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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
Kate, Emma and Michael have grown up as orphans - although they are convinced their parents are still alive. When fate drops them at an orphanage run by Dr. Stanislaus Pym, they discover that there really is magic in the world, and embark on a quest to find and control an ancient book, save a town, and defeat an evil witch.
This was on a list of YA books to read, and I am constantly on the lookout for my kids, so I borrowed it from the library. It was slow going at the beginning - and there was a lot of action, but I didn't care much about the characters or the outcome of the action - and then the antagonist was introduced, and the conflict escalated. Once that happened, the book took off - but it took about 40% of the book before that happened. That's a shame, because once it picked up, the book flew and I really enjoyed it. Constant action, all sorts of magical variants on things, an underground world, time travel, ancient times, modern times, new magical creature, fascinating magic skills, life-or-death battles, etc. There are a few things that are tamed due to the target audience (eg character deaths) but otherwise, the last 60% was fabulous. For kids: it's really too complex for younger kids. I think this is best suited for 9-13.
This was on a list of YA books to read, and I am constantly on the lookout for my kids, so I borrowed it from the library. It was slow going at the beginning - and there was a lot of action, but I didn't care much about the characters or the outcome of the action - and then the antagonist was introduced, and the conflict escalated. Once that happened, the book took off - but it took about 40% of the book before that happened. That's a shame, because once it picked up, the book flew and I really enjoyed it. Constant action, all sorts of magical variants on things, an underground world, time travel, ancient times, modern times, new magical creature, fascinating magic skills, life-or-death battles, etc. There are a few things that are tamed due to the target audience (eg character deaths) but otherwise, the last 60% was fabulous. For kids: it's really too complex for younger kids. I think this is best suited for 9-13.
This book means a lot to me.
But I must say, it isn't as amazing as i remember it. It felt kind of stretched, there was a lot of things going on and a lot of unanswered questions. But even with all these things bothering me, I still love this story and I still really love the characters.
But I must say, it isn't as amazing as i remember it. It felt kind of stretched, there was a lot of things going on and a lot of unanswered questions. But even with all these things bothering me, I still love this story and I still really love the characters.
Jeg havde hørt rigtig godt om denne bog, virkelig godt, så jeg købte den hurtigt. Men alligevel stod den på hylden i næsten 6 måneder inden jeg fik den læst. Jeg turde ikke rigtig gå i gang med den, for nu hvor jeg havde læst så meget godt om den, havde jeg virkelig store forventninger til den. Jeg hader at have store forventninger, synes sq altid at man bliver så skuffet. Jeg ved ikke hvorfor jeg ventede så længe.
Men det blev jeg ikke, den levede 100% op til mine forventninger! Jeg synes ikke man kan sammenligne den med Harry Potter. Det Gyldne Kompas har jeg ikke læst, så det ved jeg ikke.
Den er ikke så svær at læse, men de lidt mindre, skal jo også gerne kunne følge med. Men jeg elskede virkelig historien, jeg glæder mig rigtig meget til at de to andre udkommer.
Men det blev jeg ikke, den levede 100% op til mine forventninger! Jeg synes ikke man kan sammenligne den med Harry Potter. Det Gyldne Kompas har jeg ikke læst, så det ved jeg ikke.
Den er ikke så svær at læse, men de lidt mindre, skal jo også gerne kunne følge med. Men jeg elskede virkelig historien, jeg glæder mig rigtig meget til at de to andre udkommer.
Full review available here.
It’s an interesting premise, but for many reasons I was unimpressed with the novel. First, I didn’t particularly care about the children. There was never any doubt whether or not good would triumph over evil (sorry if that’s a spoiler for you), the tale wasn’t as funny as the jacket copy led me to believe, and as too often happens with time travel plots, the timelines became far too mixed up and illogical. I recognize that I’m not the target audience for this book, and perhaps if you’re 10, you won’t be as concerned as I was with whether or not all this time travel makes sense.
I had rated it three stars, then realized that with no desire to read further in the series, two stars is more appropriate.
It’s an interesting premise, but for many reasons I was unimpressed with the novel. First, I didn’t particularly care about the children. There was never any doubt whether or not good would triumph over evil (sorry if that’s a spoiler for you), the tale wasn’t as funny as the jacket copy led me to believe, and as too often happens with time travel plots, the timelines became far too mixed up and illogical. I recognize that I’m not the target audience for this book, and perhaps if you’re 10, you won’t be as concerned as I was with whether or not all this time travel makes sense.
I had rated it three stars, then realized that with no desire to read further in the series, two stars is more appropriate.
