Book Review: "Ptolemy's Gate" by Jonathan Stroud

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Three years after the last book, at seventeen years old, Nathaniel is in charge of making propaganda for the war against the American colonies. He still employs Bartimaus, along with other demons but finds Bartimaus the most reliable. But someone else has an interest in Bartimaus, and he may not reciprocate.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Nathaniel is looked up to by some, but still looked upon as a rival by most. For for most part, he seems to have completely changed, no longer Nathaniel but completely John Mandrake. A series of meetings cause him to fall rock bottom, causing him to question what he believes.

Bartimaus feels the weight of his age. He has been away from the Other Place too long, and is exhausted. He also feels that Nathaniel has changed for the worse. All the while he shifts into Kitty to annoy his master.

Kitty has remained in London, and she has three different identities. She works at a bar while also working for free for an elderly magician. Her goal is unclear but eventually revealed.

PACING

Just like the last book, we go from Nathaniel, to Bartimaus to Kitty. This helps the story retain it's speed. There are plenty of cliffhanger endings for the chapters as well.

STRUCTURE-VAGUE SPOILERS

In Part one Kitty gets a new job while Nathaniel tries to catch the resistance. Basic introduction into their new lives.

In Part two Nathaniel sends Bartimaus to investigate a lead on suspicious activity. Kitty investigates Bartimaus and learns more about magic. We learn about Ptolemy and Bartimaus' investigation almost costs him his life. Nathaniel rescues him. Since we are still learning about our characters it is still slightly introductory.

In Part three, Nathaniel goes to visit an acquaintance on a whim, where crucial information is revealed. Kitty and Bartimaus are reunited; Nathaniel meets someone who causes him to doubt his beliefs. Then he learns about the truth about Kitty and confronts Bartimaus; Kitty finds out about “Ptolemy's Gate” while Bartimaus and other djinn are sent on a retrieval mission. Kitty and Nathaniel are reunited. All the pieces to the climax are put into place.

In Part four, Kitty and Nathaniel are captured. We learn more about Ptolemy (that helps the ending of the book to become cemented). Bartimaus is dismissed but Kitty goes to find him. Nathaniel and Kitty separate but eventually meet back up. Nathaniel and Bartimaus fight back and Nathaniel reveals his drastic change in character. Loose ends regarding Kitty are wrapped up. Story is completed.

KITTY'S NEW JOB

Kitty ends up working for a magician where she learns a lot about magicans and magic. She ends up traveling to the library to get books for him, using that time to learn more about Bartimaus. Her goal is rather unclear at first but when she succeeds it's rather surprising.

SACRIFICES, PRIDE & HATRED

One theme of the book is making sacrifices. Both Kitty and Nathaniel make huge sacrifices, although Kitty had no idea what she was about to sacrifice, and Nathaniel perhaps didn't until the last second.

Another theme ends up being that pride goes before the fall. Because of their belief in their absolute power, the magicians eventually end up not only killing themselves, but letting in a great evil that could destroy the human race.

Lastly, a theme that becomes quite clear because of Bartimaus (surprisingly enough) is to not let hatred swallow you up. He also notes that hatred has distorted the djinni.

THE MEMORY OF PTOLEMY

Throughout the story, we get flashbacks of Bartimaus when he knew an egyptian boy named Ptolemy. We learn how their relationship formed and why Bartimaus always takes this boy's form. Kitty suspects as much and this pushes her forward. Because of her beliefs, she has faith that things can change between humans and djinni.

KITTY & NATHANIEL

When two of the characters meet again, they bring out the best in each other. Kitty reveals the truth about Ptolemy, causing Nathaniel to reveal how dense he has been. And that there is clearly more to the djinni than meets the eye. Also, unlike Nathaniel, Kitty is curious about djinni, where they live and what they are.

Kitty slowly softens Nathaniel and he starts to see things differently. But it didn't feel rushed or unnatural, because this had been coming a long time. Kitty was just the last part of his evolution.

