Book Review: "More Minds" by Carol Matas and Perry Nodelman

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SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Something is wrong in the North: a giant has appeared and is causing trouble. Lenora sneaks away to deal with it, using her magic so she won't be missed. But it turns out she can't just wish the giant away, in fact the Balance doesn't seem to be working. Lenora needs to figure it out, but she may have made some trouble herself.

LIKABILITY

Lenora is much likable then the last book. She isn't rude and arrogant and treats Coren much better. I almost wish we could just skip the last book, and already have her this nice.

After all, she still doesn't trust Coren completely, and keeps secrets from him. To have their relationship develop into trusting each other, instead of her not hating him, would have been preferable.

LENORA'S MAGIC-SPOILERS

Lenora doesn't seem quite worried about using her magic. I found this rather odd, considering the last book, where she learned about how powerful she is, and how that power can easily seduce her. Instead, she still dreams of running off and having an adventure, as though it is a game. Isn't that what she thought last time?

A NEW CHARACTER

We get a new character, a young girl named Sayley. Lenora notes how she reminds her of her younger self. Think of how she was in the first book: naive and using her abilities without thought of the consequences. But I do feel like we only skimmed the surface of this relationship.

THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM-SPOILERS

Throughout the book, the problem is that the giant cannot be just thought away. Magic doesn't seem to be working. In fact it only works on and off, causing Lenora quite a few problems. So we muddle along, wondering about why this is. Eventually we find out that in Grag, there are no longer following the balance. And that is way things are crazy. But it's in solving the problem where things start to make no sense.

THE CLIMAX-SPOILERS

Eventually, Lenora goes back in time. It's chaotic because everyone is constantly changing the nature of reality and who they are. Ironically, it turns out that she is the one who created the balance. And then she goes back home.

I think it was trying to be clever. But I never really wondered about the origins of the Balance in this book. Although I did in the first.

In this book, I wondered why it was no longer working and how to fix it. I think perhaps the origins should have been explored in the first book, and Lenora's abilities in the second. It just felt like it would have naturally progressed better that way.

MAJOR PLOTHOLE

And then there is the matter of the return to the Balance. How would Lenora's going back and time and realizing she created the Balance on accident, restore the present Balance? I thought it was the People of Grag's fault. And Lenora even mentions that mess is still going on. She does vaguely wonder if her and Sayley being so powerful had something to do with it. But this thought passes by so quick that you'll miss it if you're not paying attention. It's just so confusing.

FREEDOM TO SLAVERY-SPOILERS

When Lenora goes back in time, she finds a history book that explains everything to her. Apparently when technology got advanced, people no longer needed to work and could do anything they want. So their brains evolved to control reality. This alone I found silly. The more technology has evolved, the dumber people seem to get. We have to do less because technology does it for us. We have so much free time and we don't do anything worthwhile with it, let alone learn and expand our minds. But lets ignore this for now.

Lenora wonders how everyone could give up freedom. But then she sees chaos and thinks maybe freedom isn't so good. Remember earlier, when she leaves the castle and sees how fake and controlled the population seems? It felt like a cult. There was no freedom at all. In the epilogue, she mentions that the balance is still too strict. It seems this should have been dealt in the actual plot, not an afterthought.

I just feel like the story was far too shallow to deal with such weighty, philosophical issues.

CONCLUSION

Lenora is much more likable, and should have been this way from the start. Not to mention she spends the plot pushing the story along unlike before. And yet there are some pretty big flaws: mainly, not addressing the issue of what is destroying the balance, as well as the controlled, robot-like population. We spend too much time trying to be clever with a plot twist instead of explaining how the main problem was solved. I give “More Minds” two stars.

Book Review: "The Arcade Catastrophe" by Brandon Mul

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Nate, Trevor, Pigeon and Summer are busy living their lives. They still get magical candy which they have fun with in secret. But then they notice some strange things happening at the arcade in the next town and some stamps that are worth an unimaginable amount of tickets. And Dart has gone missing. Is the owner of the arcade behind it?

RETURNING CHARACTERS

Nate is still our main character. We are reminded when he ends up being near the end, while others fail.

Trevor hasn't developed much from the last book.

