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Everworld #8
Brave the Betrayal
David, Christopher, Jalil and April have a new mission, to get to Egypt to seek out the person who may be able to help fulfill their promise to the Coo-Hatch. But first they need to get through the Hetwan lines surrounding Mount Olympus and survive the African savanna. Except in this Everworld-version of an African savanna, nothing is as it seems, and a sacrifice will be demanded of the group if they want to survive.
197 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 2000
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K.A. Applegate
251 books488 followersalso published under the name Katherine Applegate
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
November 30, 2022
The second transitional book in the series. Going from mount Olympus, they cross an African Savannah en route to meet Isis.
This one is all about character. Jalil is easily the most exciting point of view and his voice carries this book from start to finish. He might be weak compared to his companions but he has a brain and he will never stop trying to figure things out. If a caveman sees a clock, he will call it magic. If Jalil sees a clock, he will break it down piece by piece, trying to see for himself what makes it tick. In the same vein, he is trying to figure out Senna and Everworld. That makes the Jalil books such a pleasure to read.
In terms of world building though and perhaps even plot, this might be the weakest in the series. The new god of the week, Eshu, was really weak compared to the other gods, but he was interesting and served his role well.
This one is all about character. Jalil is easily the most exciting point of view and his voice carries this book from start to finish. He might be weak compared to his companions but he has a brain and he will never stop trying to figure things out. If a caveman sees a clock, he will call it magic. If Jalil sees a clock, he will break it down piece by piece, trying to see for himself what makes it tick. In the same vein, he is trying to figure out Senna and Everworld. That makes the Jalil books such a pleasure to read.
In terms of world building though and perhaps even plot, this might be the weakest in the series. The new god of the week, Eshu, was really weak compared to the other gods, but he was interesting and served his role well.
February 16, 2016
Things I liked:
- Jalil's narration, as always; his exasperation with Everworld's logic (or lack thereof). His adorable girl-related nerves in the real world. His seizing control over Senna, trying to find ways to one-up her (frankly, he's the only person who's really managed!).
- Senna continuing to be a stone-cold self-serving bitch. I probably couldn't stand it if she was with the team non-stop, but her drifting in and out of their lives keeps things interesting, because she's such an unpredictable, untrustworthy wildcard, and I appreciate having such an antagonistic not-ally around.
- Christopher/Jalil's friendship!! I love that the book opens with them hanging out at Taco Bell? I love Christopher teasing him about girls?? I love Jalil coming to his rescue in the real world??? From what seems like such race-related antagonism on the surface, they're such a delightfully well-matched odd couple and do seem to really, genuinely get along, especially now that Christopher's trying to be better.
- The inclusion of Eshu and Yoruba mythology (so obscure to me, in fact, that I had to look it up). Bless you, Applegate, for exploring lesser-known and diverse mythologies and broadening readers' horizons.
- Seeing the again! I had such an unexpected surge of warm fuzzy feelings at that continuity; it was like seeing old friends once more.
- I'm also letting this one have the 'race and race relations' shelf because, while they've touched on it before, it feels more front-and-center in this book: the Neo-Nazis storyline is ramping up and getting real (this is going to go Nowhere Good and I'm really excited about it). Plus I just love, love, love Jalil's annoyance about David assuming he'll know everything about African mythology; the team implicitly assuming he should be the one to speak to Eshu; his angry deflecting monologue is way more in-your-face wrt race relations than, well, probably anything else I was reading at that age. That said, it still feels like it's just skimming the surface; the issues are there, and they get discussed, but they don't lead anywhere in particular yet.
Not-great things: Structure, as always. This entire book is literally a tangent/diversion from the quest they set out for, just an obstacle in their path -- so much so that I almost bumped it down to 2, but I'm feeling more charitable because this is a Jalil book and I think the diversity it exhibits makes up for it. AND THAT SWEET MOMENT WITH APRIL. Despite these books being fairly plainly-written, you can really tell that KAA is the more literary half of her writing duo.
Favourite quotes re-typed:
- Jalil's narration, as always; his exasperation with Everworld's logic (or lack thereof). His adorable girl-related nerves in the real world. His seizing control over Senna, trying to find ways to one-up her (frankly, he's the only person who's really managed!).
- Senna continuing to be a stone-cold self-serving bitch. I probably couldn't stand it if she was with the team non-stop, but her drifting in and out of their lives keeps things interesting, because she's such an unpredictable, untrustworthy wildcard, and I appreciate having such an antagonistic not-ally around.
- Christopher/Jalil's friendship!! I love that the book opens with them hanging out at Taco Bell? I love Christopher teasing him about girls?? I love Jalil coming to his rescue in the real world??? From what seems like such race-related antagonism on the surface, they're such a delightfully well-matched odd couple and do seem to really, genuinely get along, especially now that Christopher's trying to be better.
- The inclusion of Eshu and Yoruba mythology (so obscure to me, in fact, that I had to look it up). Bless you, Applegate, for exploring lesser-known and diverse mythologies and broadening readers' horizons.
- Seeing the again! I had such an unexpected surge of warm fuzzy feelings at that continuity; it was like seeing old friends once more.
- I'm also letting this one have the 'race and race relations' shelf because, while they've touched on it before, it feels more front-and-center in this book: the Neo-Nazis storyline is ramping up and getting real (this is going to go Nowhere Good and I'm really excited about it). Plus I just love, love, love Jalil's annoyance about David assuming he'll know everything about African mythology; the team implicitly assuming he should be the one to speak to Eshu; his angry deflecting monologue is way more in-your-face wrt race relations than, well, probably anything else I was reading at that age. That said, it still feels like it's just skimming the surface; the issues are there, and they get discussed, but they don't lead anywhere in particular yet.
Not-great things: Structure, as always. This entire book is literally a tangent/diversion from the quest they set out for, just an obstacle in their path -- so much so that I almost bumped it down to 2, but I'm feeling more charitable because this is a Jalil book and I think the diversity it exhibits makes up for it. AND THAT SWEET MOMENT WITH APRIL. Despite these books being fairly plainly-written, you can really tell that KAA is the more literary half of her writing duo.
