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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
4.5
This was so good! I need the next books asap!!
This was so good! I need the next books asap!!
Such a fun, light-hearted fantasy read with just enough complicated secret plot to keep you wanting to find out more. I wish I had found this book back when I was a kid. It has so many great aspects that are slowly making me fall in love. In essence, it gives Harry Potter vibes; a kid taken from their family to go live in a magical world finds out they are the chosen one. Only in this book feels a lot more real, delving into aspects about this Harry Potter fails to address. Additionally (though I was a little scared sometimes) there is not a heavy focus on romance even though the main character has multiple friends who are boys. I greatly appreciate the room this leaves for exploration of the world around her and who exactly she is as the 'chosen' one. The only reason I did not give this book five stars is because it was not earth-shatteringly good (although it was good) and there was one character I kinda started to not like near the end for reasons unrelated to the book itself.
I've read this before, but a new one is on the way so I figured I'd reread it. I liked it better the second time around, but it still wasn't that great. Probably closer to a 2.5.
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fun and quick read - you really feel for Sophie as she's uprooted from everything she's ever known and tried to find her way in a new world. The book skews younger than my normal reads though, and I prefer something a little older. Great book for elementary/junior high, though.
This book wasn’t Good — there were probably 10 books worth of content all smushed into this one, the characters were pretty flat, and no emotional beats were given more than two pages to breathe — but I did stay up until 5 am reading the entire second half of it in one sitting, so that’s gotta count for something. I’m very excited to talk about this with my
middle school book group today.
middle school book group today.
J'ai enfin lu ce classique de la fantasy jeunesse!
Honnêtement, j'ai quand même pas mal levé les yeux au ciel. Il y avait beaucoup de choses qui me semblaient trop rapides ou acceptées trop facilement par Sophie.
Cependant, je me suis secouée les puces et mis en tête que c'était, après tout, de la jeunesse, pour des lecteurices de moins de 12 ans donc ça ne m'étonnait plus tellement. Il faut que ça avance vite pour elleux.
Et puis finalement, le monde créé était intéressant, le personnage de Sophie fouillé et les explications données logiques dans le contexte.
Donc oui, j'ai bien aimé et j'ai envie de lire la suite!
Honnêtement, j'ai quand même pas mal levé les yeux au ciel. Il y avait beaucoup de choses qui me semblaient trop rapides ou acceptées trop facilement par Sophie.
Cependant, je me suis secouée les puces et mis en tête que c'était, après tout, de la jeunesse, pour des lecteurices de moins de 12 ans donc ça ne m'étonnait plus tellement. Il faut que ça avance vite pour elleux.
Et puis finalement, le monde créé était intéressant, le personnage de Sophie fouillé et les explications données logiques dans le contexte.
Donc oui, j'ai bien aimé et j'ai envie de lire la suite!
This book gave me Harry Potter vibes. I did find the beginning of the story to have a lot of information about the world but I was soon immersed in the storytelling.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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:
No
I understand why my students really like this book. I’m not it’s target audience, but I did have fun reading it.
That being said… It does feel like it’s checking boxes on a YA trope list, and feels like Harry Potter but girl and elves this time.
There’s also the fact that everyone seems very white, heteronormative, and beautiful, which is clumsy and problematic, and there’s definitely classist issues that are overtones, not undertones, that I hope it’s sequels act upon. Additionally, the social positioning of other races like goblins and gnomes also feels like it could be co-opted and read as a race theory in ways that are deep ick. I don’t think it’s intended, but it is kinda there.
That being said… It does feel like it’s checking boxes on a YA trope list, and feels like Harry Potter but girl and elves this time.
There’s also the fact that everyone seems very white, heteronormative, and beautiful, which is clumsy and problematic, and there’s definitely classist issues that are overtones, not undertones, that I hope it’s sequels act upon. Additionally, the social positioning of other races like goblins and gnomes also feels like it could be co-opted and read as a race theory in ways that are deep ick. I don’t think it’s intended, but it is kinda there.