Patricia Hamill's Blog: I read too much! - Posts Tagged "talking-critters"

The Tree of Mindala by Elle Jacklee

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Wonderful tale!

The Tree of Mindala is perfect for kids and kids at heart. The story unfolds 40 years ago when the magical land, Wunderwood, is under the attack of power-hungry Thornton and his followers. Their goal is to find The Tree of Mindala and steal away it's essence so they alone can decide who can use magic and to what extent. But, although the flora of Wunderwood withers under Thornton's attack and all seems lost, a young man named Truman discovers he could be the key to righting things. And that's just the Prologue!

Fast forward to present day, near Halloween, and we meet Miranda and Marcus. Eleven year old Miranda, ever the daydreamer, reports seeing a mermaid in a pond and gets in trouble when her teacher investigates. Marcus, her pessimistic younger brother, knows this latest antic will lead to nothing but trouble for him. He's right.

Their parents decide to skip the normal Halloween traditions and take the kids to spend a few days at their grandparents' house in the country. Of course, that dashes Marcus' plans to attend a friend's party. But the trip isn't all it seems, and soon the two realize their parents might have something else to discuss with them, something serious. Then things get interesting...

I love several things about The Tree of Mindala. First among these are the characters. The cast includes the charismatic, the sinister, and the downtrodden, but all are believable. I enjoy the variety of creatures and magical beings and the way they interact with each other and Miranda and Marcus. I also enjoy that several of the characters' motives are unclear, keeping me guessing until the very end.

Next, the magical world of Wunderwood engaged my imagination. Such places like the Prophecy Pond, Thornton's Lair, and the hidden base in the Silvercap Mountains bring the story to life. The descriptions are rich without being overbearing, and the images they bring to mind leave a lasting impression. Set aside the story, and the quality of writing is solid, including: character development, conflict/plot, and world-building.

Besides the things I liked, I felt the return to real life and the events leading up to it seemed reminiscent of the way the Pevensie children in Narnia return to the real world in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Plus, while everything else is neatly resolved, we never find out whether Miranda's and Marcus' heroic efforts make a lasting difference for Thornton.

That being said, I would recommend this book as a present for a middle-school aged reader, especially those who love stories with magical creatures, faraway lands and young protagonists who discover strengths they didn't know they possessed. Parents, or adults who enjoy books with a younger cast, may also find this story to their liking.




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Storyteller by Lisa Cresswell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Exciting and magical.

Storyteller is the first book of the Storyteller series. The hero is Lily Lightfoot, a middleschooler with a not-so-secret ability to tell stories that come true. Rather than getting her ahead and making her well-liked, the disasterous outcomes of some of her stories have made her somewhat of a social outcast, leaving her with only one friend, Peter. The story opens with Lily letting her rivalry with former friend, Heather, get the best of her and retaliating with one of her stories.

Now, this plot would be pretty good if this were a story about Lily trying to get a handle on her ability and perhaps earning the peer friendships that it has cost her, but this story is much more than that. When Lily finds a strange book in an abandoned house, she begins to suspect there's more to her history than her Gran is telling her. Soon, she, Peter and Heather find themselves caught up in a struggle for survival against a shapeshifting monster, an evil king, and his minions.

This story blew me away. As a middle grade story, it's a success with plenty of social strife and a little innocent romance. But what really gets me is the world building, the fantasy and the adventure. Plus, there is an element of danger that soon builds into quite a gripping story, nothing at all what I expected in the early chapters. The writing is smooth and easy to read without being simplistic. The plot development is solid, and I really enjoy the unique way Lily learns about her mother.

The character development is also noteworthy. Each person, friend or foe, is unique and believable. The good guys aren't perfect and the bad guys are scary, but not invincible.

Overall I loved this story because it's exciting and reminds me of The Neverending Story. It's one I know I'll read again and again. I recommend this to young and old, anyone who loves fantasy and modern fairy tales.

I was lucky enough to win all three books in this series in a contest.



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The Quest of Galamar by Lisa Cresswell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Turning out to be quite a fairy tale.

The Quest of Galamar picks up where Storyteller left off. Lily, Peter and Heather are now trapped in the True World, a place torn by the onslaught of Formorian invaders, spirit creatures from another realm that steal the bodies of creatures and people alike, using them until they decay beyond help. And they have Lily's grandmother. As Lily learns more and more of Galamar and his quest to steal the powers of the four portal keepers, it becomes apparent that Lily is following in his footsteps, and not by chance. A prophecy tells of one who will complete his quest and turn back time. Unlike many sequels or middle books, this one doesn't lose steam. If anything the danger and the stakes are even higher.

Like the first in the series, The Quest of Galamar is well-written and fresh. There is some kissing, but nothing a middle schooler shouldn't read about, pretty tame. We learn a great deal more about the enemies and history of the fairy tale world the heroes are in, and through it all, there's never a dull moment. I enjoyed how Heather is developed in this story, though I wasn't sure what to think of Jude when he joined the team.