Favourite quotes re-typed:
December 3, 2015
The EverWorld team are on their way to look for Senna’s mother, who might be powerful enough to open a portal between EverWorld and the coo-Hatch’s home world so they can go home, rather than take over EverWorld. The group is forced to flee from the Ancient Greece part of EverWorld and travel through s mysterious African landscape where nothing is as it seems and their lives are in more danger than ever.
This book is told from Jalil’s point of view. I like to think that Jalil has matured and his character has been irrevocably altered by being in EverWorld and that he no longer needs his OCD in the real world, but apparently that’s Senna’s favourite taunt. Jalil has grown and matured but he’s still thinking about EverWorld logically. He’s not becoming one with the world yet.
This book did a really good job of exploring the little known African gods and culture. With full respect, it was some of the scariest shit I’ve read. It was pretty graphic and imaginative. It was basically a story of survival in a hostile region. I just didn’t understand how the Vikings showed up out of nowhere to save the gang’s butt once again. But I guess even Senna’s power has its limits.
I also liked the cutting back and forth to the real world where Jalil seems to be the only one actually having a life. He’s dating a cute girl and saving Christopher’s ass from being beaten. In contrast to the last book, April’s real life was boring, but Jalil’s manages to still be interesting even when we’re not facing raging gods who want to eat your face.
This book is told from Jalil’s point of view. I like to think that Jalil has matured and his character has been irrevocably altered by being in EverWorld and that he no longer needs his OCD in the real world, but apparently that’s Senna’s favourite taunt. Jalil has grown and matured but he’s still thinking about EverWorld logically. He’s not becoming one with the world yet.
This book did a really good job of exploring the little known African gods and culture. With full respect, it was some of the scariest shit I’ve read. It was pretty graphic and imaginative. It was basically a story of survival in a hostile region. I just didn’t understand how the Vikings showed up out of nowhere to save the gang’s butt once again. But I guess even Senna’s power has its limits.
I also liked the cutting back and forth to the real world where Jalil seems to be the only one actually having a life. He’s dating a cute girl and saving Christopher’s ass from being beaten. In contrast to the last book, April’s real life was boring, but Jalil’s manages to still be interesting even when we’re not facing raging gods who want to eat your face.
April 13, 2017
From the beginning, there seems to be a clear-cut path for Jalil, April, David, Christopher, and Senna to follow: take the horses to the edge of the Greek lands, then on foot to Egyptian territory, to track down Senna’s mother. Except, by the end of this book (spoiler!) they still have not arrived in Egyptian territory. Okay, so we have the suggestion that we’ll get a solid plot arc in this book, but that is not exactly how it pans out.
Instead, we get a lot more into Jalil’s head, and his self-questioning and also his stubbornness to stick to what he knows is “real.” Which is not a bad thing, as Jalil and April are (for me) the most fun minds to get perspective from. There was also some solid, good humor in this one – Christopher is doing a LOT better on this front. It was also nice to see more of Jalil’s “real world” life, as I have started wondering more and more how their “real world” lives are progressing. Since we only follow where the Everworld-versions go, they seem more “real,” and like the person in the real world is merely a shadow, one that the Everworld-versions visit occasionally, usually for a respite. But now Jalil is getting tangled up in Christopher’s real world problems (on top of Jalil’s own budding romance), and I am really, really curious to see how that is going to pan out. I also enjoyed seeing Jalil address more clearly the divergences between his Everworld and real world selves.
As for the Big Issues addressed: there are not so many in this book, as most of the BI territory is reserved for Jalil struggling to assert control over the forces around him (not quite a BI, but it plays out as one, in a way), and figuring out how to determine what makes something real, and the implications of that. A bit of a hark back to Enter the Enchanted (Everworld #3), really, though from a different angle. Though Jalil’s need to assert control does bring up some interesting points – how many people are you willing to hurt or threaten in order to take that control? And how close will it take you to becoming like the person you so despise for doing the very same thing?
Oh, there is the BI sort of addressed insofar as David tries to turn to Jalil to take over the interactions with Eshu, the African minor god (thank you Julie for looking up the mythology – Yoruba! Talk about some creepy crazy stuff – just try to imagine that landscape, for one, and then the images of the gods themselves--!), and Jalil basically passive-aggressively calling him out for that sort of stereotyping – and then flat-out refusing to take the responsibility, leaving it to David. But then Jalil (and April) end up taking the responsibility back, with their flat refusals to give sacrifices to the Orisha and other gods. I did enjoy this power struggle between Jalil/April and the African gods, which is a nice nod back to April’s crisis of faith in the last book, and carries through Jalil’s determination to refuse letting others have power over him (like his OCD does in the real world – though I’m kind of surprised the wet/muddy knees didn’t seem to trigger anything?).
I loved seeing again, and it was some nice warm fuzzies. And I admit, I started to almost tear up a bit at the very end (the circumstances of getting to hear/read their special song). That was really, really touching.
Quotes:
Instead, we get a lot more into Jalil’s head, and his self-questioning and also his stubbornness to stick to what he knows is “real.” Which is not a bad thing, as Jalil and April are (for me) the most fun minds to get perspective from. There was also some solid, good humor in this one – Christopher is doing a LOT better on this front. It was also nice to see more of Jalil’s “real world” life, as I have started wondering more and more how their “real world” lives are progressing. Since we only follow where the Everworld-versions go, they seem more “real,” and like the person in the real world is merely a shadow, one that the Everworld-versions visit occasionally, usually for a respite. But now Jalil is getting tangled up in Christopher’s real world problems (on top of Jalil’s own budding romance), and I am really, really curious to see how that is going to pan out. I also enjoyed seeing Jalil address more clearly the divergences between his Everworld and real world selves.
