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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A wonderful palate cleanser after a lot of dark and heavy books. Perfectly childish with the right mix of heavy themes and intrigue.
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The book felt entirely like world building and set up and there is no type of conclusion by the end of the book but it is a fun journey getting to know our main characters and their struggles.
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I first picked up this book in middle school. Dropped it for whatever reason and then picked it up again over a decade later. I rembered why I put it down. The middle is kind of dry and it kinda takes a while for the book to get anywhere. After they grab us in the beginning with this new magical world. It just kind of plateaus for a bit till almost the end of. Them again the “twist” wasn’t that much of a twist but I’m an adult reading a book for middle schoolers so can’t rate it too harshly.
There's a lot of fun stuff in this book, but most of the elements that appealed to me got buried under magical clutter and were never fully explored or developed. Aside from Alex, most of the characters are on the flat side--defined primarily by a single trait and/or their skill and divided into the neat categories of good and evil. The world of Artimé is a little crazy and hard to understand (how exactly is it hidden?) and the premise sounds cool at first, but doesn't quite hold water upon closer inspection. Why would Justine want to weed out and murder all the creative kids? What good does this do her little community? And then once they're rescued, why are they taught to use art as a weapon?
The parts that I enjoyed most were the way that Justine had closed off Quill from all surrounding countries and was manipulating the worldviews of the inhabitants (maybe because it's pretty relevant to all the anti-globalization feeling going around these days), the potential relationship between Alex and Aaron, and the dynamic between Alex and his peers at Artimé. I was most engaged in the story when I was indignant at Alex's unfair treatment. This is something J.K Rowling also does really well--getting people riled up on behalf of her characters.
I would have liked to see a more logical premise that is explained by the world of the story, more fully developed characters, more emphasis on the kids exploring their creative abilities, magic more closely in tune with those abilities (less saying spells and throwing things, so that the magic could serve as a closer metaphor for art), and a more nuanced relationship between Alex and Aaron.
I know these books are very popular with children and I can understand the appeal of the story as a quick, exciting, action-packed read, but this just isn't as well thought out or as skillfully developed as many other similar children's books. I prefer the Percy Jackson books and The Magisterium series.
The parts that I enjoyed most were the way that Justine had closed off Quill from all surrounding countries and was manipulating the worldviews of the inhabitants
Spoiler
lying to them about being surrounded by aggressive countries waiting to attack Quill, when in fact they lived on an island in a chain of other perfectly friendly islandsI would have liked to see a more logical premise that is explained by the world of the story, more fully developed characters, more emphasis on the kids exploring their creative abilities, magic more closely in tune with those abilities (less saying spells and throwing things, so that the magic could serve as a closer metaphor for art), and a more nuanced relationship between Alex and Aaron
Spoiler
--something a little less good twin vs. evil twin, maybe if Aaron's motives were clearer and he was more conflicted about losing/hurting his brotherI know these books are very popular with children and I can understand the appeal of the story as a quick, exciting, action-packed read, but this just isn't as well thought out or as skillfully developed as many other similar children's books. I prefer the Percy Jackson books and The Magisterium series.
Dystopia with magic. Some interesting elements here. A winning combination for Harry Potter fans. 4th-8th
This was my closest brother’s favorite book series for a while and I’m honestly mad that he somehow never convinced me to read it until recently LOL. Because it’s exactly the sort of story a younger me would’ve been obsessed with (I still enjoy it now, but it would’ve hit better as a kid you know?)
I should preface this review with the fact that I think this could be a good book for older elementary kids who have already read all the good juvenile fiction fantasies and are totally desperate to read more that is in the the same vein. It has a male protagonist, so it's an easy recommend to boys and the problems I have with the book would most likely go unnoticed by the average reader.
That being said, this book was so completely obnoxious to me. I should have known better than to read something proclaiming to be "The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter" on the cover, but the former theatre teacher in me was totally into the idea of a secret school where the arts are equivalent to magical powers. Hooray for arts in education!
This idea may have been strong, and I'm going to give the author the benefit of the doubt and assume her editors or publishing house forced her to do all the stupid things that make this book so frustrating. Like the bizarre attempts to seemingly make the characters sound more British at random intervals, despite the fact that the author lives in Phoenix.
Or the forced friendships/love interests/fights that literally arrive and soon as they disappear. Alex needs to make friends? Give it a chapter. We need to see that he's hitting puberty (I guess??)? Throw in a chapter where he suddenly notices his friend is cute and then never bring it up again. Mr. Today needs to be a likeable, Dumbledore-esque character? Just make all the kids like him without ever demonstrating what is likeable about him.
Most of the chapters are extremely short, subplots resolve themselves within a short chapter, and we are obviously supposed to feel some affinity for certain characters without ever being shown why. There is a LOT of telling and not showing, so we're left to assume that the characters must know more about each other than we do.
Also, the ridiculous plot lines where 13 year olds who JUST started school are suddenly experts and in line for major governmental roles is totally ludicrous, especially when both the magical and militant worlds HAVE ADULTS IN THEM.
This book doesn't know what it wants to be, tries to be too many things, and falls short on all fronts. The magical school is not even a school and is apparently optional. The battle involves thirteen year olds being told to decide for themselves if they want to kill people, without much reflection or evaluation of the depth of that decision AT ALL.
Okay, I'm starting to rant. There is so much to dislike about this book. I get that publishers are trying to capitalize on the magic of series like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and The Hunger Games, but I feel like what could have been a promising idea probably got drowned out by attempts to make it more like those already successful titles.
That, or the author really does just suck.
That being said, this book was so completely obnoxious to me. I should have known better than to read something proclaiming to be "The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter" on the cover, but the former theatre teacher in me was totally into the idea of a secret school where the arts are equivalent to magical powers. Hooray for arts in education!
This idea may have been strong, and I'm going to give the author the benefit of the doubt and assume her editors or publishing house forced her to do all the stupid things that make this book so frustrating. Like the bizarre attempts to seemingly make the characters sound more British at random intervals, despite the fact that the author lives in Phoenix.
Or the forced friendships/love interests/fights that literally arrive and soon as they disappear. Alex needs to make friends? Give it a chapter. We need to see that he's hitting puberty (I guess??)? Throw in a chapter where he suddenly notices his friend is cute and then never bring it up again. Mr. Today needs to be a likeable, Dumbledore-esque character? Just make all the kids like him without ever demonstrating what is likeable about him.
Most of the chapters are extremely short, subplots resolve themselves within a short chapter, and we are obviously supposed to feel some affinity for certain characters without ever being shown why. There is a LOT of telling and not showing, so we're left to assume that the characters must know more about each other than we do.
Also, the ridiculous plot lines where 13 year olds who JUST started school are suddenly experts and in line for major governmental roles is totally ludicrous, especially when both the magical and militant worlds HAVE ADULTS IN THEM.
This book doesn't know what it wants to be, tries to be too many things, and falls short on all fronts. The magical school is not even a school and is apparently optional. The battle involves thirteen year olds being told to decide for themselves if they want to kill people, without much reflection or evaluation of the depth of that decision AT ALL.
Okay, I'm starting to rant. There is so much to dislike about this book. I get that publishers are trying to capitalize on the magic of series like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and The Hunger Games, but I feel like what could have been a promising idea probably got drowned out by attempts to make it more like those already successful titles.
That, or the author really does just suck.
For the first time ever, my 9yo son recommended a book to me. And even more surprising, I liked it! I can see why it's a Nutmeg nominee!