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elevetha 's review for:
The Emerald Atlas
by John Stephens
Doing a re-read for the upcoming to-be-read sequel: [b:The Fire Chronicle|13262797|The Fire Chronicle (The Books of Beginning, #2)|John Stephens|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1340866193s/13262797.jpg|18464395]
Kate, Michael, and Emma were dropped off at an orphanage when Kate was 4. She was told by her mother to take care of her siblings and so she has. She's watched them through 10 years, many orphanages, some rather hellish, and all the while believing that their parents will come back.
Weeell, best of luck, dearies. It'll be a while.
So they are told that if they don't shape up, (Emma is a bit of a handful(she reminded me of Daphene from The Sisters Grimm), Michael is bookish and usually avoids conflict, Kate is desperately trying to keep them all in hand and together) then they will be shipped off to someplace worse then they're already at.
They mess up and are carted off to Cambridge Falls, the town where there are no children anywhere. And an apparently crazy man runs the so called "orphanage" where they are living.
And things get slightly more exciting from there.
Were you expecting time travel in this book?
How about a actual witch who looks and acts like a peppy teenage girl, but under that bubbly exterior is a evil, murdering witch who will do anything to get what she wants. And, of course, she isn't the big bad villain. No, she's the crony.
How about books (BOOKS) with magical properties?
How about these children protagonists being involved in prophecies and crap from a Reealllly long time ago?
How about dwarves?
How about a man who lives out in the woods and is totally awesome.
Spoiler
His relationship with Emma is adorable. I adore friendships like theirs. He's also a father figure who will do anything for the kid that has decided that she will do anything for him. So cute. Only part of the book that made me, "Awwwww."Overall, a bit long, could have used some editing. Characters were okay but certainly nothing special. Except for Gabriel...I would love some backstory on him. PLEASE?!
But I enjoyed reading it and definitely will be finishing up the series.