Book Review: "The Extraordinaires" by Michael Pryor

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Kinglsey just wants to be a magician, but on the night of his debut he gets a letter from his father, beckoning him home. He returns with a beautiful new acquaintance in tow and quickly learns that there is secret underworld that has taken an interest in him and kidnapped his father. It's up to him to rescue his father and save all of mankind from going extinct.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Kingsley is a young man who wants to me a magician who specializes in escapology. But he has a secret, another nature that he has been fighitng his whole life that he calls his “wolfish nature”.

Evadne is a beautiful albino woman and a juggler. She also has a large inventory of weapons, most that she built herself. Not only can she make guns, bombs and knives be she also makes her own eyeglasses. Not to mention she has a vast knowledge of technology that is used in the secretive world known as the Demimonde.

Jabez Soames is a greedy man who deals with beings he knows little about for profit. He doesn't have much motivation besides money.

Demona is a female of another race of people called the Neanderthals. She is a loner and has spent most of her life planning and building things on her own. She has a deep hatred for mankind as well as a hatred for the immortals who attacked a clan long ago and killed them all.

PACING

The pacing is a little slower. It starts with Kingsley's magic show going wrong, then he meets Evadne and gets a letter from home. There is a hint that they are being followed but there really isn't any sense of urgency. This might have to do that when Kingsley gets the letter he doesn't immediately explain what the problem is. He just states that he has to return home.

For the most part, the pacing feels slower. And jumping back and forth between Jabez and Demona doesn't really help.

THE VILLAINS

There are two groups in this story. The Neanderthals and the Immortals. The Neanderthals hate the human race, and call themselves the True People. But they also hate the immortals because of supposed kidnappings.

Damona is one of the oldest among them so she ends up being a leader, even though she has spent most of her life alone building her machines. I don't know why she has forgone marriage and friendship. We don't get told why. You would think the Neanderthals would think the most important thing is to increase in numbers and marriage would be mandatory. But it's never discussed.

The immortals live forever but they cannot do this unless they switch out their bodies which wear our human bodies rather fast. But the younger the body the longer they last in it, which is way they look like children even though they are centuries old.

WOLFISH NATURE

In the beginning of the story, we learn that Kingsley has what he refers to as a “wolfish nature”. It's not quite clear what this entails, but it's a supposed danger to Kingsley and he has to fight to keep it in check. I say “supposed” because there is no mentioning of what trouble this has caused him in the past. If there was, that would result in oppressing it making sense to the story. But the there is never a moment in the story where he loses himself to this nature.

Kingsley never admits that he might be crazy and that he doesn't know what's wrong with him. In reality this should be a major problem for him if he has had this his whole life. But other than the fact that he admits he is a loner...it doesn't seem to have bothered him much. We mostly just get told about him struggling to keep himself in check.

THE TRUTH ABOUT KINGSLEY-SPOILERS

Kingsley never clarifies why he might have his "wolfish nature". And yet when Rudyard Kipling walks into the story for some exposition and reveals that Kingsley was raised by wolves, Kingsley isn't shocked or confused. He says he remembers being taken and not rescued and that he only ever felt love and safety in the wolf pack.

So he knew all along about the wolves raising him? He might have started with that. And if that was the case why did we need Kipling to tell the reader anything?

As for his abilities, he can sense danger sometimes and move stealthily. I think he can jump farther and move faster but it's not clarified. But Evadne never notices his skills nor does the author note how his skills are beyond human.

KINGSLEY & EVADNE

Kingsley's and Evadne's relationship doesn't make sense and it doesn't feel real. Minutes after Kingsley meets Evadne he is allowing her to travel home with him on the train. Though he knows nothing about her and is aware from his letter that he is going to be going through some personal issues. But he tells Evadne that he trusts her so that makes it acceptable.

On another note, later on, after they have been through life and death together Evadne says she has to run some personal errands and he can't come with because she doesn't trust him. Ouch.

Also for the most part, Evadne pushes the story while Kingsley goes along. He chooses to go home but it's Evadne who has all the knowledge, weapons and skills. It's she who has the hideout. It's she who has a grudge against the Immortals.

Kingsley's wolfish nature is rarely on display and instead of it being a superpower that might be useful (even if it may be dangerous as well) it's seen as a negative that must always be repressed. Even though we don't acknowledge it much in the story.

There are random parts in the story where it's obvious that Kingsley finds Evadne attractive. It's clumsily inserted and makes him look stupid and shallow. Once or twice I could have forgiven but it happens over and over again throughout the story.

Also a lot of the conversation between them attempts to be light-hearted banter but it gets annoying. And I kept finding Evadne obnoxious, as she was the one that always started this banter. It would have been fine if they sometimes confided in each other to contrast the banter, but they never did.

KINGSLEY'S ROLE-SPOILERS

As I mentioned previously, it's Evadne who knows everything, has all of the skills and has a hatred against the immortals. So why is Kingsley even involved? Turns out his wolfish nature makes him special to the Immortals and the Neanderthals.

I don't know how they learned about him since he hasn't actually done anything amazing with his nature. I guess they just learned that he was an orphan in India and found living in the forest.

They think his brain is special so they want to kill him and take it. That's it. We never learn if his brain really is special by the way. But since the Immortals take the brains out of all they kidnap and kill I guess they have special knowledge.

JABEZ & DEMONA

Jabez and Demona each get a few of their own chapters. They seem to have formed out of thin air and have no real history.

Demona has no family members or friends (she mentions she is a loner, but not why). Except for a grandmother named Signe who died long ago. She says she wants to restore the spirit of her people but she can't even make friends with one.

Jabez has no family members or friends. I guess he is a loner too. Again, we don't learn why. Just because Jabez is greedy and a liar doesn't mean he wouldn't have a girlfriend or a mother that he cared about it. But he has nothing, not even the vague histories that Kingsley and Evadne get.

Also, neither of these characters really get an arc. Jabez starts as a greedy liar and when it ends he hasn't changed. Demona starts as a loner desperate to erase the human race and she ends the story that way.

Damona says she may know who Kingsley really is, because of his behavior (she is told he seemed to change personalities, from passive to aggressive). But we never learn of how she knew of Kingsley's past.

Also when Jabez lies to Damona, telling her that the Immortals want her machines (he thinks it would be good for his business) instead of hating him I couldn't have cared less. I assumed it was important to the plot to cause trouble and that was all.

KINGLSEY & HIS FATHER

Kingsley admits his father never spoke of how he ended up taking care of him. Dr. Ward never married so his foster-son's upbringing wasn't the norm. I expected there to be some sort of conflict between them but for the most part their relationship was dull and lacking in importance to the plot.

There is only one scene where Dr. Ward shows some sign of regret, saying he was sorry not to make it to his son's first show. But that one line is all he gets. And Kingsley doesn't even react to it. We get the line and the chapter ends. We move on and it's never mentioned again.

And earlier Kingsley says his father never spoke about his origins. I guess this caused some sort of conflict but we don't talk about it nor do we get flashbacks to reveal these conflicts.

