A sketchy, underthought epic, as mannered and artificial as the illustrations.
In this ambitious debut, two preteen circus musicians visit hidden worlds and uncover not only family secrets, but a scheme to rob this world’s children of all their talents.
It’s unclear whether the title refers to this doorstopper episode’s three sections or (daunting thought) promised sequels. The tale is set in a dystopic world in which the oceans have somehow evaporated and garbage-strewn Outskirts surround walled cities that tower a thousand stories high. It sends impulsive Charlotte and her repressed twin, Sonja, on a double quest to rescue kidnapped Tatty Tatters, the tattooed lady who has lovingly raised them, and also to recover their magical musical talent—golden globs of which have been literally sucked from their ears by a malign cat. Visits ensue to a dreary megacity to see factories full of similarly robbed children and also to several Narnia-like magic lands to enlist aid from their residents. Malouf offers such requisite elements as an old prophecy, magical talismans, and nonhuman allies (adolescent shape-changers, in this case) to help with escapes and comic relief and a climactic battle that is as poorly choreographed as it is arbitrary. In addition, she tricks her tale out with dozens of vignettes and cold, if technically accomplished, portraits of figures with remote, enigmatic expressions. Despite all this, the resolution is spectacularly lazy.
A sketchy, underthought epic, as mannered and artificial as the illustrations. (Fantasy. 12-15)Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-399-17114-7
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Sept. 20, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2015
The sardonic tone of the narrator’s voice lends a refreshing air of realism to this riotously paced quest tale of heroism...
Edgar Award–winning Riordan leaves the adult world of mystery to begin a fantasy series for younger readers.
Twelve-year-old Percy (full name, Perseus) Jackson has attended six schools in six years. Officially diagnosed with ADHD, his lack of self-control gets him in trouble again and again. What if it isn’t his fault? What if all the outrageous incidents that get him kicked out of school are the result of his being a “half-blood,” the product of a relationship between a human and a Greek god? Could it be true that his math teacher Mrs. Dodds transformed into a shriveled hag with bat wings, a Fury, and was trying to kill him? Did he really vanquish her with a pen that turned into a sword? One need not be an expert in Greek mythology to enjoy Percy’s journey to retrieve Zeus’s master bolt from the Underworld, but those who are familiar with the deities and demi-gods will have many an ah-ha moment. Along the way, Percy and his cohort run into Medusa, Cerberus and Pan, among others.
The sardonic tone of the narrator’s voice lends a refreshing air of realism to this riotously paced quest tale of heroism that questions the realities of our world, family, friendship and loyalty. (Fantasy. 12-15)Pub Date: July 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-7868-5629-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2005
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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BOOK TO SCREEN
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The Potternaut rolls on, picking up more size than speed but propelling 15-year-old Harry through more hard tests of character and magical ability. Rowling again displays her ability to create both likable and genuinely scary characters, most notable among the latter being a pair of Dementors who accost Harry in a dark alley in the opening chapter. Even more horrible, Ministry of Magic functionary Dolores Umbridge descends upon Hogwarts with a tinkly laugh, a taste in office decor that runs to kitten paintings, and the authority, soon exercised, to torture students, kick Harry off the Quidditch team, fire teachers, and even to challenge Dumbledore himself. Afflicted with sudden fits of adolescent rage, Harry also has worries, from upcoming exams and recurrent eerie dreams to the steadfast refusal of the Magical World's bureaucracy to believe that Voldemort has returned. Steadfast allies remain, including Hermione, whose role here is largely limited to Chief Explainer, and a ragtag secret order of adults formed to protect him from dangers, which they characteristically keep to themselves until he finds out about them the hard way. Constructed, like Goblet of Fire, of multiple, weakly connected plot lines and rousing, often hilarious set pieces, all set against a richly imagined backdrop, this involves its characters once again in plenty of adventures while moving them a step closer to maturity. And it's still impossible to predict how it's all going to turn out.
None (Fiction. 12-15)Pub Date: July 1, 2003
ISBN: 9780439358064
Page Count: 896
Publisher: Levine/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2003
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
SEEN & HEARD
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