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misshappyapples 's review for:
The Isle of the Lost
by Melissa de la Cruz
I really liked the idea for this book. It was pretty great. The execution wasn't terrible either. However, it was clearly written as a prequel to a Disney Channel original movie, so we get things like Maleficent's daughter, Mal, wearing exclusively purple and having lush purple hair, and somehow, even though this is a book with all the descriptive power that comes along with that, the sets were wooden and decidedly fake. This was a Disney Channel original movie in book form.
Not that that is necessarily a bad thing. Disney Channel original movies are often hilarious and clever. And it's not surprising the Disney Channel would want to jump on the bandwagon of fairytale mashups when other divisions of the same company are already riding it with "Once Upon a Time" on ABC and the Into the Woods movie.
So, I can't look at this as a Melissa de la Cruz novel. I think her ideas are often great, even though her writing often feels rushed and sometimes leaves something to be desired (especially lately, too many ideas brewing I think). Instead I have to look at this like a book that Disney commissioned a writer to write, and that writer happened to be Melissa de la Cruz.
There was plenty to be amused by here, the washed up villains and their spunky spawn, the idea of the politics of both the Isle of the Lost and the Kingdom of Auradon where all the heroes live their happily ever afters. But I couldn't help thinking they could have done so much better. No doubt, this is for kids, which is fine, but as an adult to likes the author and loves her fairytales (and Disney!) I can't help thinking I've seen this done before and I've seen it done much better. That being said, I'll definitely watch the movie and if de la Cruz writes any more of these bad boys, I'm sure I'll read it.
Not that that is necessarily a bad thing. Disney Channel original movies are often hilarious and clever. And it's not surprising the Disney Channel would want to jump on the bandwagon of fairytale mashups when other divisions of the same company are already riding it with "Once Upon a Time" on ABC and the Into the Woods movie.
So, I can't look at this as a Melissa de la Cruz novel. I think her ideas are often great, even though her writing often feels rushed and sometimes leaves something to be desired (especially lately, too many ideas brewing I think). Instead I have to look at this like a book that Disney commissioned a writer to write, and that writer happened to be Melissa de la Cruz.
There was plenty to be amused by here, the washed up villains and their spunky spawn, the idea of the politics of both the Isle of the Lost and the Kingdom of Auradon where all the heroes live their happily ever afters. But I couldn't help thinking they could have done so much better. No doubt, this is for kids, which is fine, but as an adult to likes the author and loves her fairytales (and Disney!) I can't help thinking I've seen this done before and I've seen it done much better. That being said, I'll definitely watch the movie and if de la Cruz writes any more of these bad boys, I'm sure I'll read it.