BARTIMAUS & KITTY-SPOILERS

Kitty spends a large part of the book wanting to learn about Bartimaus. Ever since she met him he left a lasting impression on her. She used to think that demons were just as bad as the magicians, but Bartimaus proved she was wrong. Because of this, when she finally sees him again, she has high expectations.

The scene was interesting because it revealed a completely different side of Bartimaus (he had never had anyone inquire about his past). I was excited for Kitty and really impressed with her. It made the ending of their meeting all the more hard to bear.

DJINNI'S PHILOSOPHY

When Kitty finally finds Bartimaus, he reveals the difference between humans and djinni. He says they are all the same in the Other Place. This was kind of confusing, because if they were all the same why did it take so long for Bartimaus to come to her? And why didn't he stop her from being bullied?

Also, he says they have no desires, no need for a purpose. That's just how humans think. But this doesn't seem to reflect the reality that Bartimaus has displayed in these three stories. He admits that Ptolemy let him be free and explore earth and he saw amazing things. And Ptolemy clearly became dear to him, leaving a mark that would stay with him thousands of years later. Clearly he had found a purpose and found freedom on earth. And he couldn't have done that unless he was an individual who made his own choice and had his own personality.

He paints the Other Place like a collective, socialist utopia. And yet the relationships he has formed on Earth (even if they were only a few) are clearly more important than the other djinni. Even if they are all one being in one place, the fact that they can separate speaks volumes. It felt more like a place to regain your strength than anything else. Merely existing is better than being a slave I suppose but Bartimaus' explanations sounded hollow to me.

A HINT?

After Bartimaus is dismissed, Kitty thinks he left a hint, saying that their relationship has limitations. She thinks he meant it was her job to bypass those limitations. (I thought this was kind of vague.) But when she finds him, he never addresses if this were true and he wanted to be found. He actually seemed surprised she was there. But I guess that was because he thought she would fail, not that she didn't get the hint.

A SECRET REVEALED

After the ending of the last book, Bartimaus told a lie to Nathaniel in order to protect someone. Nathaniel eventually finds out and his reaction isn't just anger, he feels betrayed.

Bartimaus has been his one companion since he was twelve. He lost his teacher and Martha Underwood. He thought that he had someone who at least would tell him the truth. I thought it was insightful because it revealed that Nathaniel feels more then a begrudging respect for his captive.

CLIMAX-VAGUE SPOILERS

Kitty and Nathaniel are taken prisoner, along with many others. Eventually they evade their captors and separate. Kitty goes to free the others while Nathaniel and Bartimaus go after the main problem. Eventually Kitty and Nathaniel meet two more times before the story ends.

AN ENDING TO REMEMBER

When I first read the ending, it left a huge impression on me. I remember walking around at my job (I had finished it before I started my shift) and an hour later I was still thinking about it.

I didn't dislike it, but apart of me wanted it to end otherwise. I was shocked. That was it? There was no more? Another, more rational part of me knew it could end no other way.

It was the last arc of a character, that although it felt sudden, actually made perfect sense. All of the other Stroud books had ended too soon for me too (I wanted to see the characters' reactions). As soon as the action was done, the story was done. But this ending felt like a puzzle piece. It had to be this way. As much as I wanted otherwise.

CONCLUSION

The last story in the Bartimaus Trilogy finally reveals the mastermind who influenced Lovelace and the owner of the Golem. The story is fast paced and the humor is still there.

Both Kitty and Nathaniel fully evolve, both playing roles they probably never dreamed of. Kitty soften's Bartimaus' heart while Nathaniel finally decides once and for all who he wants to be. And the climax isn't to be missed.

My only criticism is rather subjective, as I didn't really find plausible Bartimaus' explanation of The Other Place. I give “Ptolemy's Gate” five stars.

Book Review: "The Golem's Eye" by Jonathan Stroud

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Two years later, Nathaniel has a new guardian and a new job in the government. Still set on proving himself, he makes it his goal to find out what sort of being is causing chaos in London. Not to mention trying to uncover the secret group of people resisting the magicians.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Nathaniel still believes in the magicians and their rule. He is eager to prove himself and well aware of the fact that no one does anything against their interest. He doesn't really have any friends and his main goal is still to keep the goodwill he got from the Prime Minister in the end of the last story. His job is rather menial, working at Internal Affairs. That is, until he is tasked with revealing the Resistance.