To say their relationship is neglected would be an understatement. Which is a detriment to the story because it starts out with the goal of saving his father and it becomes saving the world. His father becomes a footnote.

EVADNE'S SECRET-SPOILERS

About a third way in of the story Evadne admits she has a crusade. She has a list she keeps of people who hurt children. The Immortals are on that list. Kingsley's response is “Oh.”

Near the climax, she reveals that her little sister was kidnapped and never found. I found her story uninteresting to say the least. There is no indication of any relationship with her sister which would have made me sympathetic and invested in it.

Perhaps if Evadne had spent the story mentioning her little sister as her only friend and telling jokes and stories about her would have helped. Maybe letting the reader know what an impact her sister had on her. And then revealing that her sister was actually dead.

EVADNE'S INTENDED

Soon after Evadne meets Kingsley she reveals that the picture in her locket belongs to her “intended”. It's obvious that this man is made up although it's not until near the end of the story that she admits the truth.

When we first met her, she gets defensive, explaining that she is an albino and what names not to call her. So clearly she has been teased and bullied most of her life. And yet when she reveals that he is fake, she says it's to stop men from trying to date her.

So she has been bullied and harrassed but she is so beautiful she has to resort to making up a fake boyfriend? She is a victim because she is bullied and a victim because she is so gorgeous that all men desire her. She feels like a bad fanfiction character.

SMARTER THAN A MAN

More than halfway through the book, Evadne asks if Kingsley is bothered by the fact that she is smarter than him. Besides how arrogant this is (as if Evadne knowing a lot about weapons and technology makes her smarter than Kingsley on everything) it's unrealistic to give Kingsley some sort of twenthieth century feminist view on women. It's a pet peeve of mind that writers cannot put themselves in the place of any other time for fear of offending someone.

Any man would feel intimidated if a woman was constantly saving him and showing his ignorance. But Kingsley doesn't feel anything negative? Their relationship is quite dull and giving them an actual conflict would have done wonders. But Kingsley doesn't even confront her about her fake boyfriend.

IMPORTANT BOOKS

Kingsley finds books that Dr. Ward has written in the Neanderthals' possession because they needed it to make the time travel machine (even though this isn't explained).

I am assuming that these books were unpublished notes kept in a journal. Or else the Neanderthals would have had no reason to break into Dr. Ward's home to get them, they could have just broken into an unoccupied bookshop. This isn't clarified though and initially I was left confused.

You could say they wanted to kidnap Dr. Ward in his home, so they had to grab the books he had written while they were at it. Even so, it would probably be easier just to ransack some bookshops at night so they could take their time. Did most bookshops at the time have their owners reside in them? Maybe. Unfortunately it's all left to the reader to make sense of it.

You could argue that Neanderthals are not too bright but this is obviously not true as they manage to build a working time machine. If anything, they are geniuses.

THE OLYMPICS

Turns out the olympics are going to be held in London and the Immortals want to capture some sort of energy from the populace. Apparently, when large groups of people are together they produce a kind of energy called “animus” that isn't anything spiritual but more like a person's beliefs and morals.

I can't be any more specific than that because the story isn't. In fact, it seems to forget about this narrative altogether only to mention it near the end of the story. It comes across like an atheist attempting to find meaning and significance and failing.

TIME TRAVEL-SPOILERS

When exploring Kingsley and Evadne get surrounded by neanderthal. But they have just found the time machine and Kingsley says the only way to get out is to use it. So they end up traveling back in time to 1666 and witnessing the Great Fire of London.

The fact that they just got send more than two hundred years back in time should make them freak out. After all, the time machine doesn't go with them and they have no way of returning. But they just seem curious and maybe slightly unsettled. But I suppose both of them have no friends or family that they are attached to.

Soon afterwards they talk about living here and how they could do a lot of good. They just don't act like real people. Real people would be thinking about how hard it would be and what they would have to go without. They would think of catching a disease and dying. They would be regretting getting into this mess in the first place.

CLIMAX

Evadne and Kingsley seperate, her to stop the immortals and Kingsley to save his father. After this they meet up with Kipling and have tea. Evadne and Kingsley plan to go into show business together.

CONCLUSION

The problems with the story are multitude. The characters are shallow and don't really have arcs. Not to mention they don't make sense becase they are never fleshed out.

Kingsley has a wolfish nature that apparently has never done anything but make him look weird. Not once in the story does it cause him anything more than a slight inconvenience. Evadne is really smart and so beautiful that she has to make up a fake boyfriend. She has been bullied her whole life because she is an albino. So she is a victim and super gorgeous like a mary sue.

Neither Kingsley nor Evadne have relationships with anyone but each other. Kingsley likes his foster father but no information is given as to why. Also the father is only in a few pages of the story.

Jabez and Damona have even less personality, relationships and history.

The story itself is original but unfortunately that's all I can say about it. Neither the Immortals or the Neanderthals make compelling villains, even though the leader of the Neanderthals is a side character.

I give “The Extraordinaires” one and a half stars. Because the story idea and the world itself were original.

Book Review: "A Tale Dark & Grimm" by Adam Gidwitz

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Hansel and Gretal are royalty born in the Kingdom of Grimm. But after a series of traumatic events, they decide to leave their lives behind and find a new family. But this is harder than it seems as the twins run into problem after problem and struggle to trust anyone.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Hansel and Gretal are well intentioned but sometimes naive. Their main itnention of the story is to get a new family. I am not sure if they really have an arc. Both become brave and take risks (I am assuming they were not brave before). Both admit they were wrong about some things (although we don't know exactly why or how Hansel made one major mistake). But they don't ever admit they should not have run away. Or that they should have forgave their parents.

Johannes is the servant to the King and Queen. He is loved and introduced at the very start of the story. He also makes a return near the end.

PACING

The beginning is kind of slow, mainly when three crows get involved and start talking. But the story kicks off right after that. And from then it's one bad event after another. Because of that, I would say it's well paced. Although near the end it slows down a bit to wait for Hansel and Gretal to save the day and figure out the obvious.

A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS

When Lemony Snicket wrote his famous series about fifteen years ago or so, it was original. It was silly and unbelievable. All the adults were idiots or evil and the narrator stepped in every few seconds so you remembered he was there.

I liked it when I read it as a teenager. But fast forward and I no longer find such stories amusing. I don't mind if the narrator has a strong voice but I do mind the constant jokes jammed in stories, movies and television shows.

And when every other character besides the main ones are idiots or stupid, it's bad writing. In order for your characters to be likable and to succeed, every other character displayed shouldn't have to be an imbecile.

This story is set up into small chapters, and each chapter has it's own unfortunate event. It's easy to read, and perhaps children will like it because they can consume a chapter and stop, but still feel like they accomplished something.

WARNING: MY BIASES AGAINST PARODIES

I have to making a warning: I don't like parodies. I don't mind making fun of things but it's been done so many times over the decades and I think you really have to be clever to make it work. Think Monty Python or Mel Brooks.

I don't mind subversion if it's done well, it's just not usually done well. It's a gimmick that usually falls flat because a gimmick is all it is.

