dandelionsteph's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
It's slow in the middle for a while. Several chapters are spent watching the captive scientists, having the characters learn how to operate the equipment to watch them, and planning for an escape. There's not a lot of physical movement or novelty in this part. Maria's bracelet working differently from Charlie's was interesting.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Kidnapping, and Violence
Minor: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
Mac (if I recall correctly) made brief mean joking comments or pedantic but oddly-emphasized references about Kelly being like a male animal (a strutting peacock, a venomous male platypus) not once, but twice. If Kelly, an insecure, unreliable "frenemy" character who [spoiler]threatens their safety in careless ways[/spoiler], was only juxtaposed with a male animal once, this would be nothing, but when it's done twice, it does seem to be going in a vaguely transphobic/gender-nonconforming-mocking way. Admittedly, I don't think any of the characters are actually LGBTQ+, but I don't think it's all that gender-nonconforming/unpleasantly masculine for Kelly to have the venomous heel spurs of a male platypus or, hypothetically, a peacock tail. Even in the show Miraculous Ladybug, the wielder of the Peacock Miraculous (magical artifact powered by a cute animal-themed spirit) was an important female character twice.macaroniapie's review against another edition
adventurous
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? It's complicated
5.0
*This review consists of spoilers, beware*
Spoiler
I have never felt so much emotion in a book. I was reading this and I thought I was going to cry. I was so scared for Andy when it was said he might die, and I have never felt suspicious, then sympathetic, then so angry at a character like I did with Kelly.Spoiler
I would highly recommend this!rmendez's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing, funny, and good imagery! If you like animals, magic, and good vs evil, and books with relatable characters you will love this! Sequel to Going wild
krfanthony's review against another edition
4.0
4/5
Date Reviewed: 7 November 2017
This Review was first posted on Keep Reading Forward. If you want to see more, check out our other locations as well as here.
In the second book of the Going Wild series, Charlie is out on a rescue mission with her friends. Only with Charlie, her friends now have their own versions of the device that Charlie has. The other devices have different abilities, but what more is there to them? As Charlie sets out to rescue her father, she and her friends practice their fun new animal inspired abilities while trying to figure out anything new among the device and its origins.
As for any Lisa McMann book, I aim to read them all. As usual, I will probably like them all. However, this is the first time of any McMann book that left me feeling wanting more. I was not sure what it was as I read the book. I knew I needed something different, something new on the story, but I have never received that thing.
One of things that I kept thinking over was that I wanted the action/fighting scenes to be more. I kept wondering why it felt so lacking at some points. Then I remembered that I was reading a Middle Grade book. Due to the fact, I came to the conclusion that to any middle grade student reading this book, the scenes would be amazing. As for parents, or any older readers like me, we’ll probably read it differently. It is definitely written well for the targeted audience.
I feel like I am at a shortage for words and not sure exactly how explain everything here. I guess the best way to say it shortly is that if you enjoyed the first book in the series, you will probably enjoy this book and some scenes may feel a little bit repetitive. I just hope that the series finale would feel more spectacular and be grand. It’s going to need a boss level scene (like in a video game) to be good.
Date Reviewed: 7 November 2017
This Review was first posted on Keep Reading Forward. If you want to see more, check out our other locations as well as here.
In the second book of the Going Wild series, Charlie is out on a rescue mission with her friends. Only with Charlie, her friends now have their own versions of the device that Charlie has. The other devices have different abilities, but what more is there to them? As Charlie sets out to rescue her father, she and her friends practice their fun new animal inspired abilities while trying to figure out anything new among the device and its origins.
As for any Lisa McMann book, I aim to read them all. As usual, I will probably like them all. However, this is the first time of any McMann book that left me feeling wanting more. I was not sure what it was as I read the book. I knew I needed something different, something new on the story, but I have never received that thing.
One of things that I kept thinking over was that I wanted the action/fighting scenes to be more. I kept wondering why it felt so lacking at some points. Then I remembered that I was reading a Middle Grade book. Due to the fact, I came to the conclusion that to any middle grade student reading this book, the scenes would be amazing. As for parents, or any older readers like me, we’ll probably read it differently. It is definitely written well for the targeted audience.
I feel like I am at a shortage for words and not sure exactly how explain everything here. I guess the best way to say it shortly is that if you enjoyed the first book in the series, you will probably enjoy this book and some scenes may feel a little bit repetitive. I just hope that the series finale would feel more spectacular and be grand. It’s going to need a boss level scene (like in a video game) to be good.
whimsicallymeghan's review against another edition
5.0
We pick up right where the first novel left off with Charlie’s father kidnapped and she left with this mysterious bracelet, which she thinks is all connected. While trying to find all the missing links they find three other bracelets that her friends can’t wait to try and test out, only there could be some serious side effects. This novel was fantastic; it went from good to amazing in seconds. Each chapter brought new dynamics to the plot; just when the reader thought they had things figured out, something new happened. This is truly an amazing series and the way this ended on such a cliff hanger, readers can only anticipate more greatness from McMann. Her characters shined; from the kids to the adults, although their dialogue was quite cheesy at times, they were still engaging, fun, interactive characters. Who knows where this series will go, but it looks like the nest is yet to come.
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