Bartimaus is furious to be back working for Nathaniel. He still has insights into Nathaniel, hinting at his master's conscience and noting how he has changed.

Jessica Whithall is Nathaniel's new teacher. She is slightly less horrible than Underwood, but she has no affection for her pupil. She isn't in the book much.

Jane Farrar is introduced as another young magician. The only interest she seems to have in Nathaniel is getting secrets out of him.

Kitty Jones is the same girl from the first book. Due to a dramatic injustice of her childhood, she eventually joined a group of people who wish to resit the magicians.

Makepiece is a writer who creates plays. He knows all the higher ups in the government. He seems strange but harmless.

PACING

The pacing is just as fast as the previous story. Not only do we get Bartimaus' and Nathaniel's stories, we also get a third story, Kitty's. The story bounces back and fourth between these three plots.

STRUCTURE-SPOILERS

The structure is similar to the last story, where the beginning portion of the book is where we learn the history of a character (Kitty) and how she got to where she is when she is first introduced.

In part one, we see Nathaniel and Bartimaus both working apart. We meet Kitty and learn about some of her past. In the end of the first part Nathaniel and Bartimaus are reunited.

In part two, we meet Kitty's group of friends, as well as learn of how she never received justice for the crime committed against her. We learn how she meets a man called Pennyfeather, learns about her own ability, and meets a new group of people. Their big plan is set in motion. Nathaniel gets an assignment to travel.

In part three, Nathaniel investigates golems while meeting a contact. A familiar enemy returns but Nathaniel escapes. Kitty and her group enact their plan but it goes wrong.

In part four, Kitty and Nathaniel finally collide. Bartimaus tracks down a newly released monster then he, Kitty and Nathaniel face the golem.

HUMOR

The same charming humor that Bartimaus supplied in “The Amulet of Samarkand” returns. The humor helps the story by adding levity to an otherwise serious book.

TWO SIDES

An interesting aspect to these story that is different than the first, is that we are essentially reading about two opposing forces. Nathaniel wants to stop the resistance and find the leaders. Kitty wants to overthrow the magicians and steal magical items. I still liked Nathaniel, even though I was completely rooting for Kitty all the way. Kitty, like Bartimaus, has a humbling effect on Nathaniel. Also, she presents a view that he doesn't understand at all, just like Bartimaus does.

We also learn that the commoners are kept in the dark to how the magician's use their magic. Kitty debates with her friend if demons are even real which surprised me.

RESILIENCE

Nathaniel notes that all of his demons that go undercover are mocked and called names, as if their disguises don't work; Kitty isn't believed in court when she says she was attacked like her friend. Eventually we learn about a skill that some people possess. The hints are there from the beginning, but I liked how it was revealed.

TERROR IN THE TOMB

There is a portion of the story that added a touch of horror. Kitty and her friends get informed of a weapon to steal and end up all going at night to retrieve it. Things seem to be going well but Kitty discovers something disturbing. She knows this has to be a trap.

To make matters worse, she suddenly decides this is all wrong, not just what her group has been doing, but what they are currently doing. It was horrifying to realize all of this before anything even happens. So when it did, I was already terrified. I knew something awful had to happen. And when it did, I wasn't disappointed.

MORE THAN A VICTIM

Kitty, like Nathaniel has had a horrible childhood. Although for her, it was merely one incident that destroyed hers. While for Nathaniel is was a few. But again, it's not her victimhood that makes her likable. It's her naivete that she can change things, then her realization that she never stood a chance.

From there we see her evolve and harden. But that's only her first arc, as later on, during a climatic scene, she suddenly receives a revelation about what she has been doing. It seems to come from her out of nowhere, but it occurs just before a dramatic scene. I kept thinking, if only you had realized that before.

Also, she seems very tough before all of this goes down. And when she finally breaks down and cries, two different times, it was very rewarding. Because we saw she wasn't as strong as she wanted everyone to think. She was still just a girl.

