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A review by cornmaven
The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski
4.0
I gave this 4 stars because I think kids will like it, but if I were rating it just for me I would have given it 3. The first half, I felt, went too slowly. As a typical fantasy, it has to take many pages and lines to explain the fantastical elements. This is the part I always hate about fantasy. The second half was extremely exciting, and I actually couldn't put it down when I got to that point.
I thought, however, that some of the descriptions were deliberate setups for a movie setting - as if the author wanted to show a scriptwriter what the scene looked like. It was a little Harry Potter like in terms of magical elements, and a little Hunger Games like with the pair of Neel and Petra, the journey to the city, and the tyrannical regime. But definitely not the heart pounding pace of The Hunger Games.
I especially liked the character of Astrophil and how he is utilized.
All in all a pretty good first effort, and a pretty good first book of a supposed series.
I thought, however, that some of the descriptions were deliberate setups for a movie setting - as if the author wanted to show a scriptwriter what the scene looked like. It was a little Harry Potter like in terms of magical elements, and a little Hunger Games like with the pair of Neel and Petra, the journey to the city, and the tyrannical regime. But definitely not the heart pounding pace of The Hunger Games.
I especially liked the character of Astrophil and how he is utilized.
All in all a pretty good first effort, and a pretty good first book of a supposed series.