Review of The Invisible Tower by Nils Johnson-Shelton

Title/Author: The Invisible Tower (Otherworld Chronicles #1) by Nils Johnson-Shelton
Publisher/Date published: HarperCollins, January 3rd 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Part of the spell has already been broken.
The first stones have begun to crumble.
In Artie Kingfisher’s world, wizards named Merlin, fire-breathing dragons, and swords called Excalibur exist only in legends and lore — until the day his video game Otherworld springs to life.
You are special, Arthur,
Says the mysterious message in his game.
In one week’s time you will come to me at the it.
Cryptic clues lead Artie to a strange place called the Invisible Tower, where he discovers that nothing in his life is as it seems. Artie is none other than King Arthur, brought to life in the twenty-first century. Artie has won the battle in the virtual Otherworld — now the key to saving the real Otherworld lies in his hands as well.
Green dragons, hungry wolves, powerful sorcerers — suddenly Artie must battle them all as he wields Excalibur and embarks on a quest worthy of the Knights of the Round Table. With his sister, Kay, by his side, Artie steps into the Otherworld — straight toward his destiny."

This was a pretty sweet book. I was really interested in reading this one because I LOVE everything about the Arthurian legend. I'll admit it, I'm an Arthur junkie. And a modern twist with a video game entering into it sounded really exciting :)

And it was a sweet book and I thought how Johnson-Shelton incorporated the myth into The Invisible Tower was pretty good in my opinion. It had enough of the original thing and also a definite touch from the author.

Things happen with enough speed to keep me interested but it wasn't so fast it felt rushed. I was however a bit shocked at some of the stuff happening, I mean, I thought this was a children's book and it had some pretty gruesome stuff in it that would have scared me as a kid. I mean, I know the original story is not without major shedding of blood, but I hadn't expected it in The Invisible Tower so much.

The characters were nice, I really liked that Kay, Artie's sister, was a major part of the action and not just a sidekick. I really liked the familybonds! There's some real love between the siblings and their father and I loved it! And I really liked the supporting characters, they were so cute! I am sort of questioning one major characters motives, but I can't tell you who because I might spoil something...

While there The Invisible Tower definitely had some really good qualities, I didn't feel very excited while reading it. I'm not exactly sure why that is, but I didn't really feel the urge to keep reading. I do think this is a fun way for kids to learn about the Arthurian legend, though I'm still partial to the original tale (which scared the crap out of me as a kid, good times).

My rating: 3 stars

The Bridge to Never Land by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Title/Author: The Bridge to Never Land (Peter and the Starcatchers #5) by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Publisher/Date published: Hyperion, August 9th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "One summer morning while Aidan and Sarah are visiting their grandfather, they discover a secret compartment in his battered wooden desk. Inside is a yellowed envelope that contains a piece of very thin, almost translucent, white paper, on which, handwritten in black ink, are a series of seemingly random lines; among them are what appear to be fragments of letters, but not enough to make sense. At the bottom of the page is a verse about Peter Peter and a reference to a real hotel in London.
As it happens, the family is about to embark on a trip to Europe, so the children decide that while in London, they will try to locate the hotel. Through some careful sleuthing, they manage to discover its location, and once inside, they find another clue. The Bridge to Never Land will take Sarah and Aidan on a quest that will challenge them to solve a series of puzzles, which will gradually convince them that Peter Pan is not fiction after all."

I have only read the first book in this series, but that didn't detract from my reading experience in the least! Although I think I had a little less anxiety about the main bad guy than I would have had if I'd read the other 3 books as well. But not to worry: if you haven't read them, you can still read this one!

We meet up with Sarah and Adrian, who go questing together in search of a way into Never Land and meet up with Molly Aster's greatgrandson in the process. I really liked Sarah, but both the boys seemed a bit dull. And I kept thinking: WHERE'S PETER?? He doesn't enter the scene until we are pretty close to the end and the book's named after him! PETER and the Starcatchers. I would have liked to have seen more of him or having them spend more time on Never Land.

That's not to say that I didn't enjoy this book. Cause I did. The storytelling is very good and I just flew through the book, even though again it's pretty big for a children's book (448 pages). I loved that they were in Disneyworld! I think the Peter Pan ride mentioned in it is also in Disneyland and I really loved that one :)

The bad guy is pretty creepy and the ending left me with a feeling there's much exploring left for Peter and his friend, which makes me happy :)

My rating: 3,5 stars

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Title/Author: Peter and the Starcatchers (Peter and the Starcatchers #1) by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Publisher/Date published: Disney Hyperion, September 1st 2004
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Don’t even think of starting this book unless you’re sitting in a comfortable chair and have lots of time. A fast-paced, impossible-to-put-down adventure awaits as the young orphan Peter and his mates are dispatched to an island ruled by the evil King Zarboff. They set sail aboard the Never Land, a ship carrying a precious and mysterious trunk in its cargo hold, and the journey quickly becomes fraught with excitement and danger. Discover richly developed characters in the sweet but sophisticated Molly, the scary but familiar Black Stache, and the fearless Peter. Treacherous battles with pirates, foreboding thunderstorms at sea, and evocative writing immerses the reader in a story that slowly and finally reveals the secrets and mysteries of the beloved Peter Pan."

So, confession time: Peter Pan was my first ever literary crush. Even though at the time I didn't even know what a crush was. I was 4. Or maybe 5? The point being: I LOVE Peter Pan. And this book had been on my to-read list for some time now, even though I hadn't yet managed to get my hands on a copy. So when it showed up on NetGalley, you better believe I clicked that button in under 1.5 seconds!