LITTLE PUZZLE PIECES

There are certain aspects of the book that you might not catch. Like when Kitty gets a gift from a friend's grandmother: a silver pendant. It seems to mean nothing. But later we learn that it actually saved Kitty's life, although she isn't aware of it.

A friend of Kitty's manages to get revenge on the man who hurt him. He tells Kitty his plan, but it seems rather lame. That is, until Nathaniel and the other magicians witness this man's demise. The magician's don't know how it happened. But we realize it's because of the book he read out of.

I appreciated these little touches, although at first I was rather shocked at the death of Tallow.

TROUBLE ON ALL SIDES-VAGUE SPOILERS

Nathaniel thinks he only has to worry about the Resistance, finding Kitty, and discovering the truth about the golem. But it turns out he has an enemy he wasn't paying attention to. An acquaintance in the government shows up out of the blue, completely ruining his plans.

It was a good twist that allowed Kitty time with Bartimaus alone. She learns about demons for the first time, and exposes her weakness, breaking down and crying.

THE MYSTERIOUS MAN

Pennyfeather had a man called Mr. Hopkins tell him about where certain magical items were. But there was a second man involved. When it backfires, Kitty realizes she was set up. But she never actually saw this second man she spoke to. His identity remains a mystery.

NATHANIEL'S PROMISE

While traveling abroad, Nathaniel meets a man whose children are being held hostage. He promises the man to free them, then later says it's not important. The decision he makes after the climax helps reveal more about his character.

CLIMAX

Nathaniel, Kitty and Bartimaus ending up facing an enemy, as well as the golem. It's eventually destroyed. Bartimaus tells a white lie. Then they find out who created the golem.

A PASSIVE HERO?

Nathaniel ends up having nothing to do with destroying the golem in the climax. I wasn't annoyed, as I had faith that his lack of involvement would be important to the next book. I knew a certain character would have to return, and in order for them to be safe, Nathaniel couldn't have any knowledge of them. Also, the ending had a profound impact on Nathaniel, and will no doubt continue to do so, in the last book.

CONCLUSION

Stroud creates a sequel that expands the world he created by introducing Kitty Jones. She adds a new dimension to the story: we are fully exposed to the evil of the magicians. The element of horror adds suspense and terror while the twists and turns that finally lead Nathaniel and Kitty together work like a well thought out puzzle. I give “The Golem's Eye” five stars.

Book Review: "The Amulet of Samarkand" by Jonathan Stroud

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Young Nathaniel is taken from his parents when he is too young to remember them. Then he is brought up by a teacher so as to learn how to be a magician. Only special people have the ability to do magic, and the source of all magic are demons who are summoned and enslaved. A dramatic even leads young Nathaniel to summon the demon, Bartimaus, in secret. From then on a fast paced chain of events leads him from a road he cannot come back from.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Nathaniel is a young boy who is rather lonely and abused by his teacher. He is secretly rather smart, but keeps up the act of an obedient student. But he is also rather rash.

Bartimaus is a djinni who despises all of humanity (or so he claims) and makes fun of his master whenever he can. He is rather witty. He also evens out Nathaniel's naivete: he is not afraid to admit defeat or run from battle. He would rather use his brain than his strength. Like all djinni, he shapeshifts.

Underwood is an older man with a rather simple understanding of magic and modest skills. He is selfish and cruel, often putting Nathaniel at risk and physically abusing him.

Ms. Lutyens is Nathaniel's art teacher and the only teacher that shows him any kindness.

Simon Lovelace is an acquaintance of Underwood and a fellow government worker. However he is more skilled at summoning and has more knowledge. He has no love for commoners and children in general.

Martha Underwood is the wife of Underwood. The older lady is kind to Nathaniel and beside's Mrs. Lutyens, the only friend he has.

PACING

The story goes back and forth from Nathaniel to Bartimaus. This keeps the pacing fast. And although in the beginning of the book we get a history lesson about Nathaniel, it is never dull and all the information given is crucial to the story.

We essentially learn how Nathaniel go the point where the story started: when he first summons Bartimaus.