Pigeon hasn't changed, although he seems to have a crush on Lindy.

Summer is the same, enthusiastic and willing to get her hands dirty.

Mr. Stott is now the adopted father of Lindy. He still hands out some magic candy, but he doesn't seem to concerned about the kids being spotted. He is protective of his new daughter.

NEW CHARACTERS-SPOILERS

Lindy has know idea of her past and how she lost her memories. She tries to press and learn more, but is frustrated to find no one will tell her.

The Battiato brothers are a pair of magical brothers with an unique magical ability that they share. There names are Ziggy and Victor and they are entertaining to watch, to say the least. They replace Dart, as the mentors of the group.

STRUCTURE

The story is set up where we learn about the stamps, then we work to earn them. There are twenty four chapters, and we get our stamp on chapter nine, and actually learn about the man handing them out. From there we go on our first mission. So we don't immediately rush into action.

PACING

There is actually a lot of action in this book. The missions are less about sneaking and more about full on attacks. If you prefer this over anything else, you will actually prefer this over the first book.

SEPARATING

Because of the way the stamps are handed out, the characters are separated. So we don't get them working together like before. There is still plenty of interaction, its just not when it comes to fighting. I do think the story may have suffered because of this. And later on, there isn't even the off the battlefield – talks.

We don't really see any change or growth in relationships between anyone. Pigeon and Lindy do have a scene where it seems Lindy trusts him the most, but it doesn't really play out in the rest of the book.

SIMILAR PATTERN

There are many things that are the same as the first book: new villain is after a dangerous item, and is using kids to get it. This makes sense, because we know kids can yield magic better than adults. But even so, I do wish there were some more creativity. Instead of fudge, we have nacho cheese. Its quite obvious this man is up to no good, like Mrs. White was. But again, these new kids are either dense or don't care to put their lives on the line, because they get magical abilities.

There is a twist at who the villain is, but it never has the effect we fear it might on a certain character. I wish there were more unique aspects that set it apart from the first book, and although entertaining, other than Lindy (who doesn't develop much anyway) no one really develops. It would have been nice if they had managed to make a new friend, and expand their group. But all of the new characters seemed expendable.

LINDY'S TRUTH-SPOILERS

So Lindy does eventually figure out the truth. But I was disappointed in the reaction. Yes, she was mad that no one told her, and upset, wondering if she could become that person again. It's clear everyone else feared that. But she seems to get over it surprisingly fast.

Perhaps we develop her more in another sequel. Only that would make her underwhelming reaction make sense. Near the end, Nate is told to keep an eye on her.

NATE'S TRICK-SPOILERS

There is a scene in the final mission where all of the characters are frozen, unable to move, their simulacrum's being used against them. But Nate is the only one it doesn't affect. Is if because of peak performance gum? We are never told. It kind of bothered me.

CLIMAX

Only Nate and Lindy are on the final mission team. There in an interesting finale of that mission, involving a huge globe. It's rather original, although some may find it confusing. I may have had to reread the explanation of what it did.

CONCLUSION

There are many similarities to the first book, but there is a larger component that is action based which makes it different. I wish the characters had developed more and we had seen more interaction between them. I felt they should have been seen discussing Lindy's secret and maybe had opposing ideas if they should ever reveal the truth. I give "Arcade Catsatrophe" three and a half stars.

Book Review: "Of Two Minds" by Carol Matas & Perry Nodelman

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Lenora the princess is about to be forced into a marriage she wants nothing to do with. The independently minded young woman makes it her goal to run away, but things go awry. Instead she ends up where she never planned. It feels like a dream come true when she meets the charismatic leader named Havek. But what ever happened to that prince she supposed to marry?

OUR CAST OF CHARACTERS

Lenora is princess of Gepeth, a land where everyone has the ability to alter reality and make anything real. But it has been agreed upon not to change the current reality. But Lenora finds is dull and loves to create people, places and all sorts of different things. This often gets her into trouble.

Coren is a prince of Andilla, a country where everyone is telepathic and make others see illusions by altering their thoughts. Coren hates it, and feels like everything is fake. He makes it a goal to never invade the privacy of another's thoughts.