As for the Big Issues addressed: there are not so many in this book, as most of the BI territory is reserved for Jalil struggling to assert control over the forces around him (not quite a BI, but it plays out as one, in a way), and figuring out how to determine what makes something real, and the implications of that. A bit of a hark back to Enter the Enchanted (Everworld #3), really, though from a different angle. Though Jalil’s need to assert control does bring up some interesting points – how many people are you willing to hurt or threaten in order to take that control? And how close will it take you to becoming like the person you so despise for doing the very same thing?
Oh, there is the BI sort of addressed insofar as David tries to turn to Jalil to take over the interactions with Eshu, the African minor god (thank you Julie for looking up the mythology – Yoruba! Talk about some creepy crazy stuff – just try to imagine that landscape, for one, and then the images of the gods themselves--!), and Jalil basically passive-aggressively calling him out for that sort of stereotyping – and then flat-out refusing to take the responsibility, leaving it to David. But then Jalil (and April) end up taking the responsibility back, with their flat refusals to give sacrifices to the Orisha and other gods. I did enjoy this power struggle between Jalil/April and the African gods, which is a nice nod back to April’s crisis of faith in the last book, and carries through Jalil’s determination to refuse letting others have power over him (like his OCD does in the real world – though I’m kind of surprised the wet/muddy knees didn’t seem to trigger anything?).
I loved seeing again, and it was some nice warm fuzzies. And I admit, I started to almost tear up a bit at the very end (the circumstances of getting to hear/read their special song). That was really, really touching.
Quotes:
October 2, 2020
02 Oct 2020
Plot: Five teenagers stuck in parallel world of gods and myths have to get through the African Savannah, only to encounter vengeful minor gods.
1. Expanded plot summary:
2. Land of Loss had a bunch of filler moments, but it made sense for the most part. Brave the Betrayal? Maybe not so much. I feel like we needed to get Jalil's book out of the way before we could get to Senna, and that meant introducing a conflict that only juuuuust escapes Idiot Ball category. April and Jalil ride a wave of indignation into what's basically the conflict for the whole book. It does give us maybe a couple of interesting character moments, but for the most part it's a bit of a letdown from characters who have been (mostly) pragmatic as hell so far.
3. I feel like this book had two objectives- establish how much Jalil and Senna hate each other, and establish Senna's growing powers. The other characters didn't really have much to do in this one. There's a real-world scene with Christopher and Jalil which I actually found more interesting than most of what happened in Everworld, but that was it. For the most part everyone travels through a disorienting underworld and tries to get out of it.
4. Look, I understand why everyone is mad. Hell, fresh off the triumphs of the last book I understand why everyone is confident enough to tell the local gods to fuck off. And yeah- they repeatedly acknowledge how dumb they are being. But they are This was a massively dissatisfying plotline. I can squint and make sense of all the character motivations, but it essentially leads nowhere. We're left worse off (but not by much) at the end of the book, and it was depressing as hell. This entire book felt like a car going around in circles, and it wasn't even emotionally exhausting enough to get a grunt of acknowledgement from me. It was just pointless.
5. And yes, real life is often pointless and people including me do dumb stuff etc. All of that is fine. But Brave the Betrayal comes in at the heels of multiple Everworld books with character growth and plot progression, and it doesn't acquit itself well by comparison.
Plot: Five teenagers stuck in parallel world of gods and myths have to get through the African Savannah, only to encounter vengeful minor gods.
1. Expanded plot summary:
2. Land of Loss had a bunch of filler moments, but it made sense for the most part. Brave the Betrayal? Maybe not so much. I feel like we needed to get Jalil's book out of the way before we could get to Senna, and that meant introducing a conflict that only juuuuust escapes Idiot Ball category. April and Jalil ride a wave of indignation into what's basically the conflict for the whole book. It does give us maybe a couple of interesting character moments, but for the most part it's a bit of a letdown from characters who have been (mostly) pragmatic as hell so far.
3. I feel like this book had two objectives- establish how much Jalil and Senna hate each other, and establish Senna's growing powers. The other characters didn't really have much to do in this one. There's a real-world scene with Christopher and Jalil which I actually found more interesting than most of what happened in Everworld, but that was it. For the most part everyone travels through a disorienting underworld and tries to get out of it.
4. Look, I understand why everyone is mad. Hell, fresh off the triumphs of the last book I understand why everyone is confident enough to tell the local gods to fuck off. And yeah- they repeatedly acknowledge how dumb they are being. But they are This was a massively dissatisfying plotline. I can squint and make sense of all the character motivations, but it essentially leads nowhere. We're left worse off (but not by much) at the end of the book, and it was depressing as hell. This entire book felt like a car going around in circles, and it wasn't even emotionally exhausting enough to get a grunt of acknowledgement from me. It was just pointless.
5. And yes, real life is often pointless and people including me do dumb stuff etc. All of that is fine. But Brave the Betrayal comes in at the heels of multiple Everworld books with character growth and plot progression, and it doesn't acquit itself well by comparison.
January 21, 2015
This was so so good. Love Jalil. Hate Senna.
May 19, 2020
A 3.5.
So apparently this is the last book we will be getting from Jalil’s POV as the cycle now is complete and since one book out of the remaining four will be narrated by Senna (ick). What a shame.
This book was alright, another book where they travel (how misleading from the start!). However, I did definitely see some character development in both David and Christopher which I appreciate. Interesting to see a different side and especially where Jalil, all about that reasoning and logic, narrates it.
They were some aspects of the book where I couldn’t help but roll my eyes but then reminded myself YET again that this was written over two decades ago. It’s still an enjoyable read though.
I am curious to see what Senna has to say to justify her shit from the very first book so let’s go.
So apparently this is the last book we will be getting from Jalil’s POV as the cycle now is complete and since one book out of the remaining four will be narrated by Senna (ick). What a shame.