Chapters often end at cliffhangers and Bartimaus gets into predicaments that seem hopeless. But before we can find out how he escapes, we switch back to Nathaniel, who has his own crisis to deal with.

The pacing is that good. And even before we have learned about Nathaniel's past and the world he lives in, we are getting lots of action from Bartimaus' adventures. As well as mystery and suspense when it comes to Lovelace and his mysterious friend.

STRUCTURE

The story is broken into three parts.

The first part of the story is where we learn about Nathaniel's history as well as the world he lives in. It goes back and forth between these occurrences and the current story, where Bartimaus attempts to retrieve the amulet of Samarkand.

Part two is still a history lesson, and bouces back between the history and Bartimaus' spying on Lovelace. It ends with Nathaniel regaining power over Bartimaus.

In part three the story goes from seeking vengeance for vanity, to stopping someone who may want to overthrow the current government's regime.

A MAGICIAN'S WORLD-SPOILERS

In Stroud's world, the magicians have rose up and overtaken the government, which had been previously been run by “commoners”. They paint themselves as the saviors of their country by protecting them from other magicians. Although they don't care much for the non-magicians. They run everything, including the schools, and they make all of the laws.

For the most part the people are obedient, just wanting to get by. But their place in life is already set, as they can only do menial tasks. From Nathaniel's eyes, the magicians are the good guys. Bartimaus disagrees.

There is more than just the type of government to learn about. Their are different types of demons.; Magician's wear contacts to see things they couldn't normally.

There is the great, William Gladstone; Not to mention how magician's view commoners and how they view demons.

Young children with a propensity to be magicians are given up by their parents for money and then given to a magician to teach and raise them. Then they are eventually renamed.

Every detail feels important to the story as it reveals how the world is, how people think, and how Nathaniel will think.

A DETAILED HISTORY

Bartimaus' past is as detailed as the current world that Nathaniel lives in. The story is full of footnotes. Sometimes these notes tell us more about the current even we are reading about, other times we get information about Bartimaus' long life and career as a summoned djinni. The majority of these were interesting or hilarious. Sometimes both.

I skimmed over very few of them.

The thing that was nice was, Stroud didn't tend to add things for the sake of it. To show he had a long history for a character that had nothing to to do with anything. Certain authors do this, showing there skill for a detailed world perhaps to make up for their lack of character likability and depth.

But these footnotes only added to my enjoyment of the story.

CHARACTER ARCS

There are different arcs at different times. For instance, although abused by Underwood on a regular basis, Nathaniel doesn't decide to fully abandon his loyalty to his teacher until one drastic event. After that, he realizes his teacher is not his protector and he has no loyalty to him. Not that he would want to see him hurt.

From then on, Nathaniel pretends to be meek and obedient, all the while secretly learning things well belong his capability. He had done some of this before, but is secret rebellion flourishes now.

After a second drastic event, whereupon Nathaniel no longer has a safe place to reside he is pushed into acting. His character takes more direct action, for the first time in the story. This arc leads to the climax of the story.

A FLAWED HERO

One of the strong points of the story is that both main characters are likable, even though they are presented as being quite flawed individuals. Nathaniel is naive, vengeful, angry and selfish. And yet I still found myself rooting for him the entire book.

It's not merely the fact that he has been abused that caused me to care for him. I have read many books with unlikable characters who were victims of some injustice. I knew there was good in Nathaniel. He had just been abused so badly that it was hard for even him to recognize it. But his love for Ms. Lutyens and Martha helped immensely. And although Nathaniel believes the magicians are a force for good, it's quite obvious to the reader that this is not so.

Even so, we know our hero is young, sheltered and naive. I had hope he would change.

AN ALLY?

Bartimaus could have easily come across as cruel and evil. Instead he was hilarious, and I could never really believe he would hurt Nathaniel. If he had been allowed to, all my sympathy for him would have vanished. Since he never was, I liked him. He provided insights not only into the magicians, but also into Nathaniel that added depth to the story.

Also, there are hints that he doesn't hate all of humanity like he claims. He saves an innocent child, framing it as something of an accident. Also, he keeps reverting back to the form of a young egyptian boy, hinting that there was once someone he quite respected.

