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Archive for April, 2015

A Wonderlandiful World

I was sent this book by the publisher
a-wonderlandiful-world
By Shannon Hale
Ever After High series bk 3

Things have been turned upside down at Ever After High ever since Raven Queen decided she didn’t want to follow the evil destiny get out in front of her. It turned out she wasn’t the only one. With things that followed though a creature from Wonderland has escaped from it’s prison and it seems to be infecting Ever After high with a corrupting magic that makes everything go topsy turvy.
Sometimes destiny isn’t what others want it to be for you, sometimes it is what you find for yourself along the way. Maddy Hatter understands it is Wonderland magic because it feels all twisty and home like. Lizzie Hearts feels the pull of home but she struggles to balance the lessons of her mother and the things she is feeling. Kitty Cheshire joins her Wonderland friends because Wonderlandians need to stick together even if they feel they can’t do what needs to be done. Cedar Wood has always wanted to be a real girl, but at what cost? It seems she is one of the few who can combat this growing, twisted magic. Along with the descendants of those from Wonderland, Cedar has to step up and save her friends.
This third instalment is just as enjoyable as the previous two. It is fun to delve into a world that houses characters so familiar and yet not. It is nice to see the characters develop into their own selves in the face of danger and change, when form says change is bad. I like the fact these characters buck against what others say is expected of them to find their own way, finding value in things they may not have thought to before. The moral, if you could say there was a moral to these stories, is that your path is the one you choose, you don’t have to let others choose it for you. I like that. The idea you don’t have to conform when you see a different and even better way.
Each of the Wonderland characters gets to grow a little in this story but really it is Cedar Woods arc that is the most interesting as she has the most to gain and the most to lose. I love these characters and Hale has managed to stay true to a fairy tale mode yet imbue the characters with modern attitudes and dilemmas.
Recommended.

Publisher: Little Brown
Published: 10th March 2015
Format: Paperback, 336
Key Words: Fairy Tales, Friendship, Adventure
ISBN: 9780349131870

Mind Games

I was sent this book by the publisher
mind-games
By: Teri Terry

Luna is different, she has a secret. In a world where nearly everything is done online she remains unplugged. The pressure to join the crowd is great but she stays strong for a long time, until someone hands her a possible answer. Even online though there are things she must keep hidden for she is different and those differences are ones that could cost her her life. Luna plunges into a world that killed her mother and is fraught with dangers that few others seem to be able to perceive. Even amongst the hackers she is gifted and can do things no-one else can do. She wishes she knew why, that she understood what was going on but finding out those answers changes everything for her.
Luna is an interesting character, her developing gifts make it difficult for her to be sure of her place as she finds she has abilities that no-one else has. She learns that everything she does is being watched. She doesn’t know who to trust, just when she thinks she has a grasp on it, things turn sideways. Luna has cause to be skeptical, every time she thinks she has a friend she can trust something happens to undermine that. The characters that come alongside her are an eclectic group of individuals all with their own agenda.
It is an intriguing read. The world is how is could be if everything goes digital, the pros and cons. There were some fascinating concepts woven into this story and it could certainly be listed as a tale of caution about relying too much on technology. The only thing that threw me was that the author put in a reference to her own books, an action that seems to me to be self serving and a bit pretentious. That aside I would say this book is well worth investing the time to read.
Recommended.
Publisher: Orchard Books
Published: 10th March 2015
Format: Paperback 433 pgs
Key Words: Science Fiction, Family, Intrigue
ISBN: 9781408334256

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