A 12-year-old girl learns of her magical destiny in Patrick Carman's first absorbing episode of the Land of Elyon trilogy. Originally self-publishe...
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May 14, 2008
Bix
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Alexa, a spirited, independent twelve-year-old growing up in a complex of walled villages, longs for adventure and a chance to see what lies beyond the walls' boundaries. When she discovers a secret passage, she gets her wish, and more adventure than she bargained for in the process. For Alexa has been chosen to save her home from dark forces which seek its destruction, and she must act quickly to unravel the mystery that lurks inside the walls and threatens everything she holds dear. This fi
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Jan 29, 2012
Sarah Jo.
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The Walls are what has kept Bridewell safe.
The Walls keep the unknowns away.
...But the walls will destroy them all.
Alexa is a twelve year old girl from the town of Lathbury in the Land of Elyon. Alexa and her father travel to Eloyn's capitol, Bridewell, for the summer holiday when an old magic deep inside the kingdom's history come to play once more. With the asistence of this old magic Alexa must find who is not who they seem. The very people surronding her More...
The Walls keep the unknowns away.
...But the walls will destroy them all.
Alexa is a twelve year old girl from the town of Lathbury in the Land of Elyon. Alexa and her father travel to Eloyn's capitol, Bridewell, for the summer holiday when an old magic deep inside the kingdom's history come to play once more. With the asistence of this old magic Alexa must find who is not who they seem. The very people surronding her More...
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Jan 05, 2010
Sierrah
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I really like this book because it is fantasy. I really don't know why i like fantasy. This book was really good because Alexa trys to save as many people as she can. She also is just a very caring person like me. The author really didn't explain much about it or what is happening in some parts. Like she told us who she was saving but like not how she saved them. Thats what I don't like about this book. I also like this book because she meets a lot of people who are like monsters but not exactly
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Apr 01, 2009
Libby
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A typical coming of age story, this book describes twelve-year-old Alexa's growing realizations about herself and the world she grew up in. The book presents the age old idea of 'something there is that doesn't love a wall.' Alexa grew up in a community closed off from the rest of the world and her experiences teach about the dangers of remaining sheltered. Although, thankfully, the book wasn't totally predictable, I was able to guess a good portion of the ending.
I was entertained More...
I was entertained More...
Jan 03, 2009
e.a.
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Sep 11, 2011
Asya
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This is the first book in the Land of Elyon series geared toward the upper elementary chapter book demographic. This book follows the adventures of a young girl as she ventures into a forbidden area beyond the protective walls of her society. The author explores the downside of living in a cloistered society forbidding the exploration of the unknown and creating penal colonies away from the greater community. Of course this is presented in a way that will be of interest to both children and the
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Oct 31, 2010
Larissa
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Twelve year old Alexa has spent her whole life confined within the city walls of Bridewell longing to see more, longing to explore a world beyond the walls. But the walls were built to protect those living in the city, they were built to keep the dangers out and it was against the law to leave. But what if the real danger was not outside the walls but within?
Alexa would spend her days in the city playing as a spy, hiding in the shadows. Then when she discovered a key, a secret passagew More...
Alexa would spend her days in the city playing as a spy, hiding in the shadows. Then when she discovered a key, a secret passagew More...
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May 06, 2010
Askaniblue
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The book takes place in an interesting world where everyone lives in walled cities connected by walled roads. No one goes beyond the walls ever, though the main character (a young girl) yearns to explore outside the walls. She soon has to venture out when the leader of their cities dies with a warning of a hidden danger. An interesting premise, I grant you, and I have to say the first half of the book was very entertaining. The girl is engaging and you like her immediately. Unfortunately, the mo
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Feb 23, 2010
Rachel
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Alexa Daley travels to Bridewell with her father,Bridewell has many rooms,secrets,and mysteries.Alexa doesnt discover this till her good friend Thomas Warlvold dies vwhile she is spending time with him.She discovers a key after he dies and goes through room after room trying to find where the key fits.She unlocks a magical place called Elyon where she can talk to animals by a certain necklace/stone that she has.She makes alot of animal friends and discovers certain dangers in Elyon.I would say t
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Jan 12, 2010
Becky
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This book left nearly no impression on me. I read it a couple of months ago and forgot about it entirely until I just glanced at my booklist, and realized that a) I never reviewed it, and b) I can’t actually find my copy of it. But here goes what little I remember.