Havek is the leader of Gragia. He is charismatic, handsome, and a great speaker. He speaks of creating a Utopian land with no strife or inequality. But he never quite explains how he will do so.

PACING

The pacing is average. The story is not really based around action. It's more around suspense and mystery. Like how is Lenora going to get out of this marriage? Then is she going to stay in Gragia forever? Who is Havek really? How did he get all of this power?

STRUCTURE

We switch between Coren's perspective and Lenora's, although Lenora gets the bulk of the book, when something happens to Coren.

LIKABILITY

We all know the stereotype, the female character who lives in a fairy tale world, with medieval, old world views on women. Or a historic story. And she is the only one who sees that the everyone is sexist and wrong.

Basically a twenty-first century (or late twentieth century) character, in any other time period. I get it, it's hard for modern readers to look at ancient views with any sympathy. If a character is royal, they may have their views entertained because they are rather spoiled and privileged.

The problem is not with Coren, but Lenora. The whole world may be wrong about magic, as she thinks, but even so, it doesn't justify her instant hatred towards Coren. Even if this has to do with magic, it goes on too long and I found it hard to tolerate her. She isn't just selfish, dramatic and loud, she also comes across as dumb as time goes on. I would have enjoyed seeing the story from Coren's perspective instead. We are supposed to be rooting for them as a couple, but I couldn't help but think, he really deserved better.

ORIGINALITY

The idea of two different lands, where the entire population is born with one unique magical ability, is actually original. I went in seeing this as a strong point of the story. But since we spend little time in this world, instead going to another, we only get a glimpse of the problems these abilities create.

I had a lot of questions. For Andilla, how do you live in a world with no privacy? Is everyone really close? Or not at all? How often do you think things you know are dumb, selfish, or just ignorant? Imagine everyone hearing it? How would a marriage last if you glanced at another person, nothing their attractiveness?

For Gepeth, when was "The Balance" (the rule that no one could create things) come into place? What was it like before then? What about people who thought they knew better than others? How did they get their minds changed to follow along and suppress their powers? It sounds rich and complex, but unfortunately we simply skim over it.

FORESHADOWING

There is a few mysteries presented in the first chapter with Lenora. She is creating an illusion and suddenly cannot control it. Not to spoil anything else, but there is another scene that presents another mystery about her. You could count her revealing his childhood and the problems she made as foreshadowing as well, although I just thought it was painting her as an oddball.

TWIST ENDING

There is a twist ending, when it is revealed who Havek actually is. I felt it came out of left field. I tried to think of any hints that were given beforehand. And there actually is some foreshadowing, but it feels minuscule.

Yes, Lenora later says that Havek seems familiar and there are not a lot of other characters in the story before we go to Gragia. Just the two sets of Rulers, and her nanny, Lufa. So that narrows it down to who it can be. But I just felt like the foreshadowing was done badly.

I honestly didn't care who Havek was and didn't expect a twist. The story didn't seem built for it. More like Lenora would have to do her own research and find out herself.

AFTERMATH

When Lenora learns the shocking truth, Coren doesn't want her to freak out. So she relaxes and tries to realize she doesn't have to stop doing magic. This whole reaction felt out of place. It should have been much more somber and dramatic. Instead it's played down, even joked about. While at the same time pointing to other unintended consequences.

My suspension of disbelief snapped by this point. The authors seemed to flounder, not knowing what they wanted. Perhaps they wanted to end the story on a happy note. It just comes across awkward.

CONCLUSION

The idea of magical lands where the people all share one ability is quite interesting. I would have liked to learn more. Instead though, we leave the land and get led around by Havek, a man who is obviously a liar. Lenora looks like a fool by then, and before then she seemed entitled, dramatic and selfish. Unfortunately, the twist ending doesn't save this book. I give “Of Two Minds” two stars.

Book Review: "The Candy Shop Wars" by Brandon Mul

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Nate is a kid moving into a new town that seems small and dull. He isn't even impressed with his new friends but things change when he meets Mrs. White, the owner of a candy shop. She offers him and his friends candy with magical properties if they do certain tasks for her. But things get confusing as the tasks get more dangerous and they start to wonder who is trustworthy.

