matey15's review against another edition
4.0
There's a lot to love about Moulton's latest book, Keepers of the Labyrinth. It's a book featuring four strong female lead characters. It's also a book that follows a smart, strong, and inquisitive young woman as she works to discover the mystery behind her mother's death. Did I mention that it's set in Crete?! The setting is marvelous; close your eyes and you can see the verdant hills and smell all that delicious food. Add in a harrowing adventure that brings the girls through the actual labyrinth of ancient myth (David Bowie not included), and you're bound to be hankering for the next installment.
I found the girls to be pretty interesting, and they demonstrate great qualities, including intelligence, physical prowess, kindness, and bravery. Writing that, it makes them sound like American Girl characters all grown up, and in a way, they kind of are. But I think that's a GREAT thing! They are faced with many challenges: emotional, certainly, but also physical challenges, mental challenges, and moral dilemmas that would make anyone think twice. Additionally, each character is so unique to herself. I think it's great how the author manages to wrangle their personalities and backgrounds to create a nice ensemble that really is multicultural in the best sense.
Think Goonies meets mythology meets New Moon Magazine. It's adventure and girl power combined against some very dark forces.
I found the girls to be pretty interesting, and they demonstrate great qualities, including intelligence, physical prowess, kindness, and bravery. Writing that, it makes them sound like American Girl characters all grown up, and in a way, they kind of are. But I think that's a GREAT thing! They are faced with many challenges: emotional, certainly, but also physical challenges, mental challenges, and moral dilemmas that would make anyone think twice. Additionally, each character is so unique to herself. I think it's great how the author manages to wrangle their personalities and backgrounds to create a nice ensemble that really is multicultural in the best sense.
Think Goonies meets mythology meets New Moon Magazine. It's adventure and girl power combined against some very dark forces.
lisaluvsliterature's review against another edition
3.0
First, thanks to the author, Erin E. Moulton, as well as her publisher, Philomel Books, for sending me an advanced readers copy of this title to review. I got a little behind, and didn't get started and finished till this past weekend, and the book came out on Tuesday. I was ready to do a review on Tuesday, but then my time got away again, crazy busy stuff at school, so I am a couple days late with my review. I am very glad to share my thoughts on this one, as I'm sure there are many out there who will enjoy it.
I loved all the mythology "change", the way that you could kind of turn the myth into a different story, but still stay true to the original, or well known version easily. The trip through the labyrinth really reminded me a lot of the movie The Goonies. Solving riddles, and all the dangerous booby traps and paths.
If you are a big fan of mythology retold, kind of like the Percy Jackson series, or dangerous adventures like in The Goonies, then this is the book for you!
To read my full review, please go to Lisa Loves Literature
I loved all the mythology "change", the way that you could kind of turn the myth into a different story, but still stay true to the original, or well known version easily. The trip through the labyrinth really reminded me a lot of the movie The Goonies. Solving riddles, and all the dangerous booby traps and paths.
If you are a big fan of mythology retold, kind of like the Percy Jackson series, or dangerous adventures like in The Goonies, then this is the book for you!
To read my full review, please go to Lisa Loves Literature
yapha's review against another edition
4.0
This is an exciting adventure story featuring strong women and a mix of mythology, art, and science. Lilith Bennette is having a hard time getting over her mother's death, and an even harder time believing that it was a suicide. When she finds a picture indicating that her mother had attended a Future Leader's conference on Crete, she accepts the invitation to go in the hopes of finding some answers. What she finds, though, is a lot more than answers. Her mother had been part of a secret society of women. Now it is time to find the next four women to lead them. Can Lilith prove herself as strong as her mother was? Will she pass the tests and finds the answers she needs? A gripping adventure that will be hard to put down. I hope that it is the first in a new series. Recommended for grades 5-8.
Book provided by Publisher.
Book provided by Publisher.
kapago97's review against another edition
4.0
Good storyline, almost wish there was a second but it was summed up well
libscote's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting start to a new series. Lilith (or Lil) has been selected to go to a future leaders conference. It is located on the island of Crete, and she hopes it might lead to some answers about her recently deceased mother. A series of challenges lead her into the Labyrinth and the secrets of her mother's past.
There are four friends in this story, hailing from three countries and each with different strengths. There are, of course, bad guys, and they are somewhat easily overcome. I wish the story had a bit more of a cliffhanger at the end.
