and perhaps fuel the thief's desire for revenge later. But I kind of felt it was unnecessary. I would have thought they would just have bolted and been glad to escape. Or perhaps they might have addressed regret when he came after them.

THE TRUTH

After Mella and Roger escape from their captor, they seek shelter with man they meet. But when their captor shows up, he tells a story about them being runaways. And suddenly they find themselves in the frightening position of proving him wrong.

SPLIT UP

Turns out that their kidnapper is threatening the man who took them in. But Mella knows her priority has to be with the egg. Roger again plays an important role, going after Gwyn to protect him. Also there is some suspense regarding it, because Mella does not witness what happens.

ROGER'S SECRET-SPOILERS

Near the climax of the book, we finally learn the truth about Roger when an army is seen invading. He admits they are looking for him, because his father is the king.

The few times he changed personality, suddenly seeming confident and commanding, now makes sense. But I thought it was strange that his other skills are not necessarily one a prince would have, like climbing trees. I kind of wished there was a lack of certain skills that would have made it obvious he wasn't what he seemed.

Not that there aren't hints, like when he says his father wanted him to join the army and go of and get killed like his brother. But couldn't he have simply been a nobleman's son?

YOU'RE WHO?

When Mella finds out who Roger really is, I expected her to be angry. I mean, they had grown close over the trip. I wanted her to doubt him more. She is putting her life on the line after all.

I expect this was to be the end of their relationship arc. She was supposed to trust him completely as opposed to before.

And afterwards, I thought perhaps she would think more seriously about how their relationship would be now that he was no longer an equal. But not much thought seems to have gone into that matter.

CLIMAX

Thanks to Mella, they find the dragons hatching grounds. A dragon they meet is surprisingly friendly when she sees the egg. But others, not so much. Mella has to stand up to the dragons while revealing a horrible truth about the fate of the dragon's father. Roger reveals a secret and Mella has to trust him.

CONCLUSION

Mella and Roger's relationship develops over the course of the book, from acquaintances who have to learn to work together and respect one another to friends who trust each other completely.

Mella's character arc allows her to become confident while Roger eventually reveals himself to be confident and competent. Although perhaps revealing who he is isn't exactly an arc.

Both have unique roles that are important to the plot. Oddly enough, I felt Roger came off as more important.

My only gripe is last I wish the characters themselves were slightly deeper. I never quite got why Mella had negative feelings towards being a dragon keeper. She never knew she would have to go on a dangerous journey, so why did she feel this way when her Gran was still alive, or at the beginning of the story?

And why was Roger's relationship with his father was such a struggle?

I give “Dragon's Egg” three stars.

Book Review: "No Such Things as Dragons" by Phillip Reeve

SPOIL FREE SUMMARY

A young boy named Ansel gets roped into accompanying a man named Brock who claims he kills dragons. But the thing is that no one has ever seen one and even Brock doesn't even believe what he is selling. But as they arrive at a village claiming to have been attacked by a dragon, Ansel eventually wonders if perhaps they're real after all.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Ansel is a young man who hasn't spoken since he was young. He has been through a lot and lost his family. Because of his inability to talk, he is treated like a push over and he does come across as passive. We learn about him through his narration of the story.

Brock is a confident, and supposed to be charming and charismatic (I didn't get that impression, but it's obvious by how woman threat him that's how he is supposed to be perceived). He who loves the attention he gets from villagers. He seems rather two dimensional but his history is eventually revealed.

Flegal is a scheming man who pretends to be religious and charge people money for his services. He knows Brock.

Else is a young girl who ends up with Brock and Ansel. She isn't sure what to think of them and isn't very hopeful of her future.

PACING

The story starts with Ansel and Brock and then goes back, telling of Ansel's history. It didn't really make the story feel any faster.

The story mostly follows one set of characters, but eventually the characters all get split up. Even so, there is no jumping back and forth between them so it doesn't feel fast paced.

However, there is suspense about if one character really died, which helps propel the reader forward.

AN OBVIOUS SECRET-SPOILERS

When we meet the villagers who believe in a dragon, their behavior is spelled out so it's clear they have a secret. The dragon is real, they know it, but the slayer is a fake. So they feel bad about sending him to his death. But not that bad.

