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elisehedlund's review
5.0
I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was outstanding, the author was creative and wrote well, the layout was great, and the characters were AMAZING!!!!!! Starring a girl who can leap into books, it is told from an omniscient perspective, but different chapters are based on different characters, all of which I loved. I even loved the evil characters because I hated them so fiercely, considering the were written about so well. All the characters had great motives. The plot was so interesting and creative, but easy to follow, which is very important to me. The author also made everything interesting, including the about the author and even the acknowledgements (both of which you should read, btw). I am definitely reading this incredible book again!
kabamango22's review against another edition
4.0
A good start to a series. Excited to read the rest.
amysbrittain's review
4.0
In James Riley's middle-grade fantasy book Story Thieves, young introvert Bethany and impulsive Owen are, hesitantly, new friends. They both love books, and they keep running into each other, both in class and at the library where Owen's mom works--and where Bethany seems to spend all of her time.
They live in a world that feels like our own, with one important distinction. Because of her own origins, practical Bethany has the power to jump in and out of books, immersing herself in the fictional world of each story she enters. Responsible as she is, she makes sure to keep to the background so as not to change a story or appear on its pages. That is, until excitable Owen gets involved.
This setup might have felt gimmicky or too convoluted, but Riley uses a sure hand: the logistics of how it all works are laid out as we dive in; we briefly dabble in well-known books and characters at times; and the author builds a rich book within a book and world within a world. Story Thieves has humor, adventure, characters to root for--and satisfying and intriguing intersections between Bethany and Owen and the fictional characters they encounter.
Riley's characters have some heartiness to their back stories, and concepts of grief and imperfect parents are part of the book. Perhaps most satisfyingly, he allows a hard-fought loyalty to emerge between Bethany and Owen.
I was surprised by the heart and depth in this fantasy book. The cover looked more juvenile than the story felt, so for me, it set a tone that conflicted somewhat with what was inside. I laughed, rooted for the main protagonists and their allies, and loved the twists and turns and realizations--as well as the resolutions and the fantastic setup for the next middle-grade book in the series.
Story Thieves is the first in a five-book series by James Riley. My son and I had fun reading this one together, and we're both excited to read the next one.
Riley is also the author of the Half Upon a Time and Revenge of Magic series.
To see my full review on The Bossy Bookworm, or to find out about Bossy reviews and Greedy Reading Lists as soon as they're posted, please see Story Thieves.
Find hundreds of reviews and lots of roundups of my favorite books on the blog: Bossy Bookworm
Follow me on Instagram! @bossybookwormblog
Or Facebook! The Bossy Bookworm
They live in a world that feels like our own, with one important distinction. Because of her own origins, practical Bethany has the power to jump in and out of books, immersing herself in the fictional world of each story she enters. Responsible as she is, she makes sure to keep to the background so as not to change a story or appear on its pages. That is, until excitable Owen gets involved.
This setup might have felt gimmicky or too convoluted, but Riley uses a sure hand: the logistics of how it all works are laid out as we dive in; we briefly dabble in well-known books and characters at times; and the author builds a rich book within a book and world within a world. Story Thieves has humor, adventure, characters to root for--and satisfying and intriguing intersections between Bethany and Owen and the fictional characters they encounter.
Riley's characters have some heartiness to their back stories, and concepts of grief and imperfect parents are part of the book. Perhaps most satisfyingly, he allows a hard-fought loyalty to emerge between Bethany and Owen.
I was surprised by the heart and depth in this fantasy book. The cover looked more juvenile than the story felt, so for me, it set a tone that conflicted somewhat with what was inside. I laughed, rooted for the main protagonists and their allies, and loved the twists and turns and realizations--as well as the resolutions and the fantastic setup for the next middle-grade book in the series.
Story Thieves is the first in a five-book series by James Riley. My son and I had fun reading this one together, and we're both excited to read the next one.
Riley is also the author of the Half Upon a Time and Revenge of Magic series.
To see my full review on The Bossy Bookworm, or to find out about Bossy reviews and Greedy Reading Lists as soon as they're posted, please see Story Thieves.
Find hundreds of reviews and lots of roundups of my favorite books on the blog: Bossy Bookworm
Follow me on Instagram! @bossybookwormblog
Or Facebook! The Bossy Bookworm
littlemissbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
"Weltenspringer" ist der erste Band einer Serie, in der es um zwei Kinder geht, die in die Welten ihrer Lieblingsbücher eintauchen...wortwörtlich.