I love how this book gives us the story of Peter Pan before he was Peter Pan. Here, he's just Peter, the orphan boy who happened to cross paths with a chest full of starstuff and the Starcatchers trying to protect it. I'm not telling you what happens, but let me just say that it's SO GOOD! Just when I was thinking: but wait, this happened somewhere as well! And then BAM! it happened. And let me say that I LOVED the pictures in the book! I'm a sucker for a good picture in a children's book and these were wonderful. Even my Sony made them look good. Made me happy :)

This book is pretty big for a children's book, 478 pages in my eversion. But it flies by! Really, I blinked and then I'd read another 15 pages. And I enjoyed every minute of it.

I really liked Molly and LOVED Ammm the porpoise. 'Molly green teeth' cracked me up every time. Best. Greeting. EVER. My mom was looking at me funny when I snorted yet again.

I think I'm gonna go watch the Disney movie now :) I have it on DVD, hurray!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Zan-Gah by Allan Richard Shickman

Title/Author: Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure (Zan-Gah #1) by Allan Richard Shickman
Publisher/Date published: Earthshaker Books, 2007
How I got this book: I received a review copy from the publisher
Why I read this book: I thought it sounded interesting

Summary: Set in prehistoric time, Zan is a boy in his early teens, who by a stroke of luck manages to kill a lioness that killed a child, in a hunt with the rest of the clansmen. He is then named Zan-Gah, which means Zan of the Rock, in honour of this.
Zan-Gah is troubled, his twin brother Dael has been missing for a year and though everyone has given up him, Zan believes he must still be alive and sets out to search for him. But times are hard and the different clans aren't united. Zan must battle more than the wilderness in his search for his brother.

I enjoyed this book, had it been out back then, I can see my eight or nine-year0old self picking it up and really liking it (I know the book's meant for ages 11 and up, but by then I'd already moved on to adult fiction, my library didn't do so well in YA fiction area).

I liked how Zan seemed to have gotten an appropriate and very adequate upbringing: he knows how to survive on his own. Which is something every child in that time should be taught to do. On his quest for his brother he shows that he not only knows how to use the weapons he brought with him, but also has the intelligence and creativeness to invent one of his own: he fashions the first sling, which becomes very important to his people later on in the story. Zan not only cares for himself, he also tries to do good by other people, he gives food to a starving child and is determined not to betray a small boy he encounters on his journey, even though he has every reason to.

Zan has a sense of justice that I appreciate and he has the wits to communicate this and the plans he has to other people. He is respected by his clansmen and probably rightfully so. He also recognizes that there are things, like his brother's mental scars, that even he cannot fight.

All in all, this was an enjoyable read, and I'm curious to see what adventures Zan goes on in the next book of the series.

My rating: 3 stars

Colman by Monica Furlong

Title/Author: Colman by Monica Furlong
Published: 2004 Lemniscaat Uitgeverij
How I got it: I got it at the bookstore while I was looking for the first two parts of this series, I didn't know there even was a third book at the time!
Why I read it: I loved both Juniper and Wise Child, so of course I had to read the final part to get closure.

For those of you who've never had the pleasure of reading Juniper or Wise Child, I'll sum up the story:
Juniper is the daughter of King Mark and has been pampered, but for the finishing of her education she's sent to Euny, a wise woman living in a small hut in the Other Land. Euny is in fact a doran, a wise woman who has some controll over magic, but only when it's in harmony with the natural flow of things (as in no cursing or harming of other people, except when in grave danger yourself). Juniper is trained in her ways and even has to fight off her aunt Meroot and her husband, the Grey Knight, when they try to take over the kingdom of Juniper's father.
Later on, when Juniper is all grown up, she's settled in a village and helps the people out when their sick or injured. When Leana's (Wise Child) mother Maeve dissappears, Juniper takes her into her house and teaches her the same way (but more gentle) Euny taught her. When Maeve returns, who turns out to be a black witch, Leana's loyalties are tested severely.

Now for Colman: Juniper is on trial for causing the plague in the town she and Leana live in and they are forced to flee to Juniper's homeland. When they get there, they find out Juniper's evil aunt has taken over the kingdom and imprisoned Juniper's little brother, 17-years old and the heir to the throne, his once he turns 18. Leana and Colman (Leana's cousin and close friend) infiltrate the castle where the prince is kept and try to find a way to defeat Meroot and the Grey Knight and restore prince Bragwynn to the throne.

Reading the first two books in the series was such a magical experience for me as a child, I read them over and over again. So many times my mom still recognizes the names from seeing them around (and I read a LOT of books back then). I was really excited when I discovered there was a third book, since my library didn't have that one and back then I didn't know how to look for things like that and had just accepted that the story would be unfinished. Imagine my delight at finding a way to have closure!

This book is told in Colman's point of view and he just doesn't have the same charm Juniper and Leana did. He's a likeable boy and good friend to Leana, but it's not the same. I loved the magical feeling and learning experience in the previous two and felt it was missing in this one. The climax also wasn't the sort of epic battle I expected. Still, I liked this book, it meant revisiting old friends for me and gave me closure for the story and I'm glad I read it.

The book is categorized as suitable for 12 years and older. I read the first two while I was about 8 or 9 and that's really not too young for this series. I'd recommend the whole of the series, but especially the first two to all girls this age, because it shows strong and gentle female characters, especially Juniper is a role model in my opinion.

My rating: 3 stars (for this one, the first two both get 5+ stars)