OUR CAST OF CHARACTERS

Nate is the main character. His family has moved to a new town and he has to go to a new school. He is less than thrilled at the prospect. His observations are often sarcastic and exaggerated.

Pigeon is the geek of the group. His parents are rather protective of him and later plays a role that involves snooping and acting.

Summer is a daredevil, not easily intimidated nor lacking in energy. She isn't afraid to get dirty, or to go crashing on a bicycle.

Trevor is slightly less distinct than the other three characters. Although later he shows that he is selfless and brave.

Mrs. White is the owner of the candy shop. She seems sweet and dull at first, until she reveals the secret of her candy.

John Dent is introduced in the beginning. He has a vast knowledge of the world that our characters enter.

Mr. Stott is an elderly man who has an ice cream truck. He plays an important part in the story.

PROLOGUE

The prologue doesn't show the main characters but instead John Dart. It paints a world that is full of questions, and pushed me right into the story. Why does he have so many weapons? What are “the council”? What is the “secret” they talk about?

PACING-SPOILERS

The pacing is decent. Once our characters get the candy, they get missions that aren't super fast, but definitely keep you anxious. Both involve sneaking and breaking into somewhere. Although we do get some action fights in the book later on, when some school bullies get involved.

MYSTERIES

The story doesn't just have action, but some mysteries as well. We learn of a Family called Haag but have to find the family member that is important. There is also another mystery presented early on that we know has to play an important part in the plot. As well as an incident that frightens Nate's mom that is later explained.

FORESHADOWING

There is good use of foreshadowing with both Dart and Mrs. White. Since we get Dart in the prologue and the reader keeps wondering when he is going to come into the story. And when he does, we don't get his name introduced, just his physical appearance. So we start wondering, wait, is this him? This helps push the reader forward. Also, a seemingly unimportant character gets a small part but plays a key role later on. See if you can spot them.

And the mysteries I mentioned above are foreshadows of things to come as well.

SPLITTING WAYS-SPOILERS

There is a point in the story where the kids are questioning Mrs. White. Pigeon and Summer admit they will no longer work for her but But Nate and Trevor agree to stay. I felt like this should have been slightly more dramatic.

LEAVING ONE BEHIND-SPOILERS

A character gets left behind in one mission and the surviving character doesn't react too strongly when he leaves them behind. But later it shows him breaking down and crying. I thought this felt out of the blue and some of these feelings of anxiety and hesitation should have been expressed earlier on.

THE FUDGE-SPOILERS

Mrs. White gives out fudge that dulls the senses of adults, so the kids can use magic around them. This gets so out of hand that the kids notice their parents are morphing into other people, less caring people; lazy people. I really appreciated seeing this aspect of our main characters: how they relied on their parents and loved them.

Too often the parents get neglected in childrens' books, either ignored or portrayed as a nuisance. Seeing as the relationships between parents and children are the most important in all of our lives, I loved how this was accurately shown.

CLIMAX

A large portion of the climax leaves most of the action to Nate. Nate's idea isn't revealed on on how to defeat Mrs. White, so the reader has to keep pushing on and guessing what is going to happen. And when the truth is revealed you have to recall an earlier event and then it all falls into place perfectly.

CONCLUSION

Mul creates an original story with likable characters, from the bold Summer, to the geeky Pigeon. The candy abilities create unique situations and the pacing is good; The characters have good back and fourths where Mul reveals his sense of humor. There is enough foreshadowing and hints at what is to come and Mul puts all of the pieces together rather well. I give “The Candy Shop War” four stars.

Book Review: "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

When Prosper and Bo's parents pass away their Aunt Hartlieb only wants Bo. So Prosper takes his brother and heads to the one place his mother told him all about, Venice. In the city he meets a group of kids that live by stealing and reside in an abandoned movie theater. Their leader is the Thief Lord, a mysterious boy name Scipio.

OUR CAST OF CHARACTERS

Prosper's one purpose is to keep his brother safe. It's important that his brother has nothing to do with any attempts at theft.

Bo loves exploring Venice and is happy as long as he is with his brother. But his growing admiration for Scipio may get him in trouble.

Scipio is the mysterious young man who wears a bird mask and brings the group various rare items for them to sale. Because of him they don't go hungry. But he may not be what he seems.