Also when a woman comes forward saying they took her daughter to be sacrificed it's undeniable. But of course, our characters don't believe her (although Ansel does, but he still has to go along). Because they have never seen a dragon before.

OMNISCENT POV

The author mostly stays with Ansel, but a few times jumps into Else's head. But more so with Brock's. I don't really care for this perspective as I don't think I necessarily need to know everything that each character is thinking. I like being left in the dark and having to notice subtle hints. But that's my personal preference.

CRAZY BROCK

Brock goes through the most changes throughout the book. In the beginning, he is not exactly likable. He says people are stupid, referring to the peasants. And that he can easily fool them into believing there are real dragons and he hunts them. In fact the first and only time I felt he was portrayed sympathetically is when his horse dies and he gets angry and upset about it.

He even comes across as a villain in one scene when he laughs at another characters fear of being eaten by a dragon.

Brock also is implied to be a womanizer, which I wouldn't mind so much, if it wasn't kind of inappropriate for a childrens' book. He isn't simply shown flirting, Ansel tells the reader that a woman liked his stories so much that she invited him to her room to tell her more. Most children will get the implication.

Another problem I have is that he seems all over the place. He thinks God has chosen him but he is clearly doing everything for selfish purposes. I didn't really like him by the time the story had ended. He never developed into anyone worth admiring.

BROCK'S HISTORY-SPOILERS

Eventually it is revealed that Brock dreamed of glory and fighting in the crusades. But when he saw his first battle he was terrified and his dreams were destroyed. Ever since then he has been on the road with his scheme of being a dragon slayer.

The topic is quite serious, and I don't necessarily feel it belongs in this book because it's obvious that Brock is a shallow character who most likely never had any faith at all. He most likely just dreamed of battle and was shocked at the reality.

I don't really think he needed the backstory and I don't think being traumatized in battle would make you crazy enough to risk others' lives as well as your own. Supposedly, Brock wants to redeem his past failures but he was clearly a coward. What has changed since then to make him suddenly brave? Or suddenly crazy?

VIOLENCE-SPOILERS

There are mentions of pagans sacrificing girls to the dragon and a character gets eaten. Else assumes her father was killed by the dragon.

ELSE & HER ROLE

When Else first meets the group, she hopes the dragon will eat them, so she can escape. Oddly enough, my first impression of her was not sympathetic. She is a victim, and yet I didn't care for her right away.

I think perhaps the author wanted her to be tough and not some damsel in distress. But the thing is, she is mainly a victim. But she just happens to be a girl. In fact, when we learn more about her, it turns out she has been told she is bad luck.

As for her role she practiced throwing stones as a child and this comes in handy. She also reveals the truth about Flegal.

ELSE & ANSEL

lse and Ansel eventually develop a friendship to the point where she actually risks her own life for him. He frees her when she is put at risk and tied up. They only know each other a short time, and since he cannot talk, it's up to Else to share any personal information.

ANSEL & BROCK

Ansel is skeptical of Brock. He is hardly a mentor character or even a friend. I didn't feel like there was much to bind the two of them together. Brock never shares his past trauma with him, instead only the reader finds out about it. And since Ansel can't talk, it would be up to Brock to form a relationship. But it just isn't there.

RELIGIOUS THEMES

There are mentions of God from Ansel, Brock and Flegal. All three clearly have different views of God and religion. Early on, it is said that God took Ansel's voice.

Flegal uses peoples' faith to make money off of them while Brock ends up believing that God has chosen him to be special. Oddly enough, Brock seems to think God wants him to be famous and wealthy (a prosperity gospel, if you will).

When a tree blocks there path back down the mountain, Flegal thinks the mountain is evil, while Brock thinks its God who wants them to stay on the mountain. It's interesting to see that two religious people can have completely different ideas on an event. Although I don't think any kids will find it interesting.

I appreciated that there wasn't one view or agenda pushed on the reader. There is simply opinion. Ansel thinks maybe God is behind this event; Brock thinks maybe God is behind that event. But we don't really know.