This book was alright, another book where they travel (how misleading from the start!). However, I did definitely see some character development in both David and Christopher which I appreciate. Interesting to see a different side and especially where Jalil, all about that reasoning and logic, narrates it.
They were some aspects of the book where I couldn’t help but roll my eyes but then reminded myself YET again that this was written over two decades ago. It’s still an enjoyable read though.
I am curious to see what Senna has to say to justify her shit from the very first book so let’s go.
June 28, 2021
3.5 stars. The African (Yoruba) book, when the cast are delayed by Eshu while making the long trek towards Egypt. I worry that I like this more because I'm less familiar with the mythology and so less frustrated to see it poorly represented--but this book is such a pleasant change. The gods feel significantly more divine, there's some fun (if incomprehensible) imagery in the second half, and Jalil is easily the strongest narrator. He's put on the spot by being Black in an African setting, and it's rendered with pleasant nuance that integrates nicely to both immediate and ongoing tensions and even improves other character arcs, specifically for April and Christopher. I've been feeling a little burned out on this series, but this installment reminds me why I'm reading it.
May 3, 2022
Slightly less depressing. So I appreciate that. There's something nice to be said about that for sure.
They travel through some part of Africa and meet an Orisha and defy the African gods when they haven't defied any others.
The plot with Christopher and the nazi terrorist cell heats up a little, and I think that's the last book that I have access to, so I'm not sure I'll be able to finish the series, but at least it's a slightly better wrapping up place than some of the other books.
They travel through some part of Africa and meet an Orisha and defy the African gods when they haven't defied any others.
The plot with Christopher and the nazi terrorist cell heats up a little, and I think that's the last book that I have access to, so I'm not sure I'll be able to finish the series, but at least it's a slightly better wrapping up place than some of the other books.
June 29, 2019
Cool upside down reversal world, where the grass is blue and the sky is green etc.
December 19, 2020
(Some minor spoilers below)
Book 8 in the series is from Jalil's perspective, and there is a lot that I liked in this book.
I like that Jalil is still trying to rationalise Everworld, for example the sudden shift from Mediterranean climate to African Savanna in just a few steps. But he also realises that the Everworld versions of themselves are diverging from their real world counterparts. It's a subtle shift, but a shift nonetheless.
I also like seeing the bonding that is happening between Jalil and Christopher. They are not only hanging out more in the real world but also sticking up for each other now.
David has over the series become a strategist and a proper general. He really came into his own at the battle of Olympus, and has matured a lot since then. April puts it best when she says that while some people have trouble accepting responsibility, David has trouble not accepting it. He also has real foresight, and thinks many steps ahead to future battles. And now that Athena forced Senna to break her compulsion over him, he is finally (somewhat) freer of her influence. So yeah, David is certainly growing on me.
Applegate does one thing quite well: action sequences. The carriage ride down Mount Olympus was entertaining because it was exactly the sort of trainwreck I myself would no doubt experience if I tried it, so it was very relatable. Fight scenes are well written, especially as they often show the four teens blundering about. None of them are trained warriors, so this makes sense.
I really liked the glimpse of the mirror world shown to us in this book, as it is very unique. However I wish Applegate had shown us more of the Orisha. There are so many different deities, and though she does introduce some of them at one point, all we get is a few physical descriptions. These in themselves are fascinating enough that I really wanted to know more, but we never even got told their names. Which is sad. The Greek pantheon we saw in the previous book is so well-known, and yet still got more page time than the Orisha.
Now, regarding the plot: I'm not sure Jalil's plan was the smartest thing in the world. In fact, I think he took Eshu's demands a little too personally. So weirdly, for the first time, I found myself agreeing with Senna when she cursed them all out for being stubborn and not making an offering to the great high gods, who literally had the power to kill them all. That, however, is as far as my agreeing with Senna goes. I still don't see anything redeemable in that character.
My final note is on Valhalla. We get a brief glimpse of it here, and I was really hoping it would be true to the descriptions in the Poetic Edda: a golden hall with rafters made of spear-shafts, a roof thatched with shields, and coats of mail draped over its benches. A wolf at the west door, an eagle flying above. None of that is mentioned though, which is a shame.
Nevertheless, I still liked this book. 4 stars.
Book 8 in the series is from Jalil's perspective, and there is a lot that I liked in this book.
I like that Jalil is still trying to rationalise Everworld, for example the sudden shift from Mediterranean climate to African Savanna in just a few steps. But he also realises that the Everworld versions of themselves are diverging from their real world counterparts. It's a subtle shift, but a shift nonetheless.
I also like seeing the bonding that is happening between Jalil and Christopher. They are not only hanging out more in the real world but also sticking up for each other now.
David has over the series become a strategist and a proper general. He really came into his own at the battle of Olympus, and has matured a lot since then. April puts it best when she says that while some people have trouble accepting responsibility, David has trouble not accepting it. He also has real foresight, and thinks many steps ahead to future battles. And now that Athena forced Senna to break her compulsion over him, he is finally (somewhat) freer of her influence. So yeah, David is certainly growing on me.
Applegate does one thing quite well: action sequences. The carriage ride down Mount Olympus was entertaining because it was exactly the sort of trainwreck I myself would no doubt experience if I tried it, so it was very relatable. Fight scenes are well written, especially as they often show the four teens blundering about. None of them are trained warriors, so this makes sense.
I really liked the glimpse of the mirror world shown to us in this book, as it is very unique. However I wish Applegate had shown us more of the Orisha. There are so many different deities, and though she does introduce some of them at one point, all we get is a few physical descriptions. These in themselves are fascinating enough that I really wanted to know more, but we never even got told their names. Which is sad. The Greek pantheon we saw in the previous book is so well-known, and yet still got more page time than the Orisha.
Now, regarding the plot: I'm not sure Jalil's plan was the smartest thing in the world. In fact, I think he took Eshu's demands a little too personally. So weirdly, for the first time, I found myself agreeing with Senna when she cursed them all out for being stubborn and not making an offering to the great high gods, who literally had the power to kill them all. That, however, is as far as my agreeing with Senna goes. I still don't see anything redeemable in that character.
