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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
While the first book in this series took place prior to the events of the Descendants movie, this book took place immediately following those events.
Weird things are happening all over Auradon and Mal and her friends begin to receive messages...seemingly from their parents. While Ben must figure out what's going on in Auradon, the others must go back to the Isle of the Lost and see what's going on there.
In this adventure, we find new friends and foes, we follow the group on an adventure to their past but also towards their future. Each of the foursome must push through their own battle and inner demons to find something and help save their world.
I liked that this book focused a bit more on each of the four "villain kids" rather than mainly on Mal. I liked that we get to see how Ben is progressing in his role as King. I liked seeing Jay and Carlos branching out and making friends other than the four of them. I think this is a great book for middle school kids, as it shows that you're stronger than you think, your friends are a true treasure, and that you don't have to face difficulties all on your own.
Weird things are happening all over Auradon and Mal and her friends begin to receive messages...seemingly from their parents. While Ben must figure out what's going on in Auradon, the others must go back to the Isle of the Lost and see what's going on there.
In this adventure, we find new friends and foes, we follow the group on an adventure to their past but also towards their future. Each of the foursome must push through their own battle and inner demons to find something and help save their world.
I liked that this book focused a bit more on each of the four "villain kids" rather than mainly on Mal. I liked that we get to see how Ben is progressing in his role as King. I liked seeing Jay and Carlos branching out and making friends other than the four of them. I think this is a great book for middle school kids, as it shows that you're stronger than you think, your friends are a true treasure, and that you don't have to face difficulties all on your own.
I thought this couldn't be the second book especially with the synopsis. So many things seem to have happened and I felt very lost. It's weird there isn't a book in between or a novella or something more than the 2 page summary in the beginning of the book, but oh well. Honestly, I'm kind of let down. I was thinking there was going to be something much more intricate going on than there was. And so I was kind of disappointed at the ending. Still I like the characters and this was entertaining. The ending of book 1 was definitely more entertaining and interesting than this one, but there is potential for book 3 to be better. Seems like there was a lot of setup for that.
Beware, this review is going to be blunt, maybe acidic even. I want it to be clear beforehand that I'm not a fan of Descendants.
If I hadn't been salty about some worldbuilding elements that disrupt the traditional values set by the original Disney princess movies, I'd say this was an okay read. It was a quick read, more or less the same as the first book quality wise. Not too word heavy, not too brief either.
There aren't many things that are good or likeable (from my POV) about Descendants. Luckily the cgi cartoon shorts and books are better than the movie but I digress. What I like, honestly, is that they are quite good with working with the plot setting. When you start feeling bored, it switches. Which I found delightful.
After watching the movie when I thought ok, but let me see more of the Isle of the Lost, the first book toured the audience through the island. The homes of the big bads and their children, the evil school, the abandoned castle full of dangers. The web show has the kids running here and there, too, I just wish it would feature more plots and gags and lessen the dancing and singing.
At the beginning of reading the Return I thought. Guys, ok, the Isle and Auradon are somewhat intriguing, if you forget that it's heavily bastardized version of classic Disney stories that is, but I'd kinda like other places, too. Ho and behold we have king (!) Ben travel to Camelot. Oh and like in the prequel we get rotating POVs which I really like, too. Mrs. De La Cruz jumps from one character to another but in a way that you don't get lost. There's a good point to every bad thing, I guess. :)
I mentioned worldbuilding earlier. They do reference the original princess (and a few more) movies but there are introduced some more elements that keep shifting the Descendants-verse from the predecessors and this evolution will hopefully end with Descendants turning into its own - albeit heavily inspired and with shout outs filled - universe like Once upon a time.
So the final rating is somewhere between a 2,5* and 2,7*. (This review was edited in September 2017).
If I hadn't been salty about some worldbuilding elements that disrupt the traditional values set by the original Disney princess movies, I'd say this was an okay read. It was a quick read, more or less the same as the first book quality wise. Not too word heavy, not too brief either.
There aren't many things that are good or likeable (from my POV) about Descendants. Luckily the cgi cartoon shorts and books are better than the movie but I digress. What I like, honestly, is that they are quite good with working with the plot setting. When you start feeling bored, it switches. Which I found delightful.
