bookishpip's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
emilyj16's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
beautiful imagery, hard to follow in some places but the characters were perfect!
lawbooks600's review
3.0
Representation: Non-white protagonist and side character
Trigger warnings: Death of a child, death of a friend, death in an underwater cave
6/10, this was another meh book, I expected a lot more from that book, but alas, it didn't live up to its promises. The plot was basic, I think it was dumbed down for the middle graders to read this book easily. When the main character, Isabella Riosse, was told that another girl called Cata, was killed, she goes on an adventure to find who killed her and he was an underworld figure called Yote, but not much of the world building was explained so I couldn't get what was going on in the book half of the time. Isabella was courageous, but I do wonder why Governor Adori had to bring his daughter, Lupe, along with some people on a ship to the Forgotten Territories, I'm perplexed as to why they were forgotten.
The places in this world were just the names of the places in the real world, but changed slightly, such as Amrica instead of America, Ægypt instead of Egypt, Chine instead of China, Afrik instead of Africa, but some place names stayed the same, such as India and Asia, and some places like Australia and Antarctica were entirely missing, which was strange but understandable. Towards the latter half of the book, Isabella and Lupe got stuck in a labyrinth, then behind a lava waterfall with a glass wall, escaped Yote, then got stuck in a cave, which conveniently had a trapdoor. The author decided to kill off Lupe by making her stay underwater for too long so she dies, and Isabella calls it a sacrifice. How could the author do this, Lupe was a pretty major character, I'm bamboozled, she should have survived. In the end, Isabella drew a brand new updated map of her country, Joya. If you like an action packed fantasy story, this is the book for you.
Trigger warnings: Death of a child, death of a friend, death in an underwater cave
6/10, this was another meh book, I expected a lot more from that book, but alas, it didn't live up to its promises. The plot was basic, I think it was dumbed down for the middle graders to read this book easily. When the main character, Isabella Riosse, was told that another girl called Cata, was killed, she goes on an adventure to find who killed her and he was an underworld figure called Yote, but not much of the world building was explained so I couldn't get what was going on in the book half of the time. Isabella was courageous, but I do wonder why Governor Adori had to bring his daughter, Lupe, along with some people on a ship to the Forgotten Territories, I'm perplexed as to why they were forgotten.
The places in this world were just the names of the places in the real world, but changed slightly, such as Amrica instead of America, Ægypt instead of Egypt, Chine instead of China, Afrik instead of Africa, but some place names stayed the same, such as India and Asia, and some places like Australia and Antarctica were entirely missing, which was strange but understandable. Towards the latter half of the book, Isabella and Lupe got stuck in a labyrinth, then behind a lava waterfall with a glass wall, escaped Yote, then got stuck in a cave, which conveniently had a trapdoor. The author decided to kill off Lupe by making her stay underwater for too long so she dies, and Isabella calls it a sacrifice. How could the author do this, Lupe was a pretty major character, I'm bamboozled, she should have survived. In the end, Isabella drew a brand new updated map of her country, Joya. If you like an action packed fantasy story, this is the book for you.
junipontunicorn's review
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
3wilcotroad's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
sophierheeder2010's review
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
gracegreenlaw's review
4.0
This book kept me hooked the whole way through! Plot was fast paced with lots of suspense and you become quickly attached to the different characters. Could be a great book when looking at writing adventure stories or myths/fables. Lots of great examples of powerful language.