Hornet is a bookworm who takes the role of Bo's mother. She is also very fond of Prosper. She is blunt and forceful.

Victor Getz is the private detective who Aunt Hartlieb gets to find the boys. He is an odd person, who actually has a huge collection of beards so he can go into disguise.

PACING

The pacing is decent, because the story isn't laid out in a typical fashion. The goal isn't quite obvious. First we think it's keeping our freedom, then stealing an item, then it becomes something else. That helps push the reader along.

WHIMSICAL VICTOR

Oddly enough, my favorite character was not Scipio or Prosper, but Vincent the detective. I looked forward to his chapters the most. He was so odd and had a funny way of describing things. He never felt like a threat to the boys, and that was fine. There were other threats. So many of his reactions or views made me smile. It felt original.

TWISTS & TURNS

When reading the book, I wasn't quite sure where the story was going. At first, I thought it would be about the Thief Lord and his taking of a job. There's a revelation that destroys that idea. So then you think it's going to be about Prosper keeping Bo safe from his Aunt. But then the job is back on, but it doesn't lead to where I expected it too. I liked this aspect. Although near the end, it became more predictable.

EXTRA CHARACTERS

There are two other boys, Mosca and Riccio, who I don't really feel add to the story. The relationships are mainly between Bo, Prosper, Hornet and Scipio. They just aren't distinct enough for me to describe or important enough to the story to get a mention.

THE FATE OF BARBAROSSA

When the merchant Barbarossa impulsively uses the stolen item, he gets a horrible surprise. There is much time spent on fixing his problem. I knew almost immediately what this was going to be, although I had to wonder why I was supposed to care. This character was basically a jerk. Then I thought it was showing sympathy for Aunt Hartlieb, which would be kind of nice. But since we find out it all turned out terrible, I don't know exactly why it was so important, taking up multiple chapters.

THE FATE OF SCIPIO-SPOILERS

Turns out Scipio's father is a jerk and his home life is hell. So when he discovers the item that he was sent to steal could solve all of his problems, he takes it. He doesn't really think of the consequences. I kept expecting this to be undone somehow. The idea of running away didn't seem like a victory. I would rather Scipio had reconciled or stood up to his father. But I suppose this wasn't really possible, as the man was painted as rather two dimensional in his evil characteristics.

RECONCILIATION-SPOILERS

I wanted more scenes with Scipio and Prosper near the end. But instead we just see Scipio go off and get a job. It felt lacking to me.

CONCLUSION

Funke creates some likable characters, in the enchanting world of Venice. And their fondness for each other feels real and the adventure they get drawn into feel original. Even though I am less than happy with the ending, I would still give “The Thief Lord” three and half stars.

Book Review: "Doctor Aluminatus" by Martin Booth

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

When Tim and Pip move into a new house with their parents, they discover a strange boy, Sebastian. Sebastian looks like a kid, but it actually much older. He explains that its his job to stop Pierre de Loudeac, which is why he has woken. At first, they don't believe him, but eventually some strange events lead them to believe he is telling the truth.

OUR CAST OF CHARACTERS

Tim is blunt, honest, and sarcastic. He tends to be dramatic and exaggerate. He does most of the research and investigation regarding Sebastian's claims.

Pip is artistic but practical, and is usually the calmer of the two siblings.

Sebastian is calm, and acts more like an adult than a child. He speaks in a rather old fashioned way but it knowledgeable of the modern world.

Pierre De Loudeac is Sebastian's sworn enemy. He wants to make a homunculus and Sebastian is trying to stop him.

PACING

The pacing is rather slow, and the story doesn't really have any action until half way through the book. Sebastian has gone away, and it feels as though the reader should be seeing his perspective, instead of the siblings. When he returns, we only get a vague idea of where he was. I suppose it was supposed to be mysterious, making Pip and Tim investigate, but we never really figure out what he was doing, exactly.

THE PROBLEM OF SEBASTIAN

I think the major problem with this book is Sebastian. I realized I couldn't connect with him. He was born in the 1400s, so it makes sense that he would talk so old fashioned. But honestly, I expected some sort of “fish out of water” aspects to him; some misunderstandings about the current culture and his culture. But this is never explored. Nor does he have any awkward moments or wonder at the latest inventions. He simply explains he understands how it works because he is so smart.