CLIMAX

The dragon is caught and taken back to the village but things go sour. Ansel reaches his arc. He, Else and her mother leave town to start a new life.

LET HIM LIVE OR DIE?-SPOILERS

The dragon is essentially an animal. He isn't good or evil, as the author makes clear. Even so, when he is abused you can't help but feel bad for him.

But I was surprised when Ansel did nothing to prevent his escape. Right afterwards the dragon attempts to kill a young boy. I wanted to root for the dragon and just watch him fly away.

I got that this scene was crucial to Ansel, but I thought the same event could have happened else where. Particularly it would have been more meaningful if it had been tied to Else.

CONCLUSION

I don't mind that the story isn't that original. But I do wish that the relationships between the characters had been more developed. We learn mostly about the characters through their minds, and not through their interactions. As such, there aren't really deep relationships.

The pacing is decent and I really found the philosophical views interesting. But I don't think the intended audience would care much for that.

Ansel and Else have an arc, both becoming bold near the end of the book. But Brock kind of goes crazy, then evil, then realizes he was evil, then is still selfish. And then is sheepish.

Ultimately it feels unfulfilling. I give “No Such Things as Dragons” two stars.

Book Review: "The Wolf Princess" by Cathryn Constable

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Sophie thinks she is luckiest girl in the world when she and her friends get invited to spend their school trip in Russia. But things get confusing when they end up in a castle in the middle of nowhere (the last place they expected). And although the princess who lives there seems thrilled to see them, things are not what they seem.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Sophie is an average girl who doesn't have much money because of her family situation. She loves to daydream and gives the appearance of someone who doesn't care much about her looks. She is rather naive and easily manipulated.

Delphine is a pretty and elegant teenager. Her family is wealthy and she is into fashion and used to spending time with the upper classes.

Marianne is a plain and bookish girl. She has read a lot about Russia and often shares this information with her friends.

Princess Anna is beautiful and charismatic woman who promises the girls a great time. But her behavior is erratic at times and its obvious she is not who she seems.

Dmitri is a young Russian man who works at the palace taking care of the animals and cleaning.

PACING

There is suspense regarding Sophie's parentage. It's not revealed right away if she has a mother or a father and information trickles out in the first few chapters. There is also odd behavior and certain occurrences that add suspense to the story as well.

This isn't an action story, more of a mystery story. And there are plenty of moments where the reader becomes curious.

CHARACTER DEPTH

A big problem is the lack of depth for the characters. They all feel like generic stereotypes. I am fine if you want to start with that but you have to add depth.

Delphine is pretty and wealthy but does that make her stuck up? How does she end up being friends with someone so different like Marianne? Shouldn't there be more tension between them since they are such opposites?

They girls are just roommates with nothing in common, but they get on like friends who came together naturally.

There are scenes where they show off their personalities, but again, it's just shallow surface level stuff. Marianne gifts facts on Russia because she read about it. Delphine says she is used to hanging out with the wealthy.

There are some strange attempts at adding character depth, like one scene where they mention they must stand up for themselves, referencing a bully back at school (who had never been mentioned before, or if it had, only vaguely).

Also, Anna argues with a man and only Delphine can tell. Apparently, since her parents are divorced, she knows what passive aggressive arguing looks like. Even though the argument in question is obviously an argument.

Lastly, there is one scene where an attempt is made to flesh out Marianne where she explains that she doesn't want to try to look pretty, because it's no use. No one addresses it, and it just kind of hangs there. Like, look, Marianne shared her feelings. Now lets move on.

SOPHIE'S PAST-SPOILERS

We learn rather fast, but I suppose it's still a spoiler. Sophie is an orphan. She lost her father and instead lives with her guardian. And her guardian isn't exactly caring, so much to the point where Sophie will not bother her and ask for any money.

It does sound kind of overkill and its obvious that Sophie is supposed to be sympathetic to the reader. Poor, an orphan, missing her dad and being abused by her guardian. But because this isn't dwelt on and really only mentioned in the beginning, Sophie does not come off as a helpless victim. In fact she doesn't talk much about her problems, nor does she try to think of her father.

