L'atlante di smeraldo, il primo libro di una trilogia fantasy per ragazzi, narra la storia di tre fratelli (molto giovani)Kate, Michael e Emma che, come profetizzato molto prima della loro nascita, hanno il potere di salvare il mondo. Come faranno vi chiederete voi? Il loro "potere" è quello di poter viaggiare aventi e indietro nel tempo grazie a dei libri misteriosi, chiamati atlanti.
Pur essendo un libro destinato ad un pubblico giovane la trama è abbastanza ben delineata, pur presentando alcuni buchi narrativi probabilmente dovuti al fatto che sia solo il primo libro di una trilogia.
Lo stile di scrittura è semplice e diretto, molto semplice da capire e seguire. Il romanzo risulta tutto sommato abbastanza scorrevole, anche se a tratti a me è risultato abbastanza noioso, soprattutto durante le spiegazioni dello stregone. Come dimenticare le numerose battute di spirito e il basso humor, che, tuttavia, lo rendono divertente.
Il vero problema, ciò che non mi ha permesso di dare più di tre stelline, è la caratterizzazione dei personaggi. A parte la figlia maggiore, Kate, che è più o meno caratterizzata come un essere umano senziente, i due fratelli minori sembrano macchiette da Colorado: il bambino secchione e la bambina forte fuori ma tanto sensibile. Spero che nei prossimi libri verranno caratterizzati meglio anche loro, perchè è veramente un peccato!
Detto questo l'ho trovato un libro carino, adatto a chi vuole rilassarsi ed evadere un po' dalla realtà.

My mom got me this book when I was about 10 or 11, and I remember being soo excited. To me back then, the book was thick, and that showed that I was smart (don't criticize me, I was young). The story is great and so are the characters. I have the series in Danish, but I would love to read them in English.
adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

The Emerald Atlas reminds me of a cross between The Chronicles of Narnia and The Mysterious Benedict Society. The book has an "older" feel to it than many of the childrens fantasy novels that have come out in the last decade as a result of the popularity of Harry Potter, and it has a dry humor, akin to that in The Mysterious Benedict Society, that I quite enjoyed. (It was also probably reminiscent of The Mysterious Benedict Society because it also has a quirky old man who is, in a way, a steward to three exceptional children.) I found the book slow at first, but it definitely picked up in action a little after halfway through the novel, and, although the three main characters seemed like stock characters to me initially, they eventually endeared themselves to me, enough that I would like to find out what happens to them in the next novel.

Woah, what a terrific book. Action packed and amazing!
adventurous emotional hopeful tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Hard start but good finish

Super leuke, easy to read, jeugd fantasy. Nu op zoek naar deel 2 en 3

4.4 stars!!! i adored this book growing up and after re-reading it, it’s still as good as i remember. it’s so action-packed — the story just keeps unravelling and twisting and turning that you’ll never be bored. i love the way john stephens writes; i love the dialogue and the way he describes the world just makes me feel like i’m right there living in it (it’s so immersive!). i love the siblings and the other main characters, and i really really love the lore. i can’t wait to read book 2 to find out just how much more of the story we have yet to unearth!!

I read this based on my daughter's recommendation. I enjoyed the plotting and the world created by Stephens, but at points his desire to assert what he has decided about his characters personalities shines through with stilted dialog and writing lacking any subtlety.