CHARACTERS

As I mentioned earlier, most of the characters are evil or stupid. It's hard to forget you are reading a children's book because of this. I think perhaps these kind of stories are for a certain age only, and once you go past it, you can't enjoy the book ever again. Some stories are like that. But I think the best stories, even the ones aimed at children or young adults, are books you can read at any age and still enjoy.

HANSEL GOES FERAL-SPOILERS

Hansel and Gretal find a place to live called Lebenwald, the Wood of Life. They are told by some nature spirit not to upset the balance. But Hansel does for some unknown reason. He decides he likes killing animals. This makes him go crazy and Gretal doesn't see him much after that.

He lives alone in the woods because eating berries alone couldn't sustain him. Yeah it doesn't much make sense, he goes crazy and we don't really know why. Whatever the reason, the twins end up separated and Hansel is killed (but not really).

THE CHARMING KILLER-SPOILERS

Gretal meets a young man who is handsome and charming. He invites her to come to his place, alone out in the woods. Gretal's new foster mother won't have it and says its too dangerous but she breaks the rules and sneaks out.

Turns out that this man is a murderer. It's creepy and eerie but the strange part is that is comes across kind of gross. No sexual acts are mentioned but the young man is clearly only targeting woman and girls. And Gretal is a preteen so he is a child predator.

Any adult or young man who wants to spend time alone with a young girl is strange but the villagers are too stupid to realize what's going on. Even though multiple girls have gone missing and he lives out in the middle of nowhere, is not married and keeps flirting with young girls.

So why is it okay to joke about murder but not this? Because most kids will be taught at a young age about murder and death by their parents. They will be told not to talk to strangers or to go off with them. But they won't be told all of the details as to why, just that it is dangerous.

Kids and adults can laugh about the antics in the book because they know it's insane. Meeting the devil is a joke. Cutting your head off and coming back to life is silly. But this one story felt off to me.

HANSEL RETURNS

The story loves to feature gruesome crazy things, perhaps trying to harken back to Goosebumps. Hansel ends up being revealed as not dead (big surprise) and alive inside of a beast. I guess the beast ate him whole. It was silly but I didn't mind.

THE DEVIL DID IT

Hansel eventually meets the Devil after being lost in a card game by his new foster-parent. The story has been silly all the way through but I found meeting the devil slightly more silly.

It's my own personal preference but I have an aversion to meeting Satan, God or angels in most stories, whether they be for adults or children. It's just so hard to write without coming across as cheesy and confirming the author's views on religion.

Hansel eventually escapes by imitating Satan's grandmother (or mother, I don't remember) because Satan has bad eyesight. Yeah, I told you it was a bad idea to have Satan in a story.

PARENTS AND REDEMPTION-SPOILERS

Hansel and Gretal finally go back home but when they talk to their parents, they avoid having to forgive their parents. Instead they focus on the problem the kingdom is going through.

I didn't mind that, it would make sense for them to struggle with it. But this isn't addressed later on. Instead the parents admit they are hopeless and stupid and hand over the throne to their kids.

No, that's really how it ends. Since Hansel and Gretal are good and have traveled around the country, that means they can run a country better.

CLIMAX

Hansel and Gretal are reunited, return home and meet their parents. There they learn about a dragon that has been attacking the kingdom. They put a plan in motion to kill it because their parents are too dumb to think of anything. After a few failed attempts and many deaths, they find out the truth about the dragon.

CONCLUSION

The story is silly and constantly sarcastic. But younger kids could like it, especially boys (I think girls may find it stupid more so than amusing).

The break down of each chapter as a single story is easy reading for children who struggle with short attention spans.

Both children have to go through brutal events, like witnessing people being killed. And this is emphasized to amuse children, like Gretal having to cut off her own finger to open a door, or Hansel hunting down and killing animals like a wolf.

Although I think some of the messages of the book are devious. All parents are not evil and stupid and children should not be the ones teaching their parents. If abuse happens they should reach out to an adult they trust (unfortunately their aren't any in this story).

Also the one story about the killer of woman comes across as inappropriate for kids. I am surprised it wasn't scrapped or rewritten to have less sexual undertones.

I may be harsh, but I can't recommend this book to anyone because of these elements. I can't excuse it by saying the author was just joking. I give the story one and half stars. Because some parts were interesting.

Book Review: "The Cabinet of Wonders" by Marie Rutkoski

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

When Petra's father returns from working for the Prince of Bohemia, he does so without his eyes. Determined to bring them back and restore her father's sight, Petra sets off to the capital where she plans to work at the Palace. But she will need the help of some new friends to do so.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Petra is a twelve year old girl, raised by her father and allowed independence from a young age. She is sometimes naive but brave.

Kronos is Petra's father. He is highly skilled and makes things with metal, like tin animals. He loves his daughter dearly but can be rather harsh with her at times.

Neel is a young thief who lives with the Roma, a group of travelers who live in a camp outside of Prague. He can be hot tempered but cares for Petra greatly.

Sadie is Neel's sister. She is light skinned so is able to pass as non-Roma. She isn't in the story too much but she does play an important role.

Prince Rodolfo is one of the three sons of the King of Hapsburg, who was given Bohemia to rule. He is used to being obeyed and is often cruel to his subjects while at other times he treats them as if they were children. He seems disconnected from how normal people live.

John Dee is foreigner visiting Prague. He ends up meeting with Petra and trying to manipulate her for his own purposes.

Astrophil is a tin spider that Petra has had for a long time. She is very smart and helps Petra out on many occasions including the climax. Also she helps Petra be kinder to Neel when she overreacts once.

PACING

We get an introduction where we meet Petra and learn of the magical world she lives in with her tin creatures. We learn about her family situation and that she is quite used to her freedom.

After that is established, her father returns home and Petra learns what happened to him. Even so, she doesn't just run off. She goes to her friend and plans what to do.

Before we learn about the main thrust of the story, that Krono's eyes have been stolen, we are establishing who our heroine is, how she became how she is and her relationships and desires. All of the information felt important and didn't slow the story down.

As for the rest of the story, it never felt slow to me but it's not an action story. There is plenty of suspense and mystery to push the story along though.

THE WORLD

Petra's lives in the country of Bohemia (present day Czech Republic) during the the Renaissance, the end of the sixteenth century.

One can be born with a magical ability but they don't usually come into it until the age of fourteen, which is considered the age of adulthood. For some reason, only noble families usually have magical abilities. The way this is explained is kind of confusing.

I felt what the author meant to say was that the training in magical abilities was only for the wealthy and powerful, because only they could afford to make huge donations or have good connections in order to get into the Academy.

Kronos has the ability to move metal with his mind and can speak telepathically to his intelligent creations.

Petra's friend, Tomik is able to make magical abilities. Although his don't have to do with metal, instead they have to do with glass, as his father is a glassblower.

Petra's mother had the gift of seeing the future. While those called scryers can see the present or the past.

There is a scene in Prague where Petra overhears two students discussing that people can only have one magical ability, not two. It was rather clunky exposition but it was an interesting tidbit.