My final note is on Valhalla. We get a brief glimpse of it here, and I was really hoping it would be true to the descriptions in the Poetic Edda: a golden hall with rafters made of spear-shafts, a roof thatched with shields, and coats of mail draped over its benches. A wolf at the west door, an eagle flying above. None of that is mentioned though, which is a shame.
Nevertheless, I still liked this book. 4 stars.
July 22, 2012
Interesting tale dealing with African mythology which I have never studied and thus don't know the extent of fabrication and true belief, but still fun to learn something you have some understanding about such as the Greek myths which have been read too many times to count. Jalil also provides an unique perspective, probably my second favorite narrator in the series after April.
August 21, 2008
Now the kids are roaming across a weird mythological version of ancient Africa, trying to avoid placating the local deities with a sacrifice. They end up in a mirror world. Ooh boy.
October 31, 2021
Well. You know, as I’ve been reading these books, I’ve been thinking of them in terms of the whole series. I mean, part of that has got to be the serialized nature of the stories, one bleeding right into the next for the most part, but I’ve thought of it as how do we get the characters from point A to point B—emotionally, psychologically, and physically—over the course of 12 books. But I’m wondering now: did Applegate and Grant know they were writing 12 books? Specifically, at this the eight book BRAVE THE BETRAYAL, did they know how much longer the series would last?
The reason I ask is because this one sure feels like it’s just killing time. I saw some complaints to this effect about FEAR THE FANTASTIC but I didn’t feel that way about the plot of that book. This one… eh. So the group is en route to Egypt, I guess, to beg Senna’s mom to open a gateway to the Coo-Hatch world, which I’m sure she’ll jump at the opportunity to do; but first they get trapped in an African savanna where they are pursued by a Nigerian demigod named Eshu who demands a sacrifice. Jalil defies him and that struggle takes up the rest of the book.
I did like elements of this story. In particular, the moment when Jalil wakes to find himself being eaten alive by lions only to rationalize his way out of what was only an illusion is a very strong scene. The bizarre “opposite” world Eshu throws them in when they fail to comply is also intriguing. David does more sincere leadership here and it is nice to see that continue. I also like Jalil and April’s growing similarities and I like that this book finally comes out and uses the word “atheist” to describe Jalil (although April’s taunting “I thought atheists didn’t believe in evil” irritated me—not least of which because it seemed like she was really backsliding from the cusp of reality she had strode so close to in GATEWAY TO THE GODS). And yes, I’ll admit, I even liked Christopher’s attempts to be less racist. In this book he acknowledges that the Republicans from the copy shop thought he might be one of them and *there was a reason why that was*. He acknowledges he’s been behaving badly and, funny, just doing that is enough to start making him more endearing. Why couldn’t he have done this in *his* book? Dunno.
I didn’t dislike this book, per se, I just don’t feel like it moves the pieces forward in any meaningful way. I guess Jalil officially makes an enemy of Senna; but then, she brought him to be a tool for her so how much of an enemy is she really? I don’t think there’s any deepening of Jalil’s personality, except maybe highlighting a ruthless stubbornness. I suppose one might say that where in the Old World he feels a compulsion to wash his hands seven times or align his notebooks just so, in Everworld he feels compelled to fight to the death no matter the collateral damage. I mean, I guess. I don’t know, I just don’t feel like this book does anything with the characters that we don’t already know from prior books. Getting a look inside Jalil’s head is exciting because he is the most interesting character, but this entry feels so lightweight, especially compared to the epic action of the previous book. I’m breaking up the series with other non-Everworld books after every four and I gotta say I’m a little disappointed to be pausing on this note.
Lastly, the cover. The creature on the cover reminds me of Watto from ‘The Phantom Menace’. It’s supposed to be a Coo-Hatch but it didn’t look *anything* like what I had imagined. Don’t judge a book by its cover but this is probably the worst cover of the series. A real shame.
The reason I ask is because this one sure feels like it’s just killing time. I saw some complaints to this effect about FEAR THE FANTASTIC but I didn’t feel that way about the plot of that book. This one… eh. So the group is en route to Egypt, I guess, to beg Senna’s mom to open a gateway to the Coo-Hatch world, which I’m sure she’ll jump at the opportunity to do; but first they get trapped in an African savanna where they are pursued by a Nigerian demigod named Eshu who demands a sacrifice. Jalil defies him and that struggle takes up the rest of the book.
I did like elements of this story. In particular, the moment when Jalil wakes to find himself being eaten alive by lions only to rationalize his way out of what was only an illusion is a very strong scene. The bizarre “opposite” world Eshu throws them in when they fail to comply is also intriguing. David does more sincere leadership here and it is nice to see that continue. I also like Jalil and April’s growing similarities and I like that this book finally comes out and uses the word “atheist” to describe Jalil (although April’s taunting “I thought atheists didn’t believe in evil” irritated me—not least of which because it seemed like she was really backsliding from the cusp of reality she had strode so close to in GATEWAY TO THE GODS). And yes, I’ll admit, I even liked Christopher’s attempts to be less racist. In this book he acknowledges that the Republicans from the copy shop thought he might be one of them and *there was a reason why that was*. He acknowledges he’s been behaving badly and, funny, just doing that is enough to start making him more endearing. Why couldn’t he have done this in *his* book? Dunno.
I didn’t dislike this book, per se, I just don’t feel like it moves the pieces forward in any meaningful way. I guess Jalil officially makes an enemy of Senna; but then, she brought him to be a tool for her so how much of an enemy is she really? I don’t think there’s any deepening of Jalil’s personality, except maybe highlighting a ruthless stubbornness. I suppose one might say that where in the Old World he feels a compulsion to wash his hands seven times or align his notebooks just so, in Everworld he feels compelled to fight to the death no matter the collateral damage. I mean, I guess. I don’t know, I just don’t feel like this book does anything with the characters that we don’t already know from prior books. Getting a look inside Jalil’s head is exciting because he is the most interesting character, but this entry feels so lightweight, especially compared to the epic action of the previous book. I’m breaking up the series with other non-Everworld books after every four and I gotta say I’m a little disappointed to be pausing on this note.
