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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
The girls liked it. Pretty trite but has some redeeming themes of friendship and perseverance
I read this as a kid and i hardly remember it, I just remember it being cringe.
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Book is slow but good has a movie. I will not be continuing with this series when E-book physical book or audiobook.
book was good, a little slow at times would have been better if I read the book before I watched the movie that takes place after this story, but it was still a good read all the same
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
adventurous
medium-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:
Yes
I had some issues with this book. It was a fun, quick read when the plot actually got moving but it felt very much like an ad for Disney. "Hey, remember this character? Or maybe this one?" So, so many Disney characters, major and minor, were thrown in for pretty much no reason at all that I almost stopped reading. Oh, and the angst! All the kids are huge disappointments to their egotistical, villainous (single) parents and they spend so much time agonizing over it. And where are all the other parents? How did all these kids come to exist in the first place? If you've seen the Maleficent movie you have some background for her daughter at least but, seriously, everyone else seems to have popped into being with only one parent and been given a dumb, derivative name. And of course both of the main female characters have unnatural hair colors since that's the cool thing these days. (Color-coding happens for all the characters - another way to sell things, perhaps?)
Overall, I like the concept and am intrigued about where it could go, but the execution was definitely lacking.
Overall, I like the concept and am intrigued about where it could go, but the execution was definitely lacking.
Going into The Isle of the Lost, I was a bit skeptical. I absolutely adore the movie, but I had a fear of "well, what if I don't like the book?" Thankfully, my fear was proven wrong, and if you're a fan of the movie, I think you'll really love it too.
I think Melissa de la Cruz did a wonderful job with this novel, and captured the spirit of the characters perfectly with how they're portrayed in the movie. I feel there is a lot of character growth throughout the novel - as much character growth as the children of notorious villains can have, anyway. From early on, you can see who these kids really are - that they don't want to be all bad, but it's the only life they know.
If I had to question anyone, really, I question how good the "heroes" of the story really are. They sentence the families of all the villains to live on an island full of rotting food and terrible living conditions, when a lot of them are just kids, and pat themselves on the back at the end of the day for being "the good ones." I'm glad this book shows that heroes aren't always the saviors they claim to be.
There were some parts of this novel I wasn't a fan of though, with all that aside. Firstly, the "princesses are airheads" trope. I really, really wish Cruz had left that out. It's obvious it was only done to make Prince Ben seem so much more intelligent than Audrey; he's talking about important business and all she can think about are hedges shaped like animals and cakes. Why do all the other characters get to be intelligent, but she isn't? Why does she have to be described in every sentence in the only chapter she was in - her "rosy cheeks," her "perfect manicure," etc., but no one else is? When you consider that this book is mainly based toward children, the addition of this trope is very harmful, and one I wish had been left alone. Just because Audrey is the daughter of a prince and princess, doesn't mean she should be written as nothing more than a pretty face.
Another thing I wish I had been left out is that it seems like Jafar is being fat-shamed. Not saying it's wrong for him to be written as large or anything else, but the way Jay describes him... maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I wish that had been left alone, as well.
I have to say I'm intrigued to learn more about each villain child's other parent, but really... where are they? While does every child on the isle only have one parent, where are the rest? While I'm aware most villains in Disney stories aren't shown to have significant others, it's odd that people like Mal's father are constantly mentioned (he's a "weak human"), but we're never told where they are. I'd really love some answers, and I'm hoping it's something maybe a future novel (or movie) will address.
The ending of the novel I feel was very good. I think it led perfectly into the movie, however I feel towards the end a lot of things started getting repetitive, such as the constant reminder of "there's no magic on the isle" "but Carlos poked a hole in the dome with his machine!" When it's something that was already established chapters ago.
Overall, I really did like this novel, and I can't wait to read the next one. If you're a fan of Disney, I definitely say give this novel a go! It really is worth it.
I think Melissa de la Cruz did a wonderful job with this novel, and captured the spirit of the characters perfectly with how they're portrayed in the movie. I feel there is a lot of character growth throughout the novel - as much character growth as the children of notorious villains can have, anyway. From early on, you can see who these kids really are - that they don't want to be all bad, but it's the only life they know.
If I had to question anyone, really, I question how good the "heroes" of the story really are. They sentence the families of all the villains to live on an island full of rotting food and terrible living conditions, when a lot of them are just kids, and pat themselves on the back at the end of the day for being "the good ones." I'm glad this book shows that heroes aren't always the saviors they claim to be.
There were some parts of this novel I wasn't a fan of though, with all that aside. Firstly, the "princesses are airheads" trope. I really, really wish Cruz had left that out. It's obvious it was only done to make Prince Ben seem so much more intelligent than Audrey; he's talking about important business and all she can think about are hedges shaped like animals and cakes. Why do all the other characters get to be intelligent, but she isn't? Why does she have to be described in every sentence in the only chapter she was in - her "rosy cheeks," her "perfect manicure," etc., but no one else is? When you consider that this book is mainly based toward children, the addition of this trope is very harmful, and one I wish had been left alone. Just because Audrey is the daughter of a prince and princess, doesn't mean she should be written as nothing more than a pretty face.
Another thing I wish I had been left out is that it seems like Jafar is being fat-shamed. Not saying it's wrong for him to be written as large or anything else, but the way Jay describes him... maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I wish that had been left alone, as well.
I have to say I'm intrigued to learn more about each villain child's other parent, but really... where are they? While does every child on the isle only have one parent, where are the rest? While I'm aware most villains in Disney stories aren't shown to have significant others, it's odd that people like Mal's father are constantly mentioned (he's a "weak human"), but we're never told where they are. I'd really love some answers, and I'm hoping it's something maybe a future novel (or movie) will address.
The ending of the novel I feel was very good. I think it led perfectly into the movie, however I feel towards the end a lot of things started getting repetitive, such as the constant reminder of "there's no magic on the isle" "but Carlos poked a hole in the dome with his machine!" When it's something that was already established chapters ago.
Overall, I really did like this novel, and I can't wait to read the next one. If you're a fan of Disney, I definitely say give this novel a go! It really is worth it.