nicolemhewitt's review
4.0
4.5/5 Stars
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This book was absolutely perfect for us because of how excited my son has been about Japanese culture. None of us had ever heard the Japanese folktale that this book is based on—Momotaro (about a Japanese samurai who is found as a boy in a peach!), but we really enjoyed learning the tale right along with Xander and his best friend Peyton. When the book begins, Xander is an average, everyday kid who tends to get in a bit of trouble at school because his head is in the clouds. Xander is creative, which shows up in his artwork and in his video game programming, but he doesn’t feel like his creativity is particularly appreciated. Until one day when Xander’s world is turned upside down—his father is taken by oni (which are sort of Japanese demons), and Xander discovers that he might have to be very creative indeed to get him back. It turns out that Momotaro’s story is much more important than Xander ever imagined as he and Peyton are faced with tsunamis, strange creatures, oni, and other friends and foes. This book is filled with Japanese cultural references and folkloric magic (neverending rice balls to eat!) that make it incredibly fun, and it’s action-packed which kept it exciting.
I have to confess that I wasn’t as fond of the very beginning of the book, when Xander was still in school. His thoughts and feelings about school and some of his classmates weren’t my favorite aspect of the book, but it didn’t take long to be rid of the school setting and to move onto the fantastical adventures, so I’m not taking much off of my rating for that. My kids and I can’t wait to hear the next installment and we’re eagerly awaiting more of Xander’s adventures!
Narration: I thought the narration for this book was spot-on! Chris Patton has a great kid voice that sounds natural for this age group, and his inflections and speech patterns made him completely believable as a middle grade MC.
Overall, I give this book 4.5/5 Stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via AudioBook Jukebox in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This book was absolutely perfect for us because of how excited my son has been about Japanese culture. None of us had ever heard the Japanese folktale that this book is based on—Momotaro (about a Japanese samurai who is found as a boy in a peach!), but we really enjoyed learning the tale right along with Xander and his best friend Peyton. When the book begins, Xander is an average, everyday kid who tends to get in a bit of trouble at school because his head is in the clouds. Xander is creative, which shows up in his artwork and in his video game programming, but he doesn’t feel like his creativity is particularly appreciated. Until one day when Xander’s world is turned upside down—his father is taken by oni (which are sort of Japanese demons), and Xander discovers that he might have to be very creative indeed to get him back. It turns out that Momotaro’s story is much more important than Xander ever imagined as he and Peyton are faced with tsunamis, strange creatures, oni, and other friends and foes. This book is filled with Japanese cultural references and folkloric magic (neverending rice balls to eat!) that make it incredibly fun, and it’s action-packed which kept it exciting.
I have to confess that I wasn’t as fond of the very beginning of the book, when Xander was still in school. His thoughts and feelings about school and some of his classmates weren’t my favorite aspect of the book, but it didn’t take long to be rid of the school setting and to move onto the fantastical adventures, so I’m not taking much off of my rating for that. My kids and I can’t wait to hear the next installment and we’re eagerly awaiting more of Xander’s adventures!
Narration: I thought the narration for this book was spot-on! Chris Patton has a great kid voice that sounds natural for this age group, and his inflections and speech patterns made him completely believable as a middle grade MC.
Overall, I give this book 4.5/5 Stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via AudioBook Jukebox in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
lilyn_g's review
4.0
Xander & the Lost Island of Monsters was, at least for the first part, a calm and comfortable read. The writing style is such that it invites you to get comfy and curl up with a book. This might not be what the writer was going for, as it’s an adventure story, but I don’t see it as a bad thing. It’s an easy read, aimed at middle-graders, which meant I flew through the pages. When things did finally shift into high gear, I was fully immersed in the story and couldn’t wait to see what happened.4 Star Rating
The main character is a 6th grade boy so obviously there was a bit of a lack of connection between myself and Xander, still, I found myself smiling at some of the conversations that Xander and his side-kick, Peyton, had. I mean, how many times have we all had a conversation that goes something like the (paraphrased) following:
Some conversations just cross gender and age lines.
The relationships between all the characters were interesting. Xander is pretty much the exact opposite of every boy hero you’d hear of. His special talents are out of his control. He’s so weak his friend has to help him out constantly. Peyton, on the other hand, is tall, muscular, and athletic in every sense of the word. They have that sort of best-friendship that we all want to have. The grandma, small though her role is, is every good grandma in existence. Stern, yet loving, and a tad snarky. Even Jinx is – if not likable – at least a character you can sympathize with.
In fact, one of the most powerful lines in the book comes regarding Xander’s thoughts towards Jinx. The author deftly touches upon something that all children who have been in unpleasant situations with people that should love them. She touches on other topics that matter, too, but this one is by far the most impactful.
The book is interspersed with pages from the comic book mentioned in the synopsis. The lines from that ready very choppy, and simple. I’ve never been able to read a comic book, so I’ll assume its written that way for a reason. The way Xander also gripes about how if he’s supposed to be a Chosen One, where’s the x,y, and z associated with being a Chosen one elicited a snicker on more than one occasion.
Overall, Xander & the Lost Island of Monsters is a well-written middle-grade work that even adults can enjoy. An easy take on a classic story, this first book in the Momotaro series has the easy-going engagement with distinctive characters that signifies a book that is sure to capture the imagination. I will say to please don’t blame your child if they hit the last page, gape, and suddenly throw the book in frustration. I did!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
For more kids' books reviews, as well as many SciFi, Horror, and Thriller reviews, please visit SciFi and Scary's Book Reviews
The main character is a 6th grade boy so obviously there was a bit of a lack of connection between myself and Xander, still, I found myself smiling at some of the conversations that Xander and his side-kick, Peyton, had. I mean, how many times have we all had a conversation that goes something like the (paraphrased) following:
“Dude, that was awesome.”
“Dude,” I say back. “Dude.”
“Dude.”
-Margaret Dilloway, Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters
Some conversations just cross gender and age lines.
The relationships between all the characters were interesting. Xander is pretty much the exact opposite of every boy hero you’d hear of. His special talents are out of his control. He’s so weak his friend has to help him out constantly. Peyton, on the other hand, is tall, muscular, and athletic in every sense of the word. They have that sort of best-friendship that we all want to have. The grandma, small though her role is, is every good grandma in existence. Stern, yet loving, and a tad snarky. Even Jinx is – if not likable – at least a character you can sympathize with.
In fact, one of the most powerful lines in the book comes regarding Xander’s thoughts towards Jinx. The author deftly touches upon something that all children who have been in unpleasant situations with people that should love them. She touches on other topics that matter, too, but this one is by far the most impactful.
The book is interspersed with pages from the comic book mentioned in the synopsis. The lines from that ready very choppy, and simple. I’ve never been able to read a comic book, so I’ll assume its written that way for a reason. The way Xander also gripes about how if he’s supposed to be a Chosen One, where’s the x,y, and z associated with being a Chosen one elicited a snicker on more than one occasion.
Overall, Xander & the Lost Island of Monsters is a well-written middle-grade work that even adults can enjoy. An easy take on a classic story, this first book in the Momotaro series has the easy-going engagement with distinctive characters that signifies a book that is sure to capture the imagination. I will say to please don’t blame your child if they hit the last page, gape, and suddenly throw the book in frustration. I did!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
For more kids' books reviews, as well as many SciFi, Horror, and Thriller reviews, please visit SciFi and Scary's Book Reviews
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