NEEL'S GIFT-SPOILERS

Turns out that Neel has a strange gift, he can move items without touching them, simply by putting his hands near an object. We get an interesting story explaining the myth behind it and eventually it becomes a big help in the climax.

THE GIFT OF SCRYING

When Petra meets John Dee he wants her to scry for him. Eventually we learn the darker purpose behind that request but we learn more about Petra's fears. Turns out her mother had that gift and Petra doesn't want it. She thinks it's dangerous and can drive people crazy.

I thought that was an imporant aspect to the world, because magic isn't without risk. There is one scene in the beginning where Petra wonders if she even wants her father's magical ability, because it brought such a horrible incident. But to be fair, she never brings these worries up again except when she mentions Dee.

PETRA'S MOTHER

For the most part, Petra's mother is a secret. She died long ago and Petra doesn't think of her much in the story except when she talks about scrying. She would much rather have her father's gift with metal then her mother's gift with scrying.

THE WORRY VIALS-SPOILER

Petra goes to see her friend, Tomik, to tell him about her father returning. Tomik's father makes and sells magical items, one of them being the popular “worry vial”. You put your anxious thoughts into it and it allows your burdens to be lifted.

But it turns out Tomik has a secret, he has learned that the items have a flaw: the thoughts can be heard by someone other than the worrier. This seems just to be strange information but later on in the story it is crucial to the plot. Petra ends up searching the chambers for a worry vial to steal so she can learn where her father's eyes are being kept.

KRONO'S EYES

We learn at the beginning of the story that Petra's world is a magical one. But the strangest thing is that Krono's eyes can be taken out and used by someone else. And that they can just switch out eyes whenever they want.

Although that doesn't make everything wonderful and easy. Petra realizes her father went through agony losing his eyes, and that the prince had to do the same. Also Kronos points out that the prince took his eyes and not his mind, so they may not work like the Prince wants.

THE CLOCK-SPOILERS

Kronos was helping to build a special clock for the prince. Turns out it is supposed to be able to control the weather and in turn would help Rodolfo rule over other nations. But he can't figure out how to work it, even with Krono's eyes.

PETRA & NEEL

Petra doesn't meet Neel in the best of circumstances: he tries to rob her and she catches him. But when she refuses to report him to a police officer, he earns her respect. But he already earned her interest because no one should be able to feel him stealing because of his special gift. He also takes pity on her because she is all alone in the city and he I used to being an outsider. He takes on a slight teacher role and reveals important information to Petra multiple times.

Petra admits she wants to impress Neel, who she feels is rather street smart and daring. While he implies that she is naive and sheltered, a few times. This leads to arguments between them but both learn to grow and forgive each other.

NEEL'S MOTIVATION-SPOILERS

Petra tries to gain Neel's trust, by giving him an important book (she can't keep it in the palace) that he could sell for money if he wanted to. She realizes he doesn't trust easy and hopes to gain his friendship.

A part of her knows that he just wants to be involved so he can steal some items from the Cabinet of Wonders, but another hopes he wants to be involved to help her in her task of retrieving the eyes. Astrophil is crucial to helping Petra be kinder to Neel when she overreacts once.

ABOUT SADIE-SPOILERS

Sadie isn't in the story much but she does play multiple roles. She is the one who gets both Neel and Petra a job at the palace. Also, she helps Petra find an item she needs in the palace. Lastly, she is the one who reveals the truth about Neel's ancestry, allowing Petra to keep this to herself but learn more about her friend.

Neel eventually confides in Petra about this and she makes sure not to reveal she already knows this. It may reveal why he is sympathetic towards Petra, as she was obviously a lost outsider. And perhaps he doesn't feel like he belongs anywhere.

PETRA AND THE DYE WORKS

Petra ends up being sent to a place no one else wants to go: the Dye Works. There she meets a cranky woman who has a habit of turning to acid and burning her clothes when she loses her temper. Her name is Iris and she isn't happy to have a new servant. But Petra reveals some knowledge of metal and earns her begrudging respect.

Gradually Iris grows to respect her servant even if she doesn't express it very well. I found there interactions amusing (also important to the plot) and was glad when Iris returned later on in the story.

PETRA & JOHN DEE

Petra and John Dee don't have too many interactions but they ones they did have I found interesting. The back and fourth between them is especially well written. Dee reveals her knows her true name so she is immediately on edge, worrying about his intentions.

Dee is cunning and confident, sure that he can get Petra to do what he wants and be of use to him, but caring little for her own safety and her own troubles.

PETRA & KRONOS

The relationship between Petra and Kronos is rather complex. Petra is used to getting her way on most things, or at least being left alone to do as she pleases. Her cousin coming in and trying to replace her mom never went well, as Petra doesn't think she needs a mother.

When Kronos returns Petra is horrified and then angry at her father. How could he not know the Prince's intentions and why does he still talk so nicely about him? They argue and Petra has to learn to be silent and respect his authority. Also to forgive him.

PETRA & RODOLFO

Prince Rodolfo ends up taking notice of Petra even though she is just a random maid. He does so when he is wearing her father's eyes but he doesn't know why she intrigues him. He ends up summoning her and letting her be a servant to his chambers, where she is allowed to clean his library. In their one meeting he doesn't mistreat her but he does come across as condescending, playing a game with her and rewarding her with an orange.

A SUPRISE HELP OR TWO-SPOILERS

Iris ends up helping Neel and Petra escape by showing them a secret passageway. She surprised me by being bold and willing to help. Although it was clear she was always fond of Petra, I was glad she was willing to take a risk and help them.

Later, when Neel and Petra are trying to escape the palace, they end up in the stables. There they run into Jarek, one of them who delivered Kronos home. He ends up feeling bad and helping them escape. It felt rather out of the blue as I completely forgot about this character. I wish he had made an appearance once or twice before.

TOMIK'S MARVELS

When Petra and Neel finally achieve their goal, they have to escape. This is when Tomik's gifts come in handy. Three small spheres can be thrown onto the ground to achieve a distraction. The first one creates a huge light and thunder, the second, a large wave and the third a hive of bees.

CLIMAX-SPOILERS

Neel and Petra search for her father's eyes and retrieve them but not without incident. They end up being chased by Prince Rodolfo and his men. Neel and Petra part ways and Petra returns home.

PETRA'S RETURN-SPOILERS

When Petra returns triumphant, her father is furious at her. Her cousin reveals they all thought she was dead. And Kronos says she has brought danger to their family and that surely the Prince will come after them. Petra clearly never thought of this but is too upset and angry to defend herself. She runs off.

Eventually Kronos forgives her but still pretends to be blind. Petra realizes her father was right about danger coming, and even though she doesn't regret what she did, she realizes she needs to take responsibility. The story ends with her taking up a sword.

CONCLUSION

Petra's world is original and detailed and I couldn't help feeling there was much more to explore. More magical abilities yet to be revealed.

Petra is likable but flawed. She is motivated by love for her father but is naive. Neel is daring and brave and slightly wreckless. I liked seeing the relationship between these two, as Petra works to gain Neel's respect and trust.