1. Keinen Krach machen.
2. Nicht mit den Buchfiguren reden.
3. Die Geschichte nicht ändern.
Diese drei Regeln stellt Bethany auf, bevor sie zustimmt, ihren Klassenkameraden Owen in ein Buch mitzunehmen. Ja, richtig gelesen. Dummerweise hat Owen sie nämlich dabei beobachtet, als sie aus einem Buch entsprungen und wieder in der realen Welt gelandet ist. Selbstverständlich will nun auch er seinen liebsten Romanhelden treffen und lässt sich nicht so einfach abschütteln. So simpel sich die drei Grundregeln auch anhören mögen, so schwierig ist es jedoch sie zu befolgen. Schon bald bricht das Chaos aus und Bethany und Owen haben alle Hände voll zu tun, die Ordnung in den verschiedenen Dimensionen wiederherzustellen und unbeschadet nach Hause zurückzukehren.
"Weltenspringer" ist ein unterhaltsamer Abenteuerroman für Kinder, der eine der Fragen beantwortet, die sich wohl jeder junge Bücherwurm früher oder später stellt: Was würde passieren, wenn ich Teil meines Lieblingsbuches werden könnte?
Die Handlung ist spannend und die meisten der erwähnten Bücher sind sehr bekannt, was das Lesevergnügen zusätzlich steigert.
Ich empfehle dieses Buch für Jungs und Mädchen ab 10 Jahren.
1. Keinen Krach machen.
2. Nicht mit den Buchfiguren reden.
3. Die Geschichte nicht ändern.
Diese drei Regeln stellt Bethany auf, bevor sie zustimmt, ihren Klassenkameraden Owen in ein Buch mitzunehmen. Ja, richtig gelesen. Dummerweise hat Owen sie nämlich dabei beobachtet, als sie aus einem Buch entsprungen und wieder in der realen Welt gelandet ist. Selbstverständlich will nun auch er seinen liebsten Romanhelden treffen und lässt sich nicht so einfach abschütteln. So simpel sich die drei Grundregeln auch anhören mögen, so schwierig ist es jedoch sie zu befolgen. Schon bald bricht das Chaos aus und Bethany und Owen haben alle Hände voll zu tun, die Ordnung in den verschiedenen Dimensionen wiederherzustellen und unbeschadet nach Hause zurückzukehren.
"Weltenspringer" ist ein unterhaltsamer Abenteuerroman für Kinder, der eine der Fragen beantwortet, die sich wohl jeder junge Bücherwurm früher oder später stellt: Was würde passieren, wenn ich Teil meines Lieblingsbuches werden könnte?
Die Handlung ist spannend und die meisten der erwähnten Bücher sind sehr bekannt, was das Lesevergnügen zusätzlich steigert.
Ich empfehle dieses Buch für Jungs und Mädchen ab 10 Jahren.
charis_reads's review
2.0
I wanted to like this book, but in the end, I was unimpressed. This is an okay read for a sixth grader, but as a high school freshman, I was unchallenged and unentertained. The plot is okay, though it only goes so far.
In the book, the main character gets to go into his favorite book series with the help of his half fictional friend. First of all, I think the series they jumped into was very unoriginal and it bored.
I rate this two stars because I thought it was ok at best. However, I will not be reading the next book in the series.
In the book, the main character gets to go into his favorite book series with the help of his half fictional friend. First of all, I think the series they jumped into was very unoriginal and it bored.
I rate this two stars because I thought it was ok at best. However, I will not be reading the next book in the series.
yche09's review
4.0
Love the story, but super annoyed with the main characters.
I can totally say that I didn't like the main characters' choices. They made this book so chaotic, but I guess that's the main point of the story. Haha! And Okayyy, I'm giving them a break since they're still kids.
I love all the book references and I love the premise of making them spring to life. It's link Inkheart, only not really. It has lessons and adventures. Definitely for the kids and kids at heart. :)
I can totally say that I didn't like the main characters' choices. They made this book so chaotic, but I guess that's the main point of the story. Haha! And Okayyy, I'm giving them a break since they're still kids.
I love all the book references and I love the premise of making them spring to life. It's link Inkheart, only not really. It has lessons and adventures. Definitely for the kids and kids at heart. :)
jesbee's review
5.0
oh my goodness that was SO much fun! can't wait for the next book!!
edited to add: the acknowledgements at the end were just as fun as the book. very entertaining :)
edited to add: the acknowledgements at the end were just as fun as the book. very entertaining :)