The world building of the book is a little strange. World building seems to be a favorite thing of writer Patrick Carman, as Jess noted it was a major part of Atherton: The House of Power (another Carman work) when she revi More...
The world building of the book is a little strange. World building seems to be a favorite thing of writer Patrick Carman, as Jess noted it was a major part of Atherton: The House of Power (another Carman work) when she revi More...
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Oct 04, 2011
08jaimev
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Oct 21, 2010
Amalia
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The Dark Hills Divide takes us on an exciting and mysterious adventure as we explore the many walls within our lives. Some of these boundaries we impose upon ourselves, some are put upon us by the society in which we live; some are physical, and some are emotional.
The Land of Elyon is divided into four walled and gated cities joined to each other by walled roads. Every gate in every city is guarded. As far as everyone knows, there is no way to the "other" side of the wal More...
The Land of Elyon is divided into four walled and gated cities joined to each other by walled roads. Every gate in every city is guarded. As far as everyone knows, there is no way to the "other" side of the wal More...
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Jun 14, 2010
Jessica
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The Dark Hills Divide is the first book in the Land of Elyon series. Alexa Daley has lived her entire life within walls. She feels that she is destined for big things, and it is this feeling that has her constantly wondering about what lies outside the walls. She is not allowed to even try to look outside the large cement structure that separates her society from the supposed evils that lie in the dark forest just beyond the walls. During the summers, she goes with her dad, a large political
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Nov 05, 2011
Aileen
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The Dark Hills Divide by Patrick Carman is about a spirited and independent twelve year old girl named Alexa Daley. She longs to solve the mystery of what lies beyond the walls that protect and connect the cities of Lathbury, Bridewell, Lunenburg, and Turlock. She finds a tunnel that gives her the opportunity to do just that and she acquires a stone with remarkable powers. She then slowly begins to unravel the truth about the past and future of the Land of Elyon.
This book was well written More...
This book was well written More...
Jan 19, 2010
Camilla
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It was an intriguing albeit familiar story of walled cities; of a curious child wondering what lies outside the tall walls. It was a good young adult fantasy story and the history of why the walls were built were interesting at best. The use of the small colored stones and spyglasses makes it like a child's little game of mystery, but I couldn't relate to the protagonist, Alexa Daley. It could be because I found her 'voice' arrogant and too mature for her age, or was it because the narrative see
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Mar 20, 2009
Jess
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Sep 28, 2011
athena
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HO-LA! Don't you just LOVE the new setup? I do! Right now I am thinking about The Dark Hills Divide, by Patrick Carman. Alexa, the amazing heroine of this series, lives in a walled city, used to keep the monsters of the Dark Hills away. While in the city, she witnesses the death of her very good friend, Warvold. This is just the beginning of an interesting chain of events that results in Alexa discovering a secret that leads her far away, meeting some very strange characters, and trying to save
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Dec 04, 2011
Ival
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I'm usually not a reader of middle-grade fantasy, yet The Dark Hills Divide is a novel I've enjoyed throughout my childhood. The book begins with twelve-year old Alexa Daley and her father. Readers will notice the strong bond between the two as the story progresses. To me, this is an important aspect of the book. Alexa proves herself a caring daughter, but also and independent adventurer. She deeply loves her father, yet she is not afraid to stray away from him at times to satisfy her curiosity
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Jan 23, 2009
Jaemi
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Alexa Daley has always been curious, and gotten into trouble because of it. But when her old friend, and the founder of life as they know it, suddenly dies, Alexa finds herself in an ever-growing web of trouble she isn’t sure how to deal with.
Alone with Warvold at the time of his death, there are those who suspect Alexa of knowing some secret. But all she really has are questions. Why did Warvold tell her that story about the blind men? What does it mean? What’s really outside the ci More...