Now it is revealed that Sebastian has awoken recently, in the past fifty years. But regardless of how many times he has awoken, his goal has been to defeat De Loudeac, not to alter the ideas and values he was born with.

Perhaps this part of him could have left him cold, not really having any friends. Simply waking, doing his job, and going back to sleep. Not quite human. But this is never implied either. He just feels lacking.

A NEW FRIEND

Because of the problem of Sebastian, I couldn't get why Pip and Tim wanted to learn more and put themselves at risk. There weren't any endearing qualities that would make me take such risks. I felt like they were investigating because the story called for it. It did help to learn more, but they never seem to figure out where this could lead to: danger.

To be fair, when this comes, they do wonder if they can trust Sebastian. But it's a mere second of wonder and seems out of the blue. They never doubted him before, not that they know much about him other than a dry history lesson he gives them. Even when reveals something personal its hard to connect to him.

OUR VILLAIN

We only get to see De Loudeac when he has shape-shifted, so I didn't really feel like I got to see who he was. I understand this is the first book of a series, but he just felt like a shadowy figure. And shifting into a cranky old man sure didn't make me fear or hate him.

EXPLICIT CONTENT

There are some rather detailed descriptions of ripped apart bodies, including a dog. And we actually see the dead people later one, including one who has had his head cut open. I honestly wasn't expecting this in a fantasy book for kids. Just something to note.

CLIMAX-SPOILERS

In the end we do get to face the homunculus. And although exciting, I thought Sebastian disappearing in the end was just another way to try to make him seem mysterious. But it this point I couldn't imagine there is much more to him. So I don't think it had the intended effect on me. It just felt awkward. Also, the dead bodies we so grossly witnessed, can apparently be undone. A reset button made their original scene feel cheap.

CONCLUSION

Alchemy and a time traveling boy are very promising ideas. Pip and Tim and likable enough. And although the pacing is slow, when the book starts it does get interesting. But I just never bonded with Sebastian, who feels so dull, even when he has shape-shifted into a dog. He is just so matter-of-fact when the reader wants to feel amazed. Sadly, Pip and Tim don't make up for that fact. I give “Doctor Aluminatus” two and half stars.

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Book Review: "Forbidden Sea" by Shelia A. Nielson

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Adrienne has a hard life. Her family is poor. Her mother is unable to stand up to her bossy Aunt. And she has to dress in rags. And then there is Denn, the boy she is in love with who only has eyes for another. And when she sees a mermaid things only get worse. Not to mention the new mark on her wrist.

OUR CAST OF CHARACTERS

Adrienne is the oldest daughter in a poor family. Her father died while ago and she does most of the work now. She loves horses and used to be a great rider.

Cecily is Adrienne's younger sister. She is pretty but a little naive. She is favored by her aunt.

Aunt Minnah came to live with the family after their father died. Although she acts as though she is doing them a favor, she is harsh on her sister and downright abusive to Adrienne.

Denn is Adrienne's childhood friend. He is always there for her and ready to help. But his help isn't always accepted. He has a crush on Cora Lynn Dunst.

Cora Lynn Dunst is a wealthy and gorgeous girl. She mostly ignores Adrienne and seems rather stuck up.

Jendayi is the mermaid who is sent to take Adrienne under the sea. She is blunt and often harsh. Although she often masks it.

PACING

The pacing isn't bad. There are numerous hints of a mystery planted throughout the beginning. Adrienne hints at something terrible she did in the past. The mystery of who the mermaid is and what she wants pushes us along slightly. There is some foreshadowing about Adrienne's fate when she visits a fortune teller.

THE VICTIMHOOD COMPLEX-SPOILERS

We can all relate to the outsider, who is often a victim is some ways. Certainly in how he or she has been rejected. But the problem with Adrienne is that she seems to be a victim in every way possible.

Cora, the beautiful and selfish girl is cruel to her.

The new horsemaster abuses her.

Her Aunt abuses her and favors Cecily.

Her mother refuses to stand up for her even when she sacrifices so much for the family.

