Tag: Urban Fantasy

Book Review | The Shrunken Head by Lauren Oliver & H.C. Chester (The Curiosity House #1)

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

The Shrunken Head (The Curiosity House #1) by Lauren Oliver & H.C. Chester

Published by HarperCollins Children’s Books on September 29, 2015

Genres: Children’s, Middle Grade, Mystery, Urban Fantasy

Format: ARC

Pages: 368

Source: BEA

Goodreads: ★★★★

What you will find in this book:

– A rather attractive bearded lady
– Several scandalous murders
– A deliciously disgusting Amazonian shrunken head
– Four extraordinary children with equally extraordinary abilities
– A quite loquacious talking bird

Blessed with extraordinary abilities, orphans Philippa, Sam, and Thomas have grown up happily in Dumfrey’s Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders. But when a fourth child, Max, a knife-
thrower, joins the group, it sets off an unforgettable chain of events. When the museum’s Amazonian shrunken head is stolen, the four are determined to get it back. But their search leads them to a series of murders and an explosive secret about their pasts.

This sensational new series combines the unparalleled storytelling gifts of Lauren Oliver with the rich
knowledge of the notorious relics collector H.C. Chester.

What you will NOT find in this book:

– An accountant named Seymour
– A never-ending line at the post office
– Brussel sprouts (shudder)
– A lecture on finishing all your homework on time
– A sweet, gooey story for nice little girls and boys.

REVIEW

I got in a line to meet Lauren Oliver at Book Expo America (“BEA”) this past May and came away with this book, of which I knew nothing. What I got in The Shrunken Head is a fun children’s story that takes place in New York City in the 1930s. The setting is Dumfrey’s Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders, which just got in a new and exciting oddity – a shrunken head. This head wows audiences and drives crowds to Dumfrey’s until it is stolen. The story follows four children who live and perform at Dumfrey’s as they run around New York trying to find the head and figure out why so many people have mysteriously died since the head’s disappearance.

The Shrunken Head is perfect for fans of Clue and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, as it combines these genres in a new way. Our ‘freaks’ in the story are: Pippa, a mind reader; Thomas, a boy who can fit into any space no matter how small; Max, a knife-throwing girl; and Sam, a scrawny strongman. These four unite to save the museum they call home, and make a great cast of characters. Each child has a well-developed personality individually, but work together really well. In addition, The Shrunken Head has an extended character list that is easy to follow and keep in line.

Moreover, The Shrunken Head is very well written. I loved the funny lines thrown in, and how the mystery aspect of the story is well-crafted. There are just enough hints along the way that make the book fun for adults as well as children. That being said, I do think the storyline is a bit dark for its intended audience of 8-12-year-olds. The Shrunken Head is a murder mystery, so there is a bit of violence, and a discussion of murder and suicide. While there is nothing too graphic, if you are a parent of young children I would keep the subject-matter in mind.

One thing I do really love about the story, though, is the overall message. I think it’s great that The Shrunken Head discusses body image and being different, and how what makes a person good is not what he looks like on the outside. I definitely look forward to seeing the children in The Shrunken Head in another book soon, especially considering the ending of this one!

All in all, I really enjoyed The Shrunken Head. It is a cute and fun story, and can be enjoyed by a wide audience. I look forward to seeing the final version of the book upon its release on September 29, 2015, so I can see the beautiful artwork that is to be included (I only got sneak peeks in my advanced copy!). I definitely recommend The Shrunken Head if it sounds like something up your alley!

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Book Review | The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordon (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2)

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #2) by Rick Riordon

Published by Disney Hyperion on January 1, 2006

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Adventure

Format: Paperback

Source: Giveaway

Goodreads:★★★★


The heroic son of Poseidon makes an action-packed comeback in the second must-read installment of Rick Riordan’s amazing young readers series. Starring Percy Jackson, a “half blood” whose mother is human and whose father is the God of the Sea, Riordan’s series combines cliffhanger adventure and Greek mythology lessons that results in true page-turners that get better with each installment. In this episode, The Sea of Monsters, Percy sets out to retrieve the Golden Fleece before his summer camp is destroyed, surpassing the first book’s drama and setting the stage for more thrills to come.

REVIEW

After completing The Lightning Thief, I decided to continue on with the Percy Jackson series right away and picked up The Sea of Monsters. If you’ve read my review of The Lightning Thief (LINK), you’ll know that my main issue with the book was how closely it paralleled my beloved Harry Potter. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the characters and the adventure, so I hoped the series would adopt more of its own voice as the story continued.