Alone with Warvold at the time of his death, there are those who suspect Alexa of knowing some secret. But all she really has are questions. Why did Warvold tell her that story about the blind men? What does it mean? What’s really outside the ci More...
Sep 09, 2009
Yakeisha
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THE man charcters are ELYON SAND AND PEPPERS they live in the libray and there are many other people there is a person that guards bridewell yipes is a andventure and {he is a little man mored than two feet tall]his best friend is dauris and one of them has a journey and also writes and a jouranal alexa is there best friend in the world and they all have stuff in commen from telling from the book ELYON has long blond hair but with braids and and from looking from the cover she is holding a somet
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Dec 05, 2009
JulieAnn
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Jul 17, 2009
Amy
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Jun 11, 2010
Telyn
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Uninspired but sweet-tempered children's novel aimed for middle school readers. Borrows heavily from C.S. Lewis and George MacDonald et al.
This is a first novel and would have benefitted from much tighter editing. The premise is charming, including a walled city with a wonderful library, secret passageways and mysterious woods full of unknown dangers beyond, but the execution wasn't very polished. The author tends to passively describe the action rather than actively tell the story, More...
This is a first novel and would have benefitted from much tighter editing. The premise is charming, including a walled city with a wonderful library, secret passageways and mysterious woods full of unknown dangers beyond, but the execution wasn't very polished. The author tends to passively describe the action rather than actively tell the story, More...
Dec 19, 2010
Nick
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Mar 13, 2011
Crystal (Elegantly Bound Books)
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I very much enjoyed reading this book. Although it was a very quick read, there was adventure around every corner. The main character, Alexa, was very smart and cunning for being only twelve years old. She was also extremely trusting of people and taking animals (I don’t care what story you’re in, talking animals are pretty crazy). Towards the end I was actually on the edge of my seat, wondering who the secret evil character was and the author was pretty good at dropping hints making me suspicio
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Feb 09, 2010
Jennifer
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A wonderfully written fantasy for children. Imagine your life, your home, being surrounded by walls...walls that were built to protect against "evil forces" from the outside realms. We meet Alexa, a young curious girl of 12 who is determined to find out what is beyond the wall barrier and what exactly is terrifying the people who live within the wall boundaries. We go on an adventure with Alexa through a series of events that lead her outside the wall. She is lead on a journey, and
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Aug 12, 2009
Holly
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2009 #26: I had already read the prequel Into The Mist to this series, which I liked enough to make me want to read the series. While I liked The Dark Hills Divide, there were a few instances of coincidences that were needed for the journey to go on, that I thought were a bit much to believe. I am hoping that I like the rest of the series enough to make it worth the journey.
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Feb 15, 2009
Rachel
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It started slowly, but when I reached the scene with Alexa and Pervis's chess game in the prison, I realized how much thought the author had put into the story. It's also very well written; the vaguely formal writing style sets a nice tone and there are some very enjoyable descriptive passages. I didn't realize how much I've been craving good, solid mystery fantasy until I picked this up! Talking animals, secret messages in books, traitors and spies... I'm definantly at home ;)
I More...
I More...
Apr 28, 2010
iparks
rated it:
An excellent book with amazing description and talking animals. 12 year Alexa is an adventurer at heart and longs to pass through the outside of the surrounding walls that protects her village from danger. She takes a daily walk with her dear friend Thomas Warvold who is the founder of her village and the creator of the walls. After a long talk they sit and Alexa turn's and immediately discovers that Warvold has died. She finds that he has a silver key in his locket which she suspects leaad
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Mar 08, 2010
Jadmary713
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I liked the book because the idea of talking animals is really cool. Also, I liked the book because the idea of a small child saving the day is sort of like a belief. It's like kids can be hero's too.
I can make a connection with Alexa because when she was in her room looking at the wall, she felt trapped. And sometimes when I want something that I something thatI can't get, it's like I have to climb over a wall in order to get it. My favorite part of the book was when she found her w More...
I can make a connection with Alexa because when she was in her room looking at the wall, she felt trapped. And sometimes when I want something that I something thatI can't get, it's like I have to climb over a wall in order to get it. My favorite part of the book was when she found her w More...