I found the Prince to be suitably creepy and intimidating. He clearly thinks he does nothing wrong but feels detached from the consequences of his actions and how he affects those around him. We barely got to know him as John Dee was more of an antagonist. So I look forward to seeing him again.

I enjoyed most of the interactions between Petra and othe other characters, as it showed different aspects of her: her desire for a friend with Neel, her patience with Iris and her righterous anger with John Dee. Not to mention her boldness.

My only critique is that the climax felt slightly rushed.

I give “The Cabinet of Wonders” four stars.

Book Review: "The Peculiar" by Stefan Bachman

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Bartholomew is a changling living in Victorian England with his mother and sister. He knows he has to keep his head down because of the hatred towards his kind. But circumstances push him into an adventure where he must join with a stranger in an attempt to save a loved one.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Bartholomew is a young changeling. For the most part, he is obedient and keeps his head down. But he does have a strong desire for friendship and a strong responsbility to look after his little sister.

Mr. Lickerish is a member of Parliament. Being from the fairy world, he seems to have disdain for humans as he is from the “high faeries” which were the elites in their world. He is the villain of the story.

Mr. Jelliby is a low ranking member of Parliament. He just wants to get by without much of a fuss nor does he have any ideas of being a hero.

Melusine is a young woman who seems to have two personalities. One that is violent and vicious and another that is vulnerable and scared.

THE WORLD

Probably my favorite aspect of the story is the world. An alternative Victorian world where fairies accidentally crossed over to our world and are now trapped.

We get a brief history explaining there was a war directly after this, but eventually they had to learn to live together. There is still bigotry, but it's mostly for the lower fairies. The higher faeries are often wealthy and powerful. Like Lickerish, who is a member of the government.

The attittudes of the two groups are different as well. While the lower classes just wish to be left alone, the higher classes feel entitled to their previous status. They look down on humans as much as humans may look down on faeries.

ABOUT MELUSINE

Eventually we learn the truth about Melusine from a woman who knew of her. She ran away from home and married a man her family didn't approve of. Unfortunately, we never get to interact with her much. So although I felt a slight sympathy for her, I didn't feel attached. And I had a hard time thinking that the main characters had any serious attachement for her. They just kind of felt bad for her.

THE END OF A LIFE

One of the side characters eventually dies. But we don't even get to see the death, we just hear about it later. I was surprised that this character was discarded so easily.

If a character dies, and isn't just a minor character, I expect to witness the death myself. Especially if the main characters are saddened by it. The only emotion I felt was surprise, as I felt as if I had barely known the character.

MOTIVATION

We know what motivates Bartholomew, his guilt in being partially to blame for someone's kidnapping. But when it comes to Jelliby, I wasn't quite sure. He is described as average in most ways, someone who just wants to get along with everyone.

He sees a strange woman at Lickerish's house and then is told that the man isn't even married. His curiosity is aroused but it's not until then he overhears Lickerish discussing killing changelings that he realizes he has to do something. Melusine's asking for help perhaps spurred him on.

It's not as if Jelliby suddenly becomes brave. For the most part he is terrified, but he tries to investigate anyway. I wish he had some sort of mentor or confidante to encourage him. The only one in his life is his wife, who seems nice enough but isn't let in on what's going on so she isn't allowed to have any influence over Jelliby.

Perhaps its easier to believe Bartholomew's motivation because his family is all he has. So he ends up risking it all to keep it together. While for Melusine, Jelliby doesn't know her, only knows about her.

JELLIBY & BARTHOLOMEW-SPOILERS

Jelliby and Bartholomew meet alittle more than half way through the book and they eventually come to care for each other. But I didn't see what bound them together, as he never met Hettie and Bartholomew barely knew Melusine.

Jelliby shows up and protects Bartholomew from a bully. But after that doesn't want him around. They kind of felt like they were together without getting to know each other.

It's not as if they don't help one another: Bartholomew tries to stop Jelliby from approaching Melusine because he knows she has two faces and one of them isn't nice. He also gets a policeman to come and help. Bringing them together gets Melusine in police custody.

A PLEA FOR HELP

Bartholomew ends up meeting a loved one of someone who died. He asks for help but this person just commits suicide. I wasn't sure what the point of the scene was. To show what a coward this person was? I was annoyed and thought it was a waste of time.

CLIMAX

Bartholomew and Jelliby learn that Lickerish intends to open a fairy door. They both confront him and try to stop the gate.

BARTHOLOMEW'S CHOICE-SPOILERS

Bartholomew ends up having to choose between saving Hettie or saving the city. If he breaks the gateway the whole town will be destroyed and everyone killed. So Bartholomew ends up trying to encourage Hettie to stay put.

CLIFFHANGER ENDING-SPOILERS

In the end, Bartholomew ends up keeping the world safe, but losing Hettie to the fairy world. He vows to save her. To be honest, I wasn't expecting a cliffhanger ending. I wasn't even sure if this story would have a sequel. After all, a character they wanted to save died, as did her spouse. So that part felt done. Mr. Lickerish wasn't defeated but I hadn't given him much thought.

CONCLUSION

Bartholomew was a pathetic creature that I couldn't help but feel sorry for. Unfortunately I didn't feel much else. Perhaps if he had a stronger relationship with his mother and sister it would have made him feel more fleshed out.

Jelliby was likable but again, suffered from a lack of relationship with anyone, even Bartholomew.

The world was unique and had great potential. I most enjoyed seeing how Bartholomew's mother kept her children safe in a world that hated them. I think the themes of racism could have been explored, especially considering the differences between the high and low faeries.

I wanted to know Melusine better than I did and that was a disappointment.

The pacing was good and there were plenty of suprisingly creepy moments in the story.

The cliffhanger ending didn't feel like it fit. Because nothing had really been accomplished and put to rest in this story for me to think we could move on to the next step. No characters were saved and I was left unsatisfied.

I give “The Peculiar” two stars.

Book Review: "The Convicts" by Iain Lawrence

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

When Tom's father gets dragged off to debtor's prison, he sets himself up to provide for the family. But instead he gets blamed for a crime he didn't commit. Eventually sentenced to work on a ship with other young convicts, Tom is determined to get out. Because he knows if he doesn't, he won't survive his sentence.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Tom Tin is a young man with a love for his father and a fear of the sea. He is rather timid at first but gradually we learn that he can be heartless.

Midgely is another convict who becomes Tom's only friend. He is weak-willed, just barely getting by. For some reason he adores Tom and treats him like a big brother.

Penny is from a street gang. He thinks that Tom is someone called “The Smasher” and won't be told otherwise. He despises Midgely because he sees him as a rival for Tom's friendship.

Goodfellow is set up as a villain from the beginning. We are told the reason Tom and his family move is because they are evicted by him and had been evicted by him in their previous home.

PACING

One thing I was struck with was the pacing and the pattern of the story. I felt like the plot was meandering, not knowing quite where it was going. And when it did know, it took too long to get there.

Tom needed to become a convict. So he needed to be mistaken for a criminal and then found guilty. But by the time he actually made it to the ship, I was left with a bunch of events that I couldn't really make sense of.