Lastly, the cover. The creature on the cover reminds me of Watto from ‘The Phantom Menace’. It’s supposed to be a Coo-Hatch but it didn’t look *anything* like what I had imagined. Don’t judge a book by its cover but this is probably the worst cover of the series. A real shame.
September 2, 2019
You ever have one of those moments where you simultaneously want to commend a character's courage and smack them in the back of the head for their stupidity?
On the one hand, Jalil and April's refusal to bow down to the whims of a bunch of tyrannical pagan gods is admirable, because in all honesty, the Everworld gods do not deserve the respect of mortals. Almost all of the gods we've met in this world are just a bunch of spoiled, overgrown toddlers whose sole claim to mortal worship is that they think they're entitled to it, regardless of whether or not they've done anything to earn it. So yeah, it's hard not to cheer at least a little bit when April says she doesn't make sacrifices to false idols and Jalil declares he's not bending his knee to the latest batch of entitled creeps on nothing more than some messenger's say-so. YOU TELL 'EM, JALIL AND APRIL! YOU TELL THOSE SPOILED, ABUSIVE ASSHOLES EXACTLY WHERE THEY CAN STICK THEIR MANDATORY SACRIFICE, BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT PLAYING THEIR GAME ANYMORE!
On the other hand... NO, YOU IDIOTS, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!? Because Jalil is usually more logical than this, and he's missed a fatal flaw in declaring this to be the hill he's choosing to die on, which is that he is in fact going to die there. No matter what your principles, there's no getting around the facts, and the fact of this situation is that they're dealing with a bunch of spoiled, overgrown toddlers with access to almost unlimited power. Whatever you think of the local immortals and however much you might scorn their practices, when it comes right down to it, you can either play the game or you can fry. This comes to a head when Jalil is forced to admit to himself that he's endangered everyone's lives over his pissing contest with Eshu, which in the end was less about principles than it was a knee-jerk reaction of "You can't tell me what to do!"
We also start to see some of Jalil's more unsavory side, in the form of his stubborn refusal to admit that he's wrong about something, even when his insistence on staying the course well past the point of any sanity or logic endangers his teammates' lives as well as his own. In the end, he chooses the coward's way out, and passes the buck to David to give him the order rather than admitting he's made a mistake. Though it was a neat moment when David let him take the lead, and Jalil got a taste of just how hard it is to be in David's shoes.
On the one hand, Jalil and April's refusal to bow down to the whims of a bunch of tyrannical pagan gods is admirable, because in all honesty, the Everworld gods do not deserve the respect of mortals. Almost all of the gods we've met in this world are just a bunch of spoiled, overgrown toddlers whose sole claim to mortal worship is that they think they're entitled to it, regardless of whether or not they've done anything to earn it. So yeah, it's hard not to cheer at least a little bit when April says she doesn't make sacrifices to false idols and Jalil declares he's not bending his knee to the latest batch of entitled creeps on nothing more than some messenger's say-so. YOU TELL 'EM, JALIL AND APRIL! YOU TELL THOSE SPOILED, ABUSIVE ASSHOLES EXACTLY WHERE THEY CAN STICK THEIR MANDATORY SACRIFICE, BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT PLAYING THEIR GAME ANYMORE!
On the other hand... NO, YOU IDIOTS, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!? Because Jalil is usually more logical than this, and he's missed a fatal flaw in declaring this to be the hill he's choosing to die on, which is that he is in fact going to die there. No matter what your principles, there's no getting around the facts, and the fact of this situation is that they're dealing with a bunch of spoiled, overgrown toddlers with access to almost unlimited power. Whatever you think of the local immortals and however much you might scorn their practices, when it comes right down to it, you can either play the game or you can fry. This comes to a head when Jalil is forced to admit to himself that he's endangered everyone's lives over his pissing contest with Eshu, which in the end was less about principles than it was a knee-jerk reaction of "You can't tell me what to do!"
We also start to see some of Jalil's more unsavory side, in the form of his stubborn refusal to admit that he's wrong about something, even when his insistence on staying the course well past the point of any sanity or logic endangers his teammates' lives as well as his own. In the end, he chooses the coward's way out, and passes the buck to David to give him the order rather than admitting he's made a mistake. Though it was a neat moment when David let him take the lead, and Jalil got a taste of just how hard it is to be in David's shoes.
July 16, 2020
Surprise, surprise, Jalil narrates the story that takes place in Africa. Although, in all fairness, I would have hated to read it from any other characters’ point of view.
I’m actually really excited about this, because how often do we hear about African mythologies (I’m purposefully excluding Egypt)? We all know Thor and Zeus and Jupiter. Even Ra from Egypt and Quetzalcoatl from the Aztecs are mentioned frequently enough that we know their names.
But after the grotesque simplification of the Aztec religion, I was scared. If they reduced an entire mythology and pantheon to “this guy eats so many hearts blood flows like a river from the pyramid”, what would Applegate do to an African religion?
And yes, she did oversimplify the Orisha and Eshu. Still accurate, but over simplified. I have the Legacy of Orisha books lined up to read after I finish Everworld, and this book only excited me even more to read about the West African Yoruba religion by a Nigerian American author, because wow, we don’t know anything about them over here!
Anyways, I was happy to have a book that wasn’t overly focused on Jalil’s OCD in the “real world”. I’m fact, his life was positively normal, trying to ask a girl out and everything. Of course Christopher had to ruin it for him. Interesting that it would be Jalil who ran into Christopher getting beat up on by the Aryan Nazis and save him. I’m glad to see Christopher trying to make changes in his life after that though.