VENGEANCE OR GUILT?

After Nathaniel accidentally causes a horrible incident, he vows vengeance. He says he will dismiss Bartimaus only after that. But Bartimaus knows its more than that, he points out it's guilt that pushes Nathaniel forward.

He wants to feel better, and his aim isn't as noble as he makes it out to be: mainly, stopping a man from trying to overturn the government and take power from himself. Once again, Bartimaus adds depth to the story. Painting it out for the reader if it isn't already obvious. And causing discomfort for Nathaniel, who still wants to pretend he has noble aims.

MYSTERIOUS THIEVES-SPOILERS

When Bartimaus leaves Nathaniel unattended, he gets mugged and has his scrying glass stolen. They let him live, but Nathaniel notes that they seemed to know he had the item, even though it was hidden. Bartimaus remembers a time earlier in the book where something similar happened to him when he was returning with the amulet. This mystery isn't solved. But Nathaniel does learn about a resistance that the government is trying to keep down.

THE MYSTERY OF LOVELACE

Bartimaus not only has to steal an amulet from Lovelace, he also has to spy on him. We learn about strange, coded phrases that hint that the magician is up to something. It's a mystery that when is finally revealed it's well worth the wait.

HILARIOUS BARTIMAUS

Almost all of the story's humor comes from Bartimaus. Stroud displays his unique sense of humor, almost always getting a laugh out of me. At least a guffaw. His relationship with Nathaniel proves to be a major point of comedy, but Bartimaus makes fun of everyone he meets, not limiting his wit to his master. He pokes fun at two djinn, Faquarl and Jabor, as well as any other magician he meets. No one is immune to his sharp wit. Least of all the reader.

Although the humor has more than just the purpose of amusement. He often humbles the arrogant, including his master. And he points out the truth about this so called “just” society.

CLIMAX

Bartimaus and Nathaniel separate and each face an enemy and emerge triumphant, before coming back together and attempting to face an even bigger challenge. Together, they manage to stop their enemy and Nathaniel is rehomed with a new teacher. Bartimaus is finally dismissed.

CONCLUSION

Stroud creates an original and detailed world with likable characters. Bartimaus adds so much humor to the story, all the while keeping anything personal about himself a secret, causing the reader to suspect there is more to him than meets the eye.

Nathaniel is abused but isn't liked for his victimhood, instead for his intelligence, willingness to learn, and his desire to be loved. His naivete about the magician's is easily overlooked, as he has so much potential to one day discover the truth about the magicians he admires.

The story balances fast paced action with informing us all about Nathaniel and how he has came to be. Chapter endings are often cliffhangers and both stories are equally important, coming together like puzzle pieces.

Nathaniel and Bartimaus perfectly compliment each other as characters, drawing out insights all the while drawing out the readers desire to learn more about the characters and root them on. I give “The Amulet of Samarkand” five stars.

Book Review: "The Leap" by Jonathan Stroud

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

After she watches her best friend drown, Charlie can't move on with her life. Especially since no one believes what she saw. Then Charlie starts having dreams that feel much too real. Turns out these dreams may provide a way to save Max after all.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Charlie is reluctant to open up to anyone after she was called crazy. Instead, she hides all of her feelings away. She often loses her temper and is obsessed with Max. She seems oblivious to the chaos she creates and is rather naive about the other world.

Max was Charlie's best friend. But he never really got on with anyone else, not even her brother, James. He is hardly in the story, and mostly shown as a far away figure. Even so, I never questioned Charlie's desire to save him.

James, Charlie's older brother, worries about his sister a lot. But he doesn't know how to get her to open up to him. Even so, he is the only one who makes a real effort to figure out the truth.

Kit is a mysterious man that Charlie meets in the other world. He seems friendly enough, and gives advice to help her find Max faster.

Charlie's mom see's whatever facade her daughter puts out. She is oblivious to the truth.

PACING

The story goes back in forth, between Charlie's perspective, and her brother's perspective. As well as in between Charlie's dream world and the human world. Because of the switch in perspectives, the story moves fast.