Everything just happens to Tom. Which is probably a reason why the story feels slow.

TOM THE VICTIM

Tom is set up as a victim right away, his family being poor and having to move from place to place because Goodfellow won't leave them be. Not long after that, he goes to a school where he gets hit by the teacher. I felt bad for him of course. And as the story progresses, things go from bad to worse and for the most part, it's not Tom's fault.

Lawrence doesn't do what most author's do when their hero ends up being a victim as the main plot. He doesn't make Tom go on about how awful his life is, and depict everyone he meets as either dumb or evil. So that's a good point.

NO HELP FOR TOM

Unfortunately, Tom never gains a confidant. He never gets an adult who has real sympathy for him. Not in any real way, a way that says, yes, I know this is awful and it needs to be fixed.

Or someone who believes him when he says he was innocent of any wrongdong. Nor does he encounter a peer who is smarter, stronger, and maybe an actual benefit to developing his character in some way.

His only relationship, if you can call it that, is with Midgely. And for the majority of the story he just makes Tom look bad.

THE DIAMOND-SPOILERS

After his father has been taken away, Tom ends up finding a diamond besides a blind beggar. He realizes this could save his family and return his father. So, of course he steals it.

Oddly enough, the diamond feels like it has no place in the story. It has no affect on Tom because he loses it soon after. And the reason he tags along with grave robbers is to get away from the creepy blind man. Couldn't he have done that anyway?

THE GRAVEYARD ROBBERS

Tom meets an older man with a cart and ends up hitching a ride with him. But for some reason, he spends the whole day with this stranger. Perhaps he thought he would get closer to home? It isn't quite clear why and I was left confused. I get he was hungry, but he is fed right after he meets him, so he should have just left.

When he realizes the man is a grave robber he doesn't leave, he just obeys and helps with the rope. Tom admits he always just obeys people, so that's why he did it. I didn't see the logic in that.

How does being normally obedient cause you to help a stranger lift a dead body from a grave? For all intense purposes, Tom should have immediately ran off. But this starts a pattern in the story. Things tend to happen to Tom; He rarely causes things to happen. And when he does, he ends up failing anyway.

MEEL & GOODFELLOW

After Tom is accused of accosting a man, when in reality he was asking for help, he is taken by the police. He ends up meeting a lawyer named Mr. Meel.

Tom says that he owns a fortune and tells him all about the diamond. But I had read nothing that showed that Tom trusted anyone or had any friends. I guess he was desperate but he just comes off as foolish. It's obvious right away that Mr. Meel cares nothing about Tom and only wants his diamond.

By this time I only felt sympathy for Tom, no real affection. And now I just felt like he was dumb, and possibly inconsistently portrayed.

As for Goodfellow it is eventually revealed he is pulling the strings and after Tom again. But he is just not in the story enough for me to think of him.

THE LONG LOST TWIN-SPOILERS

The body of Tom's look-alike causes most of the trouble for Tom. But I never actually thought much about the identity of this person. I just assumed it was a coincidence. Why? Because there is no mention of Tom having any memories of a twin. Or having overheard something from his mother having lost another child, besides his sister. I expected hints to be set up.

When he is told he sounds just like The Smasher, causing Tom to think this boy lived near him, it didn't feel like any great revelation. He spends a large amount of time with Penny, and yet learns absolutely nothing about his twin.

So when Tom finally learns that he really did have a twin, I was left confused. Shouldn't there have been some more hints? Shouldn't Penny have revealed that the Smasher admitted he had never met his parents. Any modicum of being related would have helped. Similar mannerisms, or likes and dislikes. Anything other than looking similar and living near each other.

LEAVING HIM BEHIND

Tom plans his escape and lets Midgely believe he is taking him with him. But he admits to himself that it's a lie. Even after something awful happens to Midgely and he attacks who he thinks did it, he doesn't immediately assess his own selfish actions.

Only when his friend tells him to leave him behind does he change his mind. It takes far too long for him to change and I had to wonder why. Perhaps it confused me because I never quite understood who Tom was supposed to be. If he had been portrayed as ruthless before his enslavement, perhaps it would have made sense why it took so long for him to change.Which leads me to my next point...

WHO IS TOM?

I am not quite sure about exactly who Tom is. He likes his father. I don't know much about how he feels about his mother. He hates the sea and Goodfellow. He is desperate from the beginning of the story to the end. At first to provide for his family and then to escape his enslavement.

He is slightly arrogant because when he he first meets a poor old man, he thinks about how he wouldn't normally waste his time with someone like him. For some reason, he seems to think he is above the old man. He envisions how he will be wealthy and even more far above him.

He has little to no sympathy for anyone but himself. Not even Midgely, who, for the majority of the book, he uses and lies to. This aspect of his character makes him seem ruthless. But I couldn't say if this was how he developed, or how he always was because I never felt I knew him.

Tom has no clear arc. He attacks a bully and it's portrayed as if he lost his humanity. When in reality, it should have been where he gained it, as he finally showed real empathy and risked his own life for another whom he had previously been planning to use.

TRY AND TRY AGAIN-SPOILERS

I come back to the pattern that repeats itself in the story: things happening to Tom. Tom trying to do something and failing. And then things happening to him again.

After Tom escapes the ship, he realizes he is now stuck on an island and he can't do anything about it. So when an old woman and a man come along, saying they will take them home, they go along. And end up being brought back to the ship.

Again, Tom comes across as desparate and foolish, with very little agency of his own. He dug a hole. That's pretty much all he accomplishes in the whole story.

THE CLIMAX & THE CAPTAIN-SPOILERS

Near the end of the story, Tom gets transferred to another ship, this one set to travel around the globe. He is desparate to leave but can't. Luckily he finally ends up meeting the captain, who is his father. So once again, Tom doesn't accomplish anything, he is merely led by circumstances. In this case, dumb luck.

CONCLUSION

The plot is rather slow, due to the fact that for most of it, things just happen to Tom.

There aren't any relationships forged among the convicts so I had a hard time caring for anyone. At best I felt sympathy for characters like Midgely, at worst I often felt dislike for Tom, whose arc wasn't clear.

There are so few victories in the story, I can't help but think it could have been structured better.

It doesn't feel like it has a proper climax or ending as Tom merely tries to escape and then fails. And the ending felt like the author didn't know what to do, so he just threw Tom's father in and called it quits.

I give “The Convicts” one and a half stars.

Book Review: "Horton's Miraculous Mechanisms" by Lissa Evans

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

When Stuart's family moves to a new town just when summer starts, he is left without any friends or anything to do. Then he learns about his great uncle and his mysterious past. Suddenly Stuart finds himself investigating the past, a missing person and a missing workshop.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Stuart is an only child of two smart, if slightly eccentric parents. He is short and kind of sensitive about it. He has a curious nature and is willing to put himself at risk to learn. I found him likable because he had so many instances where he was embarrassed or worried about being seen as silly. Like when he accidentally locked himself out of his house and when he gets covered in mud.