SOPHIE'S PERSONALITY

The fact that Sophie doesn't dwell on her problems can be seen as a bad thing though. Because although we don't feel like she is constantly vying for a title of victimhood, this is never delved into further. It could have been revealed she has a martyr complex that has to be dealt with as it may put her in danger in the future. Or that she has had to put on a happy face but deep down she is resentful.

But the story just doesn't have that kind of depth. In fact, there is one scene where she says she wonders what it would be like to have a family. But the others just look awkward and it's never brought up again. Not that I wanted a long, drawn out discussion, but some kind of acknowledgment would have been nice.

There is another scene, where she meets Dmitri's family and thinks she doesn't want to leave, because they feel so close. Unfortunately it feels forced, just to remind us she has no family. I didn't need to be told that Sophie admires their closeness, all I needed was to see her linger, not wanting to leave or observing the family with the attitude of someone who didn't have one.

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

The fact that Sophie dreams of Russia and then gets to go there is a bit spot on the nose. I mean I know she likes snow and really wants to see it, but her desire to actually go to Russia seems out of nowhere. She doesn't have any real reason, she just thinks its a romantic place or something, full of history.

I wish they had made her watch a movie, or read a book about it that had a profound impact. Or some sort of explanation that wasn't so vague. I get it that she dreams of snowy woods but it's not like it cannot snow in England. For instance, a girl who grew up reading manga would obviously love to go to Japan, or an American girl who grew up reading Jane Austin novels could dream of seeing London. That would make sense.

FOREHADOWING

There is a big reveal near the end of the book (although it's predictable) and it's not really set up. I mean just because I know how the story is going to end doesn't mean the author still shouldn't try to put it together like a puzzle. There is a princess, and it has to be Sophie, because she loves Russia and needs a home as her current one is rather bad.

We learn a story about the princess that made people think she was crazy. This story comes back into play and helps Sophie figure out where the lost jewels are.

PREDICTBLE PLOT

We all know that nothing is going to be what it seems when it comes to the princess. After all, absolutely nothing makes sense about how the girls end up with her at the palace.

And quite honestly, the story has all of the makings of a horror story rather than a romantic one (people being manipulated into going somewhere they didn't plan to go, in the middle of nowhere with no contact with the outside world).

It's not that I mind knowing where a story is going. I don't and I can enjoy a story with an obvious ending if the journey is made fun and the genre is a favorite of mine.

CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?

After the girls get tricked into being in the wrong place and left alone, they find a cabin filled with food and a roaring fire. It's completely empty and it's all rather creepy. As if you were in a horror movie and just happened to find what you needed when you needed it.

It would make anyone suspicious. But the girls hesitate only for a moment, realize they have no choice, and then think nothing more. I understand realizing you had no choice, but they should have stayed anxious and alert. At least have been slightly more wary.

WOLVES IN RUSSIA

The idea of a wolf princess is set pretty early, when we learn that there are wolves in the woods and it's dangerous. Then later on something confusing about them is revealed. Also, Ivan says they used to guard the palace and the royal family.

Later, Sophie sees on outside at night from her room.

And then Sophie witnesses one outside, but no one else sees it. It doesn't hurt her but disappears. Also the name of the royal family means “wolf” in Russian. The connection feels tenuous.

The idea of wolves being tamed is rather fanciful and is the only element of the story that feels like a fantasy novel. I was kind of expecting more from the title.

CHARISMATIC ANNA

We all have that singer or actor that we think the world of. They always seems to be charming, beautiful, funny and kind no matter where they go. We can't imagine them every being anything other than nice. And then we hear a story about how they mistreated some employee and how their secretly a condescending narcissist with a huge temper.

The problem with me is that Anna never came off as charming. We are told how beautiful she is, but it's not as if she comes off as likable. She isn't seen doing anything nice for anyone except for Sophie, and it's obvious from the get-go that she wants something from her.

I just wish she had been wrote better, so that for a moment I liked her and was deceived. Or at least wished she wasn't really that bad. But I didn't care. The main reason we can assume that Sophie even likes her is the sympathy she develops when she learns of a predicament. Unfortunately this didn't work on me either and I just kept thinking that Sophie was really gullible.