There are four friends in this story, hailing from three countries and each with different strengths. There are, of course, bad guys, and they are somewhat easily overcome. I wish the story had a bit more of a cliffhanger at the end.
libertyreads789's review against another edition
3.0
I got this book for less than 75 cents at a library sale this last fall. It’s something I probably wouldn’t have picked up if I had to pay full price. And after reading it I feel like I can still agree with that assessment. It’s definitely worth reading for what I paid for it, but if I had to pay full price to read this story it probably would have come up with a worse rating. The first thing I’ll say about this book is that it isn’t what is advertised. So if you read the summary on Goodreads and expect that you’ll automatically be disappointed.
However, the main issue I have with this story is that it lacks any world building. Everything is surface level and I really hate that because this story had so much potential. It discusses Greek mythology so a lot of that is already built into it. The secret societies are all that the author really needed to build up in the story and they just didn’t. That alone was disappointing. It was also really disappointing to see the lack of depth in the characters. The main four characters are slotted in as being the “artsy one” or the “historian” or the “protector and so they never develop their own personalities.
I like, but wish I had a lot more of, the setting and the mythology. When we finally see the girls enter the labyrinth and face a bunch of different tasks, it’s really the highlight of the book. But nothing is ever explained fully or ever delved too deep into. I think if this book had an additional 50-100 pages added for world building and character development, we’d be sitting at a 4 or higher rated book. I know I always say I want more, but for this book it’s absolutely necessary.
However, the main issue I have with this story is that it lacks any world building. Everything is surface level and I really hate that because this story had so much potential. It discusses Greek mythology so a lot of that is already built into it. The secret societies are all that the author really needed to build up in the story and they just didn’t. That alone was disappointing. It was also really disappointing to see the lack of depth in the characters. The main four characters are slotted in as being the “artsy one” or the “historian” or the “protector and so they never develop their own personalities.
I like, but wish I had a lot more of, the setting and the mythology. When we finally see the girls enter the labyrinth and face a bunch of different tasks, it’s really the highlight of the book. But nothing is ever explained fully or ever delved too deep into. I think if this book had an additional 50-100 pages added for world building and character development, we’d be sitting at a 4 or higher rated book. I know I always say I want more, but for this book it’s absolutely necessary.
pocketeditionlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from Keepers of the Labyrinth. I should also be honest and state that I’m not a big fan of the Percy Jackson series. (I cannot pinpoint why, I love a lot of fantasy, but I have not been able to get into those).
Anyways, this book definitely surpassed my expectations. I only gave it four stars because it did take me a bit to get into it, but that was just the necessary set up of getting all the girls there. Once in Crete, the story really picked up and I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the book. Unlike the Percy Jackson series, this series presumes the myths are true stories that have been twisted in oral retelling throughout the years and there is a scientific reason behind each story. I really enjoyed this decision.
While strong young woman have certainly been at the forefront of YA literature lately, it was fun to see these girls in a book without romance. (The love triangle should be put to death.) This book has piqued the interest of the teens that come across it in my library, but I will be handing it out to more as well.
Anyways, this book definitely surpassed my expectations. I only gave it four stars because it did take me a bit to get into it, but that was just the necessary set up of getting all the girls there. Once in Crete, the story really picked up and I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the book. Unlike the Percy Jackson series, this series presumes the myths are true stories that have been twisted in oral retelling throughout the years and there is a scientific reason behind each story. I really enjoyed this decision.
While strong young woman have certainly been at the forefront of YA literature lately, it was fun to see these girls in a book without romance. (The love triangle should be put to death.) This book has piqued the interest of the teens that come across it in my library, but I will be handing it out to more as well.
cosbrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Um, a modern children's fantasy where the lead character is a female? wait, where all four leading characters are female? wait, where all four leading characters AND the mentor figures are female? wait, where all four leading characters AND the mentor figures AND several antagonists are female? Steeped in Greek mythology? Featuring a bunch of non-white protags?
Am I. . . am I in a dream?
Go Erin!
Am I. . . am I in a dream?
Go Erin!
spellingbat's review against another edition
3.0
Good for fans of Greek mythology, puzzles, secret societies, like teens ready for a step up from Percy Jackson. Wright Three, Westing Game, etc.
libscote's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting start to a new series. Lilith (or Lil) has been selected to go to a future leaders conference. It is located on the island of Crete, and she hopes it might lead to some answers about her recently deceased mother. A series of challenges lead her into the Labyrinth and the secrets of her mother's past.
There are four friends in this story, hailing from three countries and each with different strengths. There are, of course, bad guys, and they are somewhat easily overcome. I wish the story had a bit more of a cliffhanger at the end.
There are four friends in this story, hailing from three countries and each with different strengths. There are, of course, bad guys, and they are somewhat easily overcome. I wish the story had a bit more of a cliffhanger at the end.
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