April is a next door neighbor. She and her two indentical sisters run a newspaper. She can be rather nosy and blunt. At first she just wants something to do to stem off the boredom but eventually she comes to sincerely want to discover the truth about Horton. Also she is crucial to the story as she helps Stuart out multiple times.

Leonora is an older, blind lady. She is the sister of Great Uncle Horton's fiance and is kind to Stuart. She is also a retired teacher. She is important to the story by revealing history and by helping April near the climax.

Jeannie is a magician and a teacher to Clifford. She is bossy and rather mean to him. She serves multiple roles in the story, including informing Stuart about the fire that destroyed a factory. As well as being the antagonist.

Clifford works for Jeannie. The burly man isn't too bright but wants more than anything to be a magician.

PACING

The book is a mystery book of puzzles, not an action story. Even so, after a brief introduction, Stuart is learning about his Great uncle Horton through a box with a secret compartment. So he goes off to investigate the old house.

From there he goes place to place, from a library, an old phone booth, and even a museum. In any moment where you are not finding a clue or looking for one, crucial information is learnt, like when Stuart is on a trip with his parents.

There are also a few clinghanger endings of chapters and paragraphs that help with the pacing as well.

HINTS OF MAGIC

There are hints that magic may exist in this world, not magic tricks. Early on in the book, Stuart visits a telephone booth, but he realizes it's broken—and it rings anyway. Also when Stuart learns about the Well of Wishes and that his Great-Uncle Horton vanished, it's mysterious enough to make you wonder if the cause is magical.

DAD & SON

The first clue we get is when Stuart see's a gift that his father got from Great Uncle Horton. I thought it was interesting that it all starts with his dad, and then Stuart finds a letter that was meant for his dad. But he feels that it was really meant for him because he was the one who found it.

Arthur doesn't come off as dramtic and narcisstic but instead we see a different side of him. A side that isn't practical like his parents, but actually quite inexplicable.

THE HORRENDOUS TEA PARTY

Because he has no friends, Stuart's parents arrange for him to hang out with his neighbors. Of course, they don't know that he has already had a run in with them, and it didn't exactly go well. But April shines in this moment; she steps up to defend Stuart when her sisters make fun of his parents.

APRIL'S MISTAKE-SPOILERS

When April comes along with Stuart to sneak into where another clue is located, he puts his trust in her. He gives her one of the special coins he has. But because of how dim it is, she doesn't realize when she puts the wrong size in the hole.

She ends up bending it and is furious at herself. She actually starts to cry. I thought how Stuart handled it was kind and mature, especially considering his previous feelings towards April. He admits to himself that he is mad at her, but knows expressing it won't help.

AN UNEXPECTED TRIP-SPOILERS

On the weekend before Great Uncle Horton's house is about to be demolished, Stuart's parents decided they are going on an inpromptu trip. Leaving April to enter a code in a safe before time is up. Suspense is added when Stuart realizes he made an awful mistake.

USE OF HUMOR

There were multiple points in the book where I found myself smiling. I loved the idea that April's sister's think she is the quiet one (when in reality she comes across as invasive and extroverted).

The whole scene near the climax with the bandstand was quite hilarious. The performances by the children sounded outright ridiculous and I couldn't help thinking how much fun Miss Evans had coming up with possible performance ideas.

When Stuart accidentally breaks something at a museum, his father's deadpan response was amusing as well.

TONY & LILY

Lenora serves as an imporant part of the story, as she reveals information about Horton and her sister, Lily. She tells of World War II and the air raids, how Lily and Horton both had hot tempers and about the Well of Wishes.

APRIL'S STUNT-SPOILERS

While Stuart was on his way to the old House, April decided the only way to preserve the safe was to prevent the construction workers from destroying it. She blocked the house and stood up on the roof while her parents pleaded with her to come down. Stuart ends up quite amazed at the bravery of his new friend. It's obvious he didn't expect it.

STUART'S WISH-SPOILERS

When Stuart finds the well of wishes, he daydreams about being taller. He imagines it would fix all of his problems but his dreams are cut short by April's cries.

He ends up having to make a decision whether or not to use the wish for himself or to find out what happened to Lily and Horton.

When April realizes what he is going to do, she is concerned that he won't be able to make it back. I thought it was a sweet scene between them, showing April's growth as a character as well as Stuart, who easily discards his own wish.

THE TRUTH ABOUT JEANNIE-SPOILERS

It turns out that Jeannie isn't just a a master magician, she is also the mayor of the town. I was surprised and I couldn't help but wonder if I missed any hints. It felt out of the blue to me, and I wasn't sure what it added to the story. I suppose it made Jeannie more threatening, to realize that she was powerful and respected by everyone.

CLIMAX

Stuart finds the workshop and then Jeannie shows up. April plays a part in bringing Leonora to the workshop while Leonora plays a part in keeping them from being exposed to Jeannie. Then they find out what happened to Lily and Horton.

MISSING JEANNIE-SPOILERS

After the conclusion of the story, we see an old newspaper speaking of an incredible new magician who appeared in the same time period that Stuart visited. It's obvious that it's Jeannie, who was left behind.

I think it was an implying a sequel. Or else why would we care that Jeannie became famous in the past? Perhaps someday she could travel to the future. Or maybe she already had some influece on the present.

CONCLUSION

This mystery has two likable main characters in Stuart and April. Both characters go through in arc in their relationship with one another as well as their own personalities.

April learns to stand by Stuart at her own cost, at first from her sisters' jokes, but eventually from a construction crew. A pretty big leap. But it's believable because we see that April isn't an ordinary girl and is rather resourceful.

Arthur develops from a boy who just wants to be taller and fit in, to a boy who is willing to make himself look foolish (multiple times) to find out the truth about his Great-Uncle.

The backdrop of characters are amusing from Arthur's parents to June and May. The only character I found slightly cartoonish was Clifford.

Going from clue to clue to a key was never dull and was well paced. And there was plenty of humor in the story.

My only criticism are that I would have liked the climax to be slighlty more interesting, as it felt rushed. Also I would have liked some hints about Jeannie's other job.

I give “Horton's Miraculous Mechanisms” three and half stars.

Book Review: "LightLand" by H.L. McCutchen

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

When Lottie gets a gift from her father, a box made from her favorite old tree, she puts it away. Years later, after ignoring it, she and her friend Lewis end up using it to accidentally travel to another world called LightLand. But the two end up getting separated and have to try to reunite, even when a dangerous being called the NightKing threatens them.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Lottie is an odd young girl raised by her father in a small town. She doesn't care what anyone thinks of her and is very stubborn. She lost her mother at a young age and is known for her great memory.

Lewis is Lottie's best friend. He doesn't speak and hasn't since she has known him. Like Lottie, Lewis has no problem with being seen as odd. He also sleeps with his eyes open. His father disappeared when he was three but it's unknown if that caused his loss of speech. He draws odd pictures and admits he doesn't know what they mean.

Ms. d'Avignon is Lottie and Lewis' new teacher. She surprises everyone by causing Lewis to smile and challenges Lottie to do better in school. Oddly enough, she seems to know things she shouldn't, like when she reads Lottie's mind or when she knew about the gym coach and what Lottie said to him.