Unfortunately, The Sea of Monsters started off on the wrong foot. There was a syntax error in the first few pages, and a scene at the beginning that closely mirrored the Knight Bus in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I couldn’t believe the similarities, but kept powering through, and I’m so glad I did!

The Sea of Monsters introduces readers to a new character named Tyson, who is a young cyclops. In Percy’s world, cyclopes are very dangerous and thus mistreated by half bloods. I absolutely loved the role Tyson plays in the story, and am impressed with Rick Riordon’s decision to include him. Percy’s journey with Tyson is so touching. It teachers readers about acceptance, and how someone who is a bit different is not necessarily bad. I think it’s amazing that children who read this book will get to see how important it is to be kind and understanding of everyone.

Moreover, The Sea of Monsters is a fast-paced and exciting read. This second book jumps right into the action from the start, and readers are along for the ride without hesitation. While I do wish there was a bit more set-up at the beginning, once I adjusted to the new storyline I was fully invested. Percy is such a great narrator, and his voice makes the book so much fun to read.

Finally, I loved the cliffhanger at the end of The Sea of Monsters. It was a bit predictable, but it was still exciting, and made me want to pick up the next book in the series right away. I was surprised at how short The Sea of Monsters was, but I enjoyed it a great deal, and it was a definite improvement over the first book in the series. I’m excited to continue on and see where Percy’s adventures take him and his friends next!

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When you buy a book through the Amazon or Book Depository links above, I earn a small commission through each website’s affiliate program. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Book Review | The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordon (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1)

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1) by Rick Riordan

Published by Disney Hyperion on July 1, 2005

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Adventure

Pages: 375

Format: Paperback

Source: Giveaway

Goodreads: ★★★


Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can’t seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse-Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy’s mom finds out, she knows it’s time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he’ll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends — one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena — Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

REVIEW

I was unfamiliar with Percy Jackson until last year, and was excited when I won a full set of the series in a giveaway. I don’t often read middle grade unless it is a reread, but I was interested to give this a try because it has such a huge fanbase. After reading the first book, I can definitely understand why this series is so loved, but I did have some issues with it.

First and foremost, I was beyond annoyed with the Harry Potter parallels in this story. Our protagonist Percy is a 12-year-old boy who has experienced strange occurrences throughout his childhood that he cannot explain. As it turns out, he’s a half-blood, which means he is the son of a human and a Greek god. Percy goes to Camp Half Blood in Long Island, New York (aka Hogwarts), where he learns more about his special powers and is trained to kill monsters.

Percy becomes part of a trio that goes out on an epic quest in order to prevent a war between the gods of Olympus. He is joined by Annabeth, a very bright young girl, and Grover, a satyr who is a bit of a doofus, but a great friend to Percy. Oh, and did I mention there is a security guard at Camp Half Blood named Argus? I mean, come on, this is truly inspired by Harry Potter, and with every detail that paralleled Harry’s story I wanted to throw the book across the room. I’m sure author Rick Riordon was influenced by Rowling’s work, but whether he intended the similarities or not, I couldn’t believe how replete they were throughout The Lightening Thief.

Moreover, another huge drawback in the story for me was the predictability. I understand this is a middle grade novel that I am reading as an adult, but I was easily able to figure out most of the action by the plethora of hints Riordon drops throughout the novel. With that being said, I was quite frustrated with the ending of the book because it did not flow logically from the story’s set-up. Instead, it felt like Riordon wanted to shock the readers, and he did so with an unexpected twist that was a bit disjointed. That definitely took away some credibility from the book.

Putting those issues aside, however, I really did enjoy The Lightning Thief. The writing style was very well done, and I really liked Percy as a first-person narrator. Percy was a very relatable character, as he was quite imperfect but still incredible at the same time. If I was reading this as a middle schooler, I’d definitely want to be friends with Percy and his gang.

In addition, I loved the road-trip adventure that Percy goes on in this book, and how he needs to fight a variety of monsters along the way. It was really fun how Riordon included Greek mythology in an American setting, and adapted the gods and monsters for the 21st Century. While it took me about 130 pages to really become invested in the world, once I was hooked I couldn’t put the book down and finished the remainder in one day. I’m really looking forward to continuing on in the series and seeing where Percy ends up next!

Thus, if you are looking for a fun, middle grade fantasy, I think Percy Jackson is a great place to start. I know that kids will really enjoy it, but adults who grew up with Harry Potter as I did will need to read this with a grain of salt. I’m hopeful that as the series continues the books will divulge from Harry Potter and take on its own unique identity.

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When you buy a book though the Amazon or Book Depository links above, I earn a small commission through each website’s affiliate program. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.