My favorite parts of the book were when Lily was reading about Galamar. Strangely enough, these were also the source of my biggest beef with the story. Lily would be interupted by her companions or "real life" right in the middle of a tale and never seemed to get back to the same story. I guess it bugged me because I like to read stories from start to finish, while Lily seems to be a bit of a browser, reading this or that on a whim. But, the snippets we do get of the history of Galamar are quite good, and I was always happy to see another one start, even knowing I probably wouldn't get the whole story.

Overall, this is another fine installment in the Storyteller series. Those who liked the style and direction the first book was taking will likely enjoy this one, too. I recommend reading them in order and having all three books in your possession before you start, because you won't want to stop once you get going.

I was lucky to have won a copy of all three books in the series in a contest.



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The Last Page by Lisa Cresswell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


And they all lived happily ever after...

The story picks up right where it left off in book 2. Lily and her companions continue their quest for Galamar's gems, and the Formorians step up their efforts to find and destroy her. Peter's delima, Merab's back story, and the legendary feats of Galamar are also key to the resolution of the story. I don't want to spoil anything, so that's all I'll say about what happens in the book.

I think this is an excellent wrap to the series. Things hinted at in the first two books are revealed and resolved in this one. The author did a good job bringing this story to a close in a satisfying way, though a couple things felt like they were resolved a little too perfectly. Some of the details seemed to come out of nowhere, making them less believable.

I found myself getting a bit confused as to the order of Galamar's feats. The quests are revealed in bits and pieces when Lily reads about them as she tries to figure out what she and her companions should do in their real-time quest. Since the heroes are not visiting the portals in the order that Galamar did, it makes it hard to keep them straight. I think this started in book 2 and just continued into The Last Page. That being said, I enjoyed the legend and I think it would be fantastic if Galamar's story wound up in its own volume some day.

Overall, I really liked this book and felt satisfied at it's conclusion, though the ending seemed a little too perfect and the history gets a little confusing at times. I would recommend this book to those who love fantasy, fairy tales, youthful heroes, and quests.

As a series, I loved Storyteller. I highly recommend picking up all three books because you won't want to stop once you get started. The three books read like a single volume, though each one has a climax and partial resolution that leads to the next. The story, while scary in parts, is appropriate for middle-schoolers and would likely keep the interest of young readers.

I was lucky enough to win all three books in this series in a contest


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Let's Kidnap The President by Lalit Bhatt

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Enjoyable, good story. Needs some polishing, but worth a read...

Let's Kidnap the President is an entertaining read featuring the self-discovery and self-actualization of four monkeys from the jungles of India. Monkeys typically live to meet their basic needs, but these four soon become dissatisfied with their lot, and the Boss has noticed, making things very difficult for them.

They finally decide to leave their group and end up in a village, where they begin to want more for themselves, though initially their goals are limited to returning to their group and overthrowing the Boss. From that point, the story follows them through self-awareness, self-identity and personal growth, and eventually, their desire for riches and renown, which ultimately leads to the quest that names this book.

The growth of the monkeys into individuals is well portrayed and entertaining. Their quest is humorous and yet sprinkled with the psychology and science at the heart of their progression. Maslow's hierarchy is used, as are philosophies from Indian culture. The four make mistakes, learn from them, and discover that they are more and can be more than they'd ever imagined. Occasional shifts to humans trying to figure out these four strange monkeys add to the entertainment value.

Overall, this book is smart, well-thought, and well-researched. However, the language use is rough, and the book needs some serious editing. The good side is that would only be for grammar and usage, not content, plot, etc. Despite the grammar, I enjoyed this story. There are some beautiful passages, often insightful and sometimes even musical. I hope that one day this gem can be polished.

I would recommend this lighthearted, though insightful, story to those who enjoy allegory and humor and who don't mind some rough edges.

I found this story while it was on a free promotion on Amazon, but I can't remember exactly when. This one's been on my kindle for a long time, perhaps a couple of years. Anyway, I'm glad I picked it up.



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Blast of the Dragon's Fury by L.R.W. Lee

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Adventure, moral lessons, and humor.
This is a story about a regular kid who gets magically transported to the Land of Oomaldee, where he is tasked with ending a 500 year old curse that cloaks that land in perpetual fog, among other things.

There were quite a few things I enjoyed about this story, particularly the humor (much of it anyway). The method for clearing away the fog was amusing. I liked how Andy, throughout the story, discovers things about himself and begins to improve. The story was easy to read and obviously written with an eye for teaching moral and life lessons. The author even has a webpage where parents can find discussion questions to use with their kids to take advantage of the morals of the story.

As for the things that I didn't especially like, I'd have to say the Elmer Fudd accent of one of the main characters was high on the list. I think it was meant to be funny, but it didn't come off that way. I also thought the crime that sparked the curse was too much for a book aimed at middleschoolers, plus the battles were much more bloody than I expected to find in an otherwise amusing and entertaining children's book.

Overall, I liked the book but would caution parents to read it before giving it to their children. Many of the lessons and morals in the story are well executed, but some of the violence was a bit too much for the intended audience. The humor was overall well-executed, but sometimes overdone. I think middleschoolers might like this, though I don't think it would appeal to teenagers.

I found this book on Amazon while it was on a free promotion. I also enjoy following the author on Twitter. Her posts are always fun.



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