The Night King is a mysterious figure who threatens everyone who lives in Lightland. When the sun goes down he rules and anyone who he catches loses his memories.

LEWIS' FATHER-SPOILERS

We learn early on that Lewis' father went missing years ago. He and Lottie don't discuss it. Eventually we learn about the Night King and his identity.

There is only one hint about their relationship, when he meets some mice, they assume he is the Night King, presumably because they look similar. And when he sleeps with his eyes open they state that he is just like the Night King. So instead of seeing a build up of hints, we pretty much figure it out right away with the mice.

THE NIGHT KING

The Night King reveals that he believes he is from LightLand, originally. Lewis tries to argue with him, pointing out the stories of his father's history. But he says they were all false memories. He doesn't offer any actual proof of this, however. And he seems determined to be angry, even when Lewis tries to remind him of his wife.

He is an adequate villain in that he comes across as deeply disturbed. I didn't doubt that he was capable of great evil. And I suppose more about him could be learned in another book.

LOTTIE'S MEMORIES

Lottie loses certain memories, which is horrible because she can usually recall almost anything from her childhood. Even if it happened when she was small. There isn't any explanation of why this is.

Her father gave her a box to put in memories (this box being made of a special tree) and she never used it. But this doesn't matter, until it does. I was left kind of confused.

I get that the tree had magic that brought her to Light Land, but how did it take her memories? Or was it something else? She gets them back when she arrives in LightLand, and we don't discuss the loss again.

LIGHTLAND

The world is kind of confusing, as its inhabitants don't fully explain it. Lottie travels though her wooden box, and travels home by going to sleep. Lewis on the other hand, doesn't come home (this isn't explained but we just assume it's because of who he is related to).

The world is full of taking animals, including a bird named Umber who guides Lottie. She later learns it came from her first drawing, a picture of a bird. So LightLand doesn't just bring memories of living beings to life, but nonliving as well.

You can also bring memories to life. Lewis remembers his two dogs and they appear. And Lottie remembers a story told to her about her grandfather, only to have him show up as a young man. But they don't last. Interestingly enough, she wonders if she could summon her dead mother.

Also it's revealed that people who have lost their own memories are sustained by others' remembering them. It happend to a character named Robert.

Umber later reveals that only solid memories are citizens of LightLand. Which is why Lottie's grandfather disappears.

ALICE'S INSIGHT

There is a student in Lewis and Lotties' class named Alice. When Lewis writes his strange markings on the chalkboard she is called on by the teacher to interpret it. Oddly enough, the girl doesn't blow them off as nonsense. Instead she expains a vague story, and seems confused at the insight, herself.

Later on, Lottie goes to her to show more of Lewis' writings. I liked that it showed the stubborn Lottie making a friend. It made her more likable and showed a slight arc.

But the insight didn't really add much to the story other than that.

LOTTIE'S DILEMMA-SPOILERS

When Lewis is left in LightLand, Lottie gets a call from his mom, saying she had to rush off for a week because of an emergency. I thought this was kind of convenient. What are the odds that she would leave without ever seeing her son? I guess she is rather selfish. And since her son cannot speak, she just rambles on, assuming the mute boy is listening.

This gives Lottie a week to find and bring back her friend. Also it gives her the option to do it alone or ask for help.

LOTTIE'S TEACHER

Ms. d'Avignon is likable and she ends up being a confidant for Lottie, who admits the truth about Lewis. Like the NightKing, I think more will be revealed about her in the future. After all, it's never explained how she knows things she shouldn't. I am guessing she has some connection to LightLand herself. If not, it would be strange that she believed Lottie so easily. Also, it's hinted that she might have an attraction to Lottie's father.

Ms. d'Avignon also ends up helping explain why the box is so important. She theorizes that because it spanned a time where important memories were made, between Lottie and her mother, it became a bridge to LightLand. I appreciated the discussion she, Lottie and Lottie's father had.

VEIL OF OBLIVION

The NightKing has hundreds of sacks that contain memories that he has stolen over the years. Some of the memories are so awful that they can kill. One is called the Veil of Oblivion.

Lottie only learns about it from Umber, and that's more than halfway through the story. Even then, Umber doesn't explain just what it is, only that the bird believes that Lottie can defeat it and face the King. It explains that without it, they believe the king will have no power.

LEWIS' ABILITIES-SPOILERS

When Lewis is trapped in the NightKing's castle, he learns that he can will things to happen. He causes a narrow crack to grow until its big enough for him to use. And then it closes behind him.

There seems to be another side affect, as later on he wants to give the Veil over to Umber, but finds his body resisting. We get an explanation that this is the NightKing's spell. But his mouse friend whispers to him and breaks the spell easily.

LEWIS' WORDS

When Lewis meets his father, he finally speaks. He is thrilled to do it, finally show his father that he is not afraid of him. He doesn't really explain why he refuses to talk but we do get some insight. He wishes Lottie were there to speak for him, so for some reason he had decided to rely on her.

It's interesting that the NightKing asks if he still doesn't speak, meaning he was like this long before his father went missing.

LOTTIE'S JOURNEY

Lottie eventually heads off to rescue Lewis, when she figures out how to return to LightLand. She doesn't go alone, and is accompanied by Robert, the young man who previously lost all of his memories.

GOODBYE ROBERT

After Robert finds Lewis, the Mouse tells him to jump from the window and rally the citizens out of hiding. Lewis decides to stay and find Lottie, even though he is scared to face the NightKing.

I wasn't sure exactly why this was necessary. Perhaps giving Lewis the chance to leave and not taking it would show bravery and help his arc. But I never really expected him to leave Lottie behind (even though Robert said she might have already escaped). And I didn't understand why Robert needed to leave other than the fact it left Lewis to be the hero on his own.

CLIMAX

Lottie meets the NightKing, who mocks her for not summoning her dead mother. He explains he is linked through her because of the bags he has, that hold many of her memories. And also that her memories are powerful and interfering with his. So he attempts to wipe hers away (by killing her, unlike what he normally does). Lewis shows up. And the NightKing is defeated by an item that Lottie obtained earlier.

THE SPECIAL TREE-SPOILERS

In the end, Lottie throws her cherry tree seed into the veil of oblivion in order to destroy it. I suppose it adds up. After all we are told from the beginning that the tree was special. It was so strong it created a gateway to LightLand.

CONCLUSION

LightLand has many strong points. Lottie, Lewis and Ms. D'Avignon are all distinct, likable characters. The LightKing is creepy and mysterious. Both Lewis and Lottie go through arcs, Lottie learning to trust her father and her new teacher as well as make a new friend from her class.

Lewis' arc might be percieved as slightly forced, as he only talks when he is put in an extreme circumstance. But he goes from learning to reply on Lottie for everything, including his speech, from meeting and escaping the NightKing. I still wish he had struggled more with the influence that the NightKing had upon him, instead of that one scene.

The world of LightLand is interesting and has lots of potential. Enough is revealed in this first story to spark your interest in hope of learning more. And the truth about the NightKing is a theme that I hope will occur.

I give “LightLand” three and half stars.