Charlie has her first dream by chapter eight (chapters are rather short). It's page 48 of a 233 page book, so we really aren't kept waiting. Halfway through the book we get our goal, where Max is heading. We get a ticking time clock.

FORESHADOWING

There are enough hints of what is to come to keep the readers interest. Like when Jamie sees Charlie's notebook vanish. He gets suspicious and we know he plans to find out more by sneaking.

Also, Charlie lets is slip that she cannot leave Max. Implying he is still around. Jamie never sits down with her to talk, but he knows something is seriously wrong with her. We get hints like these we're we know something has to happen in the future.

MYSTERIOUS SECRETS

Stroud has an intriguing and furious way of only telling the reader just what they need to know. What is this other world? Who are these people? Were they all once alive? Do they mean well, or harm? He leaves it all up to you to speculate about it. This could be maddening, or it could be rather clever writing. Let the reader imagine things more horrible then Stroud could ever write.

LIFE OR DEATH?

It's obvious to all around her that Charlie can't let go of Max, and it's creating a rift between her family and friends. Her friends all abandon her because of this change in her, but she no longer cares. Living seems like a waste, when she could be searching for Max in her dreams.

Again, I found philosophical underpinnings to the story, like I did with “Buried Fire”. You can easily interpret it to represent someone who has become obsessed with a behavior that may not be good for them, be it alcohol, drugs, or a relationship. And instead of taking heed of warnings from loved ones, the person just shoves everyone away; Assuming the problem is with the world, and not with them.

Charlie has to be brought to the brink of chaos in order to realize she is in trouble.

CHARLIE

I actually didn't find many of the characters really likable. I was indifferent most of the time. Don't get me wrong, I felt bad for Charlie. But she keeps everyone at an arm's length. I really wished there had been at least one character she had confided in. But then again, that might have ruined the tension. The whole plot is about her and her secret, which causes trouble for her and her family. It's when this secret is finally exposed does the journey to try and save her start.

PLOT DRIVEN

I feel like “Buried Fire”, this story is really plot driven, rather then character driven. But how can that be, when it's Charlie's obsession with Max that propels the story? It's because we don't get to see Charlie's relationship with Max. It's all past tense. And that's fine, the reader still wants her to save him. But it's the fact that everyone thinks she's crazy that makes us want her to succeed. Not her friendship with Max which we know nothing about.

WHAT'S THE RISK?

If Charlie is merely in a dream world, there doesn't seem to be much of a threat. But eventually we see that the world may not be what it seems. And Charlie has more to worry about back in the real world than making her family upset. Stroud eventually lets us know that there is real danger, and that if she gets hurt in that world, it may affect her real body.

CLIMAX-SPOILERS

Parts of the other world cross over to the real world, and put Charlie in danger. But eventually in the dream world she makes it to the fair. And her dream activity starts to affect her real world body. Jamie has to go after her but this proves easier said then done. The scenes cut back and forth to help the pacing.

AFTER THE CHAOS

Like “Buried Fire”, the story seems to cut away just as we want to see what happens. I wanted to see James and Charlie discuss the madness that had occurred, I think simply because relationships in stories are what matters to me the most. But Stroud leaves that to the reader to imagine. The story ends when the action ends. It left me wanting more, but perhaps that is a good thing.

CONCLUSION

Stroud creates an original, well paced story with plenty of danger and mystery. The reader is left wanting more and keeps turning the page in hopes of finding out if Charlie can indeed save Max. The only criticism I have is that the characters are not the most likable. I give “The Leap” four stars.

Book Review: "Buried Fire" by Jonathan Stroud

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

When Michael falls asleep on a hill, he wakes up thinking he has had sun stroke. But eventually he realizes he as a new ability: he can see people's souls. Soon he exposes his brother Stephen to the same source. The two of them start to realize there may be more bad than good that comes from it. Especially when others with the same abilities are revealed. Not to mention what lives under the ground of their town.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Michael is one of of the three main characters. He is the younger brother to Stephen. He receives the ability first, and we see how it effects him pretty fast.