THE GENERAL

An older man shows up demanding money from Sophie. He says things about the girls, asking why they are still there if they don't “know anything”. It's obvious that Anna is using them but no bothers to ask her why and how. I suppose they are too stupid.

Also, there is a short scene where the general compliments Marianne and Delphine who instantly like him for some odd reason. Only Sophie has any brains, as she tells the reader that he is manipulating them. But Sophie cannot tell that Anna is manipulating her?

It was inconsistent with her previous gullible nature. I know she adores Anna and instantly hates the general, but her reasons should have been emotional, not portrayed as perceptive and logical.

WE'RE LEAVING!-SPOILERS

Sophie's friends finally realize that Anna is nuts and that they should leave. They pack and intend to go but the fact that it took them so long is kind of crazy. I would have preferred they discussed leaving earlier on, and even planned to somehow escape only to have it all fall apart.

Anyway, Sophie is still heartsick over Anna's suffering and tries to convince the girls to stay. At this point, I kind of thought she was an idiot. Didn't she realize how upset her friends were? What's more important, her naive daydream of a princess bestie, or her friends' safety and fears?

CLIMAX

Sophie attempts to help the princess with her newfound knowledge only to be shocked at the outcome. She gets a revelation about her past while the Princess gets out of the picture. The girls return home while Sophie has to make an important decision about her future.

REMEMBER?-SPOILERS

Near the climax Sophie learns a song that she mentions sounds familiar. And when Anna reveals the truth about her goals and Sophie's real identity...Sophie just kind of remembers. I mean she vaguely remembers her father earlier on in the book but even then it kind of feels out of the blue.

Anna speaks of an old Russian woman and suddenly Sophie remembers visiting an old Russian woman. Well, that's convenient.

Also, the old woman lost her memories and didn't know she was descended from royalty. But couldn't the parents have lied and said she was their own and not found? If this was like a hundred years ago, they could have easily lied and forged documents. The odds of finding her seem slim and rather unbelievable.

I almost wished they had found some DNA in the palace (I know, still rather iffy) and then Sophie's school had some program where her DNA had been taken an on record. Then their computers had been hacked (along with hundreds of other schools across the country) and that was how Sophie was found by Anna and her cohorts. I know, still stretching and rather fantastic, but somehow more believable then what we got.

SOPHIE'S CHOICE-SPOILERS

As if finding out you are a princess isn't amazing enough, Sophie makes a last minute decision to stay and live in the dilapidated old palace with it's few servants. I suppose it is supposed to be freedom and the desired outcome, but I kind of found it outlandish.

She speaks no Russian. The palace is in the middle of nowhere. It's falling apart. I wish there had been some discussion with the girls, like them revealing how Sophie could sell the jewels, restore the palace, and reveal her identity. Some sort of attempt at fleshing out her future so it would make sense.

Instead it's like, “follow your heart” and things will just be great. The end.

Also, side note: Dmitri says when he saw her he wished she was the wolf princess and not Anna. But why her? He wished this when he first saw her arrive with the girls in the sleigh. Why not Delphine? Or Marianne? Why was Sophie so special when he first saw her? It makes no sense at all.

CONCLUSION

The idea is not original, but that's okay. It's just the fact that the book hits you ever the head with everything, as if you haven't already figured it out.

The characters are not very deep and never seem as anything more than shallow archetypes.

There is some suspense regarding the princess and waiting for clues about her true identity. But not much thought seems to have gone into why Sophie loves Russia and the characters seem dumb at times.

The only real twist comes with Sophie finding out where the missing jewels are, and its not as though there are many clues and ideas to have, so the answer is like, oh, yeah. That's the only option.

Oddly enough, the story could have been better if the fantastic elements were expanded upon (the wolves) or the story became a horror story (with Anna clearly being evil and nuts).

I give “The Wolf Princess” two stars.