In Everworld, our heroes piss off the Orisha by refusing to sacrifice to their gods (April for religious reasons and Jalil for atheist reasons). So they end up in tipsy turvy town with an African deity demanding that they make a sacrifice or die. You would think our heroes would know better than piss off gods by now.
We also see Senna getting stronger and falling into her witch role with more practice. I’m not so sure if that’s a good thing or not yet.
Overall, I’m glad to see Applegate including lesser known mythologies in her story and when I backtrack and remember that these books were written in 1999 and 2000, they’re actually very progressive and address some serious issues of racism and misogyny that are still painfully relevant today. Could she have done a better job of it (especially as a white woman)?Absolutely. Is it still good to have these difficult conversations even if we stumble and mess up? Yes.
I’m actually really excited about this, because how often do we hear about African mythologies (I’m purposefully excluding Egypt)? We all know Thor and Zeus and Jupiter. Even Ra from Egypt and Quetzalcoatl from the Aztecs are mentioned frequently enough that we know their names.
But after the grotesque simplification of the Aztec religion, I was scared. If they reduced an entire mythology and pantheon to “this guy eats so many hearts blood flows like a river from the pyramid”, what would Applegate do to an African religion?
And yes, she did oversimplify the Orisha and Eshu. Still accurate, but over simplified. I have the Legacy of Orisha books lined up to read after I finish Everworld, and this book only excited me even more to read about the West African Yoruba religion by a Nigerian American author, because wow, we don’t know anything about them over here!
Anyways, I was happy to have a book that wasn’t overly focused on Jalil’s OCD in the “real world”. I’m fact, his life was positively normal, trying to ask a girl out and everything. Of course Christopher had to ruin it for him. Interesting that it would be Jalil who ran into Christopher getting beat up on by the Aryan Nazis and save him. I’m glad to see Christopher trying to make changes in his life after that though.
In Everworld, our heroes piss off the Orisha by refusing to sacrifice to their gods (April for religious reasons and Jalil for atheist reasons). So they end up in tipsy turvy town with an African deity demanding that they make a sacrifice or die. You would think our heroes would know better than piss off gods by now.
We also see Senna getting stronger and falling into her witch role with more practice. I’m not so sure if that’s a good thing or not yet.
Overall, I’m glad to see Applegate including lesser known mythologies in her story and when I backtrack and remember that these books were written in 1999 and 2000, they’re actually very progressive and address some serious issues of racism and misogyny that are still painfully relevant today. Could she have done a better job of it (especially as a white woman)?Absolutely. Is it still good to have these difficult conversations even if we stumble and mess up? Yes.
March 8, 2018
Dall'Olimpo all'Africa....a testa in giù (SPOILER)
Avendo capito che l'unico modo per evitare una guerra con i Coo-Hatch che vogliono ritornare nel loro mondo è incontrare la mamma di Senna,sacerdotessa di Iside,la dea Atena spedisce la compagnia di amici verso l'Egitto. Così tutti giù dall'Olimpo a bordo di cocchi guidati dai cavalli,naturalmente parlanti, ma al di là del sacro monte compare una specie di panorama africano,con tanto di dio a guardia. Quello che trovano,proseguendo e cadendo rovinosamente in un pozzo, è un sottomondo dove tutto è al contrario. Senna dialoga un po' di più,ma proprio non la sopporto proprio: è interessata solo ad avere il potere e usa i suoi "amici"per ottenerlo.
Questa altra realtà è come una grande allucinazione e per ritornare all'Everworld di sopra bisogna avvelenare l'albero che cresce sia sopra che sotto e cosa c'è di meglio del sangue di una strega?
E via verso l'Egitto...
I nostri amici sono sempre più legati tra loro, ma la strega è sempre pronta a criticarli,anche se lei di fatto,non ha ancora mosso un dito come si deve; piano piano scopriamo sempre di più di questo bizzarro universo e,quando i nostri ritornano alla realtà hanno sempre degli aggiornamenti da loro stessi che sono ad Everworld.
Avendo capito che l'unico modo per evitare una guerra con i Coo-Hatch che vogliono ritornare nel loro mondo è incontrare la mamma di Senna,sacerdotessa di Iside,la dea Atena spedisce la compagnia di amici verso l'Egitto. Così tutti giù dall'Olimpo a bordo di cocchi guidati dai cavalli,naturalmente parlanti, ma al di là del sacro monte compare una specie di panorama africano,con tanto di dio a guardia. Quello che trovano,proseguendo e cadendo rovinosamente in un pozzo, è un sottomondo dove tutto è al contrario. Senna dialoga un po' di più,ma proprio non la sopporto proprio: è interessata solo ad avere il potere e usa i suoi "amici"per ottenerlo.
Questa altra realtà è come una grande allucinazione e per ritornare all'Everworld di sopra bisogna avvelenare l'albero che cresce sia sopra che sotto e cosa c'è di meglio del sangue di una strega?
E via verso l'Egitto...
I nostri amici sono sempre più legati tra loro, ma la strega è sempre pronta a criticarli,anche se lei di fatto,non ha ancora mosso un dito come si deve; piano piano scopriamo sempre di più di questo bizzarro universo e,quando i nostri ritornano alla realtà hanno sempre degli aggiornamenti da loro stessi che sono ad Everworld.
January 3, 2022
This book had its ups and downs. The parallel world was hard to comprehend for awhile and still some parts of it made no sense to me. It kind of wrecked a big part of the experience.On the other hand, the gang reuniting with the vikings was something I was so so happy to see. "the Vikes are marching on!"
I love seeing Jalil's character grow and develop. Seeing him go slightly mad was unexpected and him defending Christopher in the "real world" was nice. I didn't mention this last time but, as someone with OCD, I am so invested in Jalil's character. It really got me the first time in this series (maybe book 6?) That Senna made that poke about his OCD. Of course, she had to do it again in this book.
