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ichigoluvah 's review for:
The Lost Years
by T.A. Barron
I had never read this children's book before, and my husband recommended it because of how much he loves the second book in the series. So I thought I would give it a try.
Emrys, the main character, will one day grow up to be Merlin. Right now though, he is a lost boy with no sense of home. All he remembers is the day he and a woman claiming to be his mother wash up on shore. She seems to know more, but won't tell him anything. Eventually, he decides to venture out on his own to learn about his past and where he is from.
From that description, it sounds like a great premise for a story. Plus, it's about Merlin. There's bound to be magical things and interesting discoveries right? Well, not for the first 100 pages. The beginning dragged on very slowly. It was very difficult to read. There was much too much unimportant back story before Emrys gets around to finally starting his search a third of the way into the book. If I hadn't been promised that it got better, I doubt I would have finished the book. Once he meets Rhia and some other characters, there starts to be more of the fantasy element and interest I expected to see in a book about Merlin's childhood. It was a pretty decent read from that point onward.
There were times when I found myself annoyed with the characters (and certainly not admiring them). Emrys is at many times selfish and self-centered, and one of the other characters talks in improper English that's supposed to be cute and isn't. The plot was rather predictable too, but I already expected that to some extent because it is children's fiction. I don't usually expect a book meant for younger students to be on par with some of the best YAs I've read. It's not fair to judge them on the same scale when they are meant for different audiences. Still, if I was a kid I never would have made it through that long, dull beginning.
Rating
With all things considered, I can't rightfully give this book more than a 2 out of 5. I really hope the second book redeems it as a worthy read for the back story, but as it is I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, especially not kids. I still intend to read the sequel, if only in hopes of feeling like this book wasn't a waste of my reading time.
Edit: After starting the 2nd book, I recommend completely skipping this book. It was, indeed, a dull waste of time. The second book explains any back story that is necessary from this book, and is so much more interesting! You won't be missing anything by skipping this one.
Emrys, the main character, will one day grow up to be Merlin. Right now though, he is a lost boy with no sense of home. All he remembers is the day he and a woman claiming to be his mother wash up on shore. She seems to know more, but won't tell him anything. Eventually, he decides to venture out on his own to learn about his past and where he is from.
From that description, it sounds like a great premise for a story. Plus, it's about Merlin. There's bound to be magical things and interesting discoveries right? Well, not for the first 100 pages. The beginning dragged on very slowly. It was very difficult to read. There was much too much unimportant back story before Emrys gets around to finally starting his search a third of the way into the book. If I hadn't been promised that it got better, I doubt I would have finished the book. Once he meets Rhia and some other characters, there starts to be more of the fantasy element and interest I expected to see in a book about Merlin's childhood. It was a pretty decent read from that point onward.
There were times when I found myself annoyed with the characters (and certainly not admiring them). Emrys is at many times selfish and self-centered, and one of the other characters talks in improper English that's supposed to be cute and isn't. The plot was rather predictable too, but I already expected that to some extent because it is children's fiction. I don't usually expect a book meant for younger students to be on par with some of the best YAs I've read. It's not fair to judge them on the same scale when they are meant for different audiences. Still, if I was a kid I never would have made it through that long, dull beginning.
Rating
With all things considered, I can't rightfully give this book more than a 2 out of 5. I really hope the second book redeems it as a worthy read for the back story, but as it is I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, especially not kids. I still intend to read the sequel, if only in hopes of feeling like this book wasn't a waste of my reading time.
Edit: After starting the 2nd book, I recommend completely skipping this book. It was, indeed, a dull waste of time. The second book explains any back story that is necessary from this book, and is so much more interesting! You won't be missing anything by skipping this one.