Denn seems infatuated with Cora, who is obviously evil.

The boys of the village abuse her often not by just name calling, but by being physical.

And it is later revealed that it is Adrienne who lost all of their money after their father died. So there's that enormous guilt piled atop of her constant abuse.

Basically she has the worst life possible.

ADRIENNE THE SAINT-SPOILERS

Now, perhaps if she wasn't such a victim she wouldn't seem so...unrealistic. But then there is the fact that apparently she is a saint as well. So it's doubly unjust.

She cuts all her hair off for money.

She gives food to a vagabond even though she often starves.

She does all of the work.

All of her clothes have been given to Cecily so she basically wears rags.

She is amazing with horses, but not respected because she is a girl.

Her crush is too dense to know she loves him.

And to top it off, she is going to sacrifice herself to save the whole ungrateful island.

SHALLOW CHARACTERIZATION

When it comes to the characters, they feel either shallow, like stereotypes, or we just don't learn enough about them to know them at all. Lord Durran seemed so mysterious, but we never learn anything about him. I thought for sure he would have some important part to play in the story. He didn't.

Cecily comes across as selfish and narcissistic. Her sister loves her, but she doesn't seem to care about Adrienne or else she would notice that her sister is obviously in distress, hating her life. She even goes without food. But Cecily is too dumb to notice.

Poor Denn. He goes out of his way to help Adrienne and all he gets is anger, resentment and snide remarks in return. You have to wonder why he likes her. After awhile, you'd think he would just walk away.

Cora Lynn Dunst was the worst of all. Her scenes were so bad I cringed. Not that she started out that way. I actually thought that Nielson was going to develop her, show why she was the way she was. Or maybe that Adrienne didn't know everything about her. But no, she isn't just vain and shallow. She is basically evil to the point of a caricature.

I can understand what Neilson was trying to do. There isn't any main villain in the story, so she wanted to paint Cora as one. It just felt like she was trying to make Adrienne more likable in contrast. But it failed.

ADRIENNE & DENN

The romance between two childhood friends should be sweet and simple. They know each other so well. There should be private jokes and shared memories. But instead all we get from Adrienne is whining, resentment and unfounded assumptions about Denn's relationship with Cora. This seemed silly to me. Denn obviously thought she was pretty and made a dumb comment about liking pretty girls. Big deal. And he danced with her once. And yet he's the one constantly worrying about Adrienne and trying to help her. But all she can do is resent him for his charity.

STRUCTURE

The majority of the book is spent on land, with no real interaction between Adrienne and the mermaid. So when we finally meet her, in chapter twenty one, there are only seven chapters left. So there isn't much time to learn about the mermaid, her world, and meet the Prince. Its hard to take any of this seriously. We know she isn't staying. She can't meet a guy in fall in love when she has spent the whole book being miserable about Denn, who would clearly do anything for her. He's just still young and foolish. Let the boy grow up. He obviously loves her.

UNDER THE SEA

Like I pointed out about the structure, the part where we see the underwater world is nearing the end of the book. So we know that Adrienne will not be immersing herself in this world and learning to love it. She never even considers staying and says as much: “Up until that moment I hadn't seriously considered not going back.”

Wait, what? What about “sacrificing yourself to save the island?” What was that? What does the reader have to look forward to? Any sense of urgency or danger is lost. If Adrienne isn't taking this seriously, then why should we?

CLIMAX

The ending is basically Adrienne realizing how valuable she is. She is pretty. She is smart. Jendayi makes it obviously clear what the message of the book is and it's a laudable one. But Adrienne does nothing to suddenly deserve this revelation. She was a saint throughout the entire book. But she only realizes this now? After being dragged into an underwater world and dressed up with some jewelry? It's just not believable.

CONCLUSION

The story idea was an interesting one, but unfortunately it was executed all wrong. Adrienne's constant victimhood and whining made me struggle to like her. Not to mention the stereotypical villain of Cora. The structure of the story was off and there was no real chance that she would stay under the sea. And although some attempts at depth were made with revelations about Adrienne's mother and her Aunt, it's far too little too late in an ocean of misery and resentment. I give “Forbidden Sea” two stars.