THOUGHTS:
1. This book was amazing, fantastic, exciting. WOW! This is adventure at its absolute best
2. The characters are fantastic here. What I love about them is that they are actually flawed. So many middle-grade books have flawless main characters who always make the right decisions. Not here. The three siblings make mistakes, and react realistically under stressful situations. Also, the relationship between each sibling to another is unique and complex.
3. The pacing here was fantastic. It was a perfect blend of fast-paced action and slower-paced intrigue.
4. There were so many twists and turns in the plot that literally blew my mind, but none of them came out of nowhere. They were subtly built up with foreshadowing, which ultimately made each twist more enjoyable. No deus ex machinas here.
5. The ending lends itself to a sequel that I am super excited to read.
Absolutely 5 stars out of 5
Best book I've read in a while
1. This book was amazing, fantastic, exciting. WOW! This is adventure at its absolute best
2. The characters are fantastic here. What I love about them is that they are actually flawed. So many middle-grade books have flawless main characters who always make the right decisions. Not here. The three siblings make mistakes, and react realistically under stressful situations. Also, the relationship between each sibling to another is unique and complex.
3. The pacing here was fantastic. It was a perfect blend of fast-paced action and slower-paced intrigue.
4. There were so many twists and turns in the plot that literally blew my mind, but none of them came out of nowhere. They were subtly built up with foreshadowing, which ultimately made each twist more enjoyable. No deus ex machinas here.
5. The ending lends itself to a sequel that I am super excited to read.
Absolutely 5 stars out of 5
Best book I've read in a while
Okay, this is where A Series of Unfortunate Events meets Percy Jackson meets Lord of the Rings meets Harry Potter and ends up with a phenomenal story. I was really expecting this to be just a regurgitation of the listed stories but was pleasantly surprised to find that, despite the familiar themes, it had a fairly original feel. The relationships between Kate, Michael, and Emma are amazingly genuine and at no point did I feel that the dialogue was forced or cliche. I particularly connected with Emma, who is so feisty that it makes her vulnerable moments all the more touching. I am so excited to find out what happens next.
I randomly chose this audiobook because it looked mildly interesting and diverting, and it was available from the library as I was starting to pack my moving boxes. This was a gem of a find. I enjoyed both the heartfelt story with a great set of lead characters, and the reading was so well done (though the British accent if the reader is confusing since the book is set in the States, but he was so good, I got over it fast ). I'm definitely in for the next two books. When I started reading I thought it was a total Harry Potter rip off, orphaned kids meet up with magic. But this is it's own story with great twists. It's definite young adult, but I was laughing while I listened and definitely teared up a few times. The main three characters have such heart. It had to be good to get me to write such a long review.
I actually think I would have liked this better on audio. It's a good story, but I thought it got a bit confusing and it seemed longer than it was. When book 2 comes out, I'll listen to it and make a full judgement then.
I Det smaragdgrønne atlas møder vi de tre søskende Kate, Michael og Emma, der på mystisk vis blev efterladt som børn af deres forældre. Siden er de blevet sendt fra det ene børnehjem til det næste. Da de en dag ankommer til et børnehjem i en by som ingen kender, og som desuden kun vil have de tre børn, begynder der at ske mærkelige ting, hvoraf en magisk verden udfolder sig.
Jeg kan faktisk rigtig godt lide denne bog; grunden til at jeg landede på tre stjerner i stedet for fire, er at jeg ikke var nok opslugt af den til at give den mere. Det kan meget vel være min travle hverdag der har gjort det, men jeg føler mig ikke rigtigt bundet til karaktererne. De kom ikke helt ind under huden på mig.
Når det er sagt, kunne jeg virkelig godt lide både handingsforløbet og det univers de tre børn møder. Hele idéen med bogen (/bøgerne) virker virkelig cool.
Skal jeg læse den næste? Ja, men jeg har ikke helt vildt travlt.
Jeg kan faktisk rigtig godt lide denne bog; grunden til at jeg landede på tre stjerner i stedet for fire, er at jeg ikke var nok opslugt af den til at give den mere. Det kan meget vel være min travle hverdag der har gjort det, men jeg føler mig ikke rigtigt bundet til karaktererne. De kom ikke helt ind under huden på mig.
Når det er sagt, kunne jeg virkelig godt lide både handingsforløbet og det univers de tre børn møder. Hele idéen med bogen (/bøgerne) virker virkelig cool.
Skal jeg læse den næste? Ja, men jeg har ikke helt vildt travlt.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No