Senna angers me more and more every time but also becomes more clear with what she can do to people. She herself, however, will always confuse me.
Eshu really ticked me off. I am so glad he is gone. Don't get me wrong, we all love to hate, but I would have lost my mind if I had to deal with him throughout two books.
Overall, the scenery is always hard in these books to visualize. But other than that very annoying piece, it was great!
I love seeing Jalil's character grow and develop. Seeing him go slightly mad was unexpected and him defending Christopher in the "real world" was nice. I didn't mention this last time but, as someone with OCD, I am so invested in Jalil's character. It really got me the first time in this series (maybe book 6?) That Senna made that poke about his OCD. Of course, she had to do it again in this book.
Senna angers me more and more every time but also becomes more clear with what she can do to people. She herself, however, will always confuse me.
Eshu really ticked me off. I am so glad he is gone. Don't get me wrong, we all love to hate, but I would have lost my mind if I had to deal with him throughout two books.
Overall, the scenery is always hard in these books to visualize. But other than that very annoying piece, it was great!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2021
On their way to Egypt to find that bitch Senna's mom, our intrepid troop, now in Jalil's pov, stumbles upon the African afterlife...a mirror of EverWorld where the grass is blue and the sky is green. Not only do they have to find their way across this coo-coo upside down world, but they are also trying to avoid making a sacrifice so some really needy gods.
Not only do they have problems in EW, but now Christopher has to deal with neo-nazis threatening his family.
Ive grown quite fond of all the charaters. Jalil started as a know it all, but has evolved, along with the rest of the cast, into better people. Christopher is slowly unlearning his racist ways. David has become a real leader and April has become very determined not to lose her own faith in her "one true God". Senna's still a cold bitch, though.
Not only do they have problems in EW, but now Christopher has to deal with neo-nazis threatening his family.
Ive grown quite fond of all the charaters. Jalil started as a know it all, but has evolved, along with the rest of the cast, into better people. Christopher is slowly unlearning his racist ways. David has become a real leader and April has become very determined not to lose her own faith in her "one true God". Senna's still a cold bitch, though.
April 4, 2020
For the teenargers, David, Christopher, Jalil and April, another trip to EverWold finds them seeking to reach Egypt. To do so they must cross a desert filled with enemies endeavoring to kill them and animals who pursue them.
Narrator of this adventure is Jalil who at one point finds himself engulfed in flames. Realizing that he is dying, Jalil's terror for himself and those with him is immense only to discover that the experience is only illusion. Who or what caused this explerience? April, too, encounters a terrifying illusion. The character causing these events takes many forms. Somehow the group must outwit him to complete their journey.
In addition, life in their own world continues with its own challenges. Jalil meets a young woman he wants to date and must help Christopher who is threatened with a beating. Moving from EverWorld to their true lives is confusing and stressful. When will this all end?
Narrator of this adventure is Jalil who at one point finds himself engulfed in flames. Realizing that he is dying, Jalil's terror for himself and those with him is immense only to discover that the experience is only illusion. Who or what caused this explerience? April, too, encounters a terrifying illusion. The character causing these events takes many forms. Somehow the group must outwit him to complete their journey.
In addition, life in their own world continues with its own challenges. Jalil meets a young woman he wants to date and must help Christopher who is threatened with a beating. Moving from EverWorld to their true lives is confusing and stressful. When will this all end?
June 21, 2017
Brave the Betrayal (stretching the alliterative titles to a breaking point) features more Jalil, who may be the best narrator. More existential questions about the makeup of Everworld are answered and raised as the four kids make their way through Africa. For the first time the kids are not merely at the mercy of the gods, but are expected make tangible obesience, and Jalil and April find themselves unlikely allies in their stubbornness. Eshu the messenger is a creepily disinterested minor diety, and we get a satisfying conclusion to the Viking story thread.
April 15, 2018
This series continues to deliver. This time the group enters the territory of a group of African gods, represented by the trickster god Eshu. The narrator of this volume, Jalil, refuses to make a sacrifice to appease the gods, invoking their wrath. Most of the book takes place in a bizarre backwards world, with blue clouds in a white sky and upside-down mountains shaped like Vs instead of ^.
It's worth mentioning that despite the fact that while the writing avoids swearing besides the occasional "crap," this book contains a grisly first person account of being ripped apart by lions.
It's worth mentioning that despite the fact that while the writing avoids swearing besides the occasional "crap," this book contains a grisly first person account of being ripped apart by lions.
March 5, 2019
Yawn. Boring. Besides one scene in the real world, no plot actually progresses in this book. They weren't at Egypt when they started this book and they still aren't at Egypt when they finish. In the meantime they meet some people who all die, and waste some time dicking around with a "We're Americans rah rah!" speech that is clearly a plot hole in the service of needing ACTION TO HAPPEN.
You can comfortably skip this one without missing anything in the series.
You can comfortably skip this one without missing anything in the series.
October 4, 2019
Not my favorite. The weird mirror image/ upside down/ opposite world was hard to even really picture in my mind. Hopefully when the get to Egypt it gets a little more interesting, not just randomly bizarre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2020
In questo libro Jalil ci racconta dell'attraversata di un posto molto simile all'africa e dei problemi che hanno con divinità locali molto permalose. Nel viaggio troveranno vecchi amici passando per un mondo strano pure per i canoni di Everworld.
April 10, 2022
I initially had to skip this book due to library availability, but other people's reviews reassured me that it was a filler book and that I didn't miss much.
They were totally right, but I'm still glad I got a chance to go back and read it.
They were totally right, but I'm still glad I got a chance to go back and read it.
May 3, 2019
Jalil has cemented himself as my favorite character, also I did notice the beginning of Christopher's growth as character.
September 8, 2019
Kinda fun fluff, kinda... less than fun. I'm either way on this series now.
September 27, 2019
Plot did not progress. Was a drag to read. There are four books left in the series. Hoping it will be better from here.
February 12, 2020
review coming as soon as I finish the series.
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