Book Review: "The Chesnut Soldier" by Jenny Nimmo

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

When an estranged uncle comes into Nia's life, he effects the entire family. Everyone he meets adores him, but Gwyn feels something else is going on, and it involve the horse figurine he was given.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Nia is mostly the main character. She develops feelings for Evan that start as silly but eventually become illogical and dangerous. I found her hard to like at times.

Gwyn is more apart of this story than the last one. Nia has to rely on him and he impacts the story greatly.

Catrin is a teenager who is quite talented at music and loves the piano.

Evan is a mysterious, handsome ex-soldier. He seems to charm every one around him, or at least the women.

PACING

The pacing is slower because this is not an action story. Instead it revolves around one man, the charm he exudes, and the sycophants he attains along the way. Although some interesting information about Evan is eventually revealed, it doesn't feel very suspenseful.

CATRIN & EVAN-SPOILERS

Evan, Catrin's uncle spends a large portion of his time alone with her taking her out in his car. It's slightly strange because he is twice her age (as its pointed out). But Nia says that he is not really their uncle, so Catrin could marry him.

I found this rather unbelievable. Catrin is a kid (I can't recall how old she was or if it was even stated, but she was mostly likely between fifteen and seventeen) and Evan is clearly an adult. Twice her age would make him at least thirty. So its basically pedophilia.

Besides the fact that this subject in a childrens' book (even if its not explicit) which is kind of crazy, no one steps up to stop the relationship. Not even Catrin's mother who doesn't acknowledge this relationship until non-family members bring it up. And then she brushes off their concerns, not by denying anything untoward, but simply by making excuses.

NIA'S CRUSH

Nia spends the majority of the book defending Evan's actions to the point where she comes across as more than slightly stupid. How is pedophilia okay? Even when his actions get worse (when he becomes possessed by the spirit of the horse figure) she still refuses to admit that he may not be savable. The more stubborn she became the more I disliked her. Especially when her own brother suffered so greatly and she was still in denial.

NIA & GWYN

I thought it was an interesting dynamic. As Gwyn was the more knowledgeable of the two, and certainly the more logical one.

THE OTHER SISTER

There are little hints that the other sister is rather plain. She keeps trying to make herself seem pretty and eventually shares her angry feelings with her mother about being neglected and overlooked because of her pretty sister.

This is never resolved. I don't even know why it was there. She suffers abuse from Evan in one scene and no one even stands up for her. I felt more than annoyed at Nia's whole family.

GWYN'S MISTAKE-SPOILERS

Gwyn decides, kind of out of the blue to ask Nia's little brother to tail Evan. Considering that Gwyn is the only one who really sees the danger in that man, I was surprised. So when the outcome was tragic I couldn't help wondering why Gwyn had been so naive. He was portrayed as rather logical all throughout the story until then. But perhaps he just looked that way because everyone else was either dense or stupid.

CATRIN'S EX

There is a young man who Catrin previously dated. When something bad happens to a pet, he asks Catrin to come over because he is worried that it will die. Catrin brushes him off and comes across as a complete jerk. Where before I thought her naive now I thought her selfish too. When she seems upset about the fact that he has a new girlfriend I now added stupidity to her list of good qualities.

CLIMAX

Evan gets a gift from an ancestor. Evan appears to disappear and die and Nia blows up and Gwyn. But Evan finally returns and Nia is happy.

AFTER THE FACT

Evan is eventually saved, and the story ends with him returning and seeming happy. But I kept wondering, was he going to pretend the whole ordeal with Catrin never happened? Would he say he never liked her and it was all the soldier? Would he even remember what happened? Would everyone pretend the relationship had never happened? I assume Catrin would move on and get back with her old boyfriend but perhaps not.

CONCLUSION

The idea of a long ago soldier being entrapped and then freed, only to possess someone with a similar past was an interesting and original idea. I especially liked the idea that he planned to relive his past, like a ghost that cannot move on.

But there were some creepy subjects that were touched upon that I feel didn't belong in a childrens' book. In fact, if I read in in a YA novel I would still have qualms.

Also, Nia never seems to develop. She stays naive about the dangers and never has to face up to them, even when her own brother is involved. And most of the characters come across as unlikable, especially Catrin.

I give “The Chestnut Soldier” one and half stars.