Reviews

Avalon High by Meg Cabot

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very fun! I appreciate a book that openly outs itself on the source material it’s using and abusing.

but I’m docking stars for SO MUCH misogyny (why is nancy still Ellie’s best friend) and also because I’m irritated that the source material they’re using to base the book’s rendition of the Arthurian tradition on is Tennyson and Malory like come on. crack open some Chrétien

Content Warnings

alyshadeshae's review against another edition

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4.0

My full review is here on my personal website. I'll post a few excerpts here, though:

3.5 out of 5.0 stars

I liked this book. It wasn’t anything spectacular, but it was enjoyable. The idea behind the story was pretty cool, though.

Also, I watched the DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie) based on the book and it was nothing like the book. The only thing they got right was that these people are reincarnations of King Arthur’s court. So, yeah…

The very worst thing about this book is the way Ellie’s character behaves. She just doesn’t act like a normal teenage girl; more like the way adults think normal teenage girls act than a real girl. Oh, and I don’t mean this in the way the character’s mother means it when she tells Ellie that she’s not normal.

The very best thing about this book is the way the Arthurian legend ties in with everything.

sturmykins's review against another edition

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4.0

I think what surprised me most on this reread was how short it was! Enjoyable, but over so quickly...

devs_thevintagechaosbat's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

A GREAT book, really loved the story, and how Meg Cabot managed to take an old poem, and create a brilliantly written novel out of it!
10/10 recommend reading :))

aliceaslan's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

avaholic29's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was a fun book!

jasbah's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

jeslyncat's review against another edition

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4.0

First of all, they just turned this very good book into a horrible, horrible movie. If you watched the awful Disney film, don't ruin your delusions of the plot by picking up this book. Cabot actually manages to make a modernized King Arthur tale seem like it could happen in a small town in our nation.

ameserole's review against another edition

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3.0

Avalon High has been collecting dust on my TBR since December 2016. Yikes! So it's safe to say that it was about damn time that I dove into this. Now I've had a like/dislike adventure when ever I dive into a book written by Meg Cabot. Which, yes, it definitely made me super hesitant to dive into this book but since it ended up working for so many of the challenges I'm in..

WELL, I figure why the hell not?!

So I'm pretty sure there's a Disney movie roaming throughout the world that is about this book. I'm only saying that because I'm pretty sure I've seen it. From what I remember, it followed the same King Arthur story but who actually ended up being Arthur was a bit different - I think? Again, not completely sure at the moment but if it's on the Disney+ App.. I might rewatch it just to refresh my memory.

The characters were pretty likable and the drama was a bit predictable. The one thing I didn't see coming was the whole stepmom being his real mom.. because my mind still doesn't know how to react to that information. I also feel like the villain in the movie and Ellie's parents were a bit better. Like it had a few more twists in it than the actual book.

Other than that, it was an okay book that I ended up liking. I had no idea that it was a series.. so I might dive into the next book if I ever find it. Keyword: might. I make no promises right now.