Stephen is the older brother and one of the main characters. Through him we learn how Michael is changing, not just with his new abilities, but his personality.

Sarah is Stephen and Michael's big sister. They have lived with her since the death of their parent. She struggles with being a sister as well as being their guardian.

Tom is the reverend of the local church and a friend of Sarah's. Neither of the brothers like him, and call him “the pope” behind his back. Because he is so young and originally from the town, he is sometimes treated as an outsider. His role in the story if first as a researcher and eventually as an ally.

Cleeves is a youth group leader that basically no one can stand.

PACING

The story is more suspense and mystery than it is action. But the story is paced well by switching between Stephen, Tom and Michael. And at one point, even Sarah. Also, it's to be noted that the story takes place in only a few days, which rather awed me, as so much is happening.

Michael alone might have been overwhelming to a reader, as he was clearly becoming the villain. But because we see the other perspectives, we are not constantly screaming “No, no, no!” at Michael. That would have grown old, fast.

ORIGINALITY

One thing that the story really has going for it is the originality. I never would have thought of souls being portrayed as diamonds shaped animal heads.

Also, the idea that the abilities themselves would eventually corrupt someone was interesting too. In most books, magic and other abilities only have negative consequences if you don't know how to use them properly. But there is no way to avoid the evils that come along with these abilities.

PHILOSOPHY

There are certain discussions between Stephen and Michael that I found fascinating. Michael starts to view the souls as the most important things, because they are so beautiful. While dismissing the shades inside them that reveal the personality. He thinks of them like food to devour. And he is annoyed that no one else can see them and appreciate them like he can. He belittles the very owners of those souls, as though he is more important.

It's near impossible not to draw symbolism with the dragon being the source of a great evil. With Michael thinking he can use the dragon as a power source, not realizing it's far too evil to be controlled. And that he himself, instead of controlling it, will end up being controlled.

BEFORE THE GIFT

Before Michael gets the ability, we really don't know anything about him. We do get to see a little bit of Stephen though. I do think it might have helped the story, to contrast with who they were becoming. We have Stephen to react to Michael, letting us know he is changing. But it would have been nice to see how they treated each other, as well as their sister, before this. I understand that this way, the actual story starts right off the bat, and we are not waiting around. But I felt a short introduction would have been helpful.

Also, it's only mentioned in passing about their parents dying and their sister taking care of them. I would have liked to hear more about their feelings and how they have adapted since then. It's hinted at throughout the story that things have not been going so smoothly.

MICHAEL'S EVOLUTION

Although we don't get to see who he was before the incident, we do get to see how Michael changes. His views change, and often times in the beginning, he feels convicted of his actions.

And we do sense that this isn't who Michael normally is, because he reactions seem so out of proportion. Like when he reacts so angrily to Stephen receiving the same abilities as him (even when he was the one who led him to get them). Or how viciously he attacks his sister, who was clearly just worried about him.

Also how inconsistent he is in his thoughts and the ability to admit he's changed. It's almost as though you are witnessing someone become a cult member.

STROUD'S WRITING

Stroud has an amazing way with words, not mention an amazing vocabulary. While reading I regularly underlined parts of sentences, and sometimes even whole sentences. I just loved the way he phrased things, especially the first chapter, where Michael is unconscious and attains the abilities. So much is happening, and yet nothing is. At the end, when he says “Michael wakes up”, I was like, all of that happened while he was asleep? It was artistic but not flowery.

CLIMAX

The climax is the most action-packed part of the story. Even before the dragon arises, we see Michael, and the others with the gift become violent and pursue Tom and Stephen. My only complaint is that the book ends the minute the dragon is killed. I really wanted to see Michael's reaction afterwards, to what he had almost done. We assume he is redeemed, as once the dragon is released he see's everything was a lie. But he doesn't actually accomplish anything himself in any attempt to change.

CONCLUSION

Stroud creates an original story full of suspense and mystery. Not to mention a story with depth that you don't often get in stories aimed at young adults. Viewing Michael change is fascinating and horrifying at the same time while the pacing is good because of the constant changes in the characters' perspectives. I give “Buried Fire” Four stars.