After watching the movie when I thought ok, but let me see more of the Isle of the Lost, the first book toured the audience through the island. The homes of the big bads and their children, the evil school, the abandoned castle full of dangers. The web show has the kids running here and there, too, I just wish it would feature more plots and gags and lessen the dancing and singing.
At the beginning of reading the Return I thought. Guys, ok, the Isle and Auradon are somewhat intriguing, if you forget that it's heavily bastardized version of classic Disney stories that is, but I'd kinda like other places, too. Ho and behold we have king (!) Ben travel to Camelot. Oh and like in the prequel we get rotating POVs which I really like, too. Mrs. De La Cruz jumps from one character to another but in a way that you don't get lost. There's a good point to every bad thing, I guess. :)
I mentioned worldbuilding earlier. They do reference the original princess (and a few more) movies but there are introduced some more elements that keep shifting the Descendants-verse from the predecessors and this evolution will hopefully end with Descendants turning into its own - albeit heavily inspired and with shout outs filled - universe like Once upon a time.
So the final rating is somewhere between a 2,5* and 2,7*. (This review was edited in September 2017).
Although this book was enjoyable to read in the way that it flew by so fast, I had a few problems with the pacing and I didn't really think the plot was solid.
For the first 200 pages, nothing really happened. The true action started around 250 pages in, which is a bit too late. The actually interesting scenes were over in a few pages and the ending was a big WTF, and not in a good way.We never really find out how the villain parents got away. We actually never see them, which is just wtf. I also think the whole plot twist/reveal at the end didn't make sense in context with the story as a whole. It would have been more interesting if it actually was Maleficent.
The multiple POV was a bit boring at times because the same kind of scenario was repeated in each one for like 50 pages (re: pacing issues. 50 pages could have been used to further explain the ending... Just saying.)
All in all, not the best book, but not the worst. I wouldn't recommend it, to be honest, but if you want to give it to a kid or something, go ahead; it's not that bad.
For the first 200 pages, nothing really happened. The true action started around 250 pages in, which is a bit too late. The actually interesting scenes were over in a few pages and the ending was a big WTF, and not in a good way.
The multiple POV was a bit boring at times because the same kind of scenario was repeated in each one for like 50 pages (re: pacing issues. 50 pages could have been used to further explain the ending... Just saying.)
All in all, not the best book, but not the worst. I wouldn't recommend it, to be honest, but if you want to give it to a kid or something, go ahead; it's not that bad.
*3.5 Stars
I enjoyed this book better than the first one. There was more of a mystery to this book and I feel like this book has just gone in a completely new direction than the movies. In the movie they went back to the isle of the lost but for a completely different reason. Also I am a little mad that Uma, Harry and Gil aren’t in the book. I love their characters and would like to see them in book form.
I did have a few issues with it. I was kind of hoping for a villain confrontation with their parents. But maybe that will be in book three. Also, I didn’t like how they skipped a big chunk of the story in the beginning. They skipped the villains coming to Auradon, Ben + Mal falling in love and then defeating the Maleficent so I would have rather that been book two and then this been book three.
*This was the second book I read for BookTubeAThon 2018*
I enjoyed this book better than the first one. There was more of a mystery to this book and I feel like this book has just gone in a completely new direction than the movies. In the movie they went back to the isle of the lost but for a completely different reason. Also I am a little mad that Uma, Harry and Gil aren’t in the book. I love their characters and would like to see them in book form.
I did have a few issues with it. I was kind of hoping for a villain confrontation with their parents. But maybe that will be in book three. Also, I didn’t like how they skipped a big chunk of the story in the beginning. They skipped the villains coming to Auradon, Ben + Mal falling in love and then defeating the Maleficent so I would have rather that been book two and then this been book three.
*This was the second book I read for BookTubeAThon 2018*
I loved the Descendants movie so when I had the chance, I picked this one up. It's a great prequel and fans of the movie and Disney will definitely love this book. It's aimed at younger readers but still enjoyable.
2.5
I didn't enjoy it up until I was like, 70% through and it got v v cheesy in the end too so idk. I was thinking of not finishing it but I pushed through bc I wanna know what happened pre-Descendants to know more about the characters.
I didn't enjoy it up until I was like, 70% through and it got v v cheesy in the end too so idk. I was thinking of not finishing it but I pushed through bc I wanna know what happened pre-Descendants to know more about the characters.