Middle School Teacher

Hooked again!

Revisado: 02-27-24 El oyente recibió este título gratis

At over 65, I am not the target audience for this series, but as a grandmother and a middle school teacher, my curiosity led me to this series, and I finished the first five books years ago. When prompted, I hesitated to come back because I worried it might be more work than I wanted to do to re-acquaint myself with the many characters and all their motives and machinations. However, the lure of a new book and new narrator was too much for me, so I plunged back in. Within just a few hours, all my worries that I would need to re-read the first books again to know what was happening just fell away, I was completely back in the swing of the story, invested in the conflict, rooting for my favorite characters, chewing my nails over the audacity of the villains. Foley does a wonderful job of making each book a potential stand-alone, interweaving synopsis effortlessly.

Jake Benson's facile voice work with so many varied characters puts me in awe like I haven't felt since I experienced Jim Dale's feat with the 200+ characters in the Harry Potter series. He flows effortlessly from the bass growl of a demon to the prim falsetto of an elder witch, to comic voices to cocky teens, from tenderness to swagger. His international accents are entertaining and credible. How does he keep up with all those identities? Wow!

As to the plot, it's epic and engaging, and I don't want to spoil it by revealing too much. The publisher's blurb of the series gives enough detail to tell you the overall context, but treachery dominated the storyline in this book, keeping me on the edge of my seat and invested in far more than the fate of the primary character, Jake Everton, who is maturing in a satisfying manner.

I actually finished this book a few days ago, but couldn't immediately get to my review because I just had to start the next volume immediately and get some resolution on the cliffhanger ending of The Black Fortress. I'm having a great time back in the world of Lightriders and Dark Druids!

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He did it again!

Revisado: 11-10-18

This is just as engaging, just as gripping, and just as maddening in its cliffhanger ending as the other Dragonwatch book!

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Deeply satisfyingly!

Revisado: 10-13-18

Real characters with deeply meaningful stakes in a rich fantasy setting that resonates with the human condition of the here and now. Wonderful narration, wonderful writing, wonderful storytelling!

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Pleasant surprise

Revisado: 01-10-16

I was dubious but curious, and my doubts are settled. This was a fresh but fitting addition to the body of literature about the Holmes family and an enjoyable story with great characters. Excellent narration!

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Love this book!

Revisado: 08-07-15

Charming, heart-warming, endearing. Holling is trying to find out who he is against a backdrop of social change. It's fun to follow him on his journey. Narrator is superb!

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Charming sequel to a classic

Revisado: 12-31-14

The title has layers of meaning. The narration added excitement and life to an already well-written and compelling story.

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A satisfying conclusion

Revisado: 01-14-13

Having heard the first two, I was looking forward to this one. I found it a satisfying conclusion to what had been set in motion by Matched and Crossed, but since it was primarily tying up threads rather than starting new ones, it was a little bit less exciting than previous books. The main characters' stories are nicely capped off-- though some of the details of the political situation and the history of the Society are glossed over a bit through a long view of history that neglects to give, to my mind, a full picture of inciting causes. Still, I would recommend it as a solid teen adventure romance.

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Best read of the summer!

Revisado: 08-13-12

I teach middle school, and I use summers to catch up on what's hot in adolescent fiction. I spent a lot of time this summer with books in the "Hunger Games" vein, but this one was a welcome change of pace. This is my favorite kind of book--driven by fascinating characters with complex motives. It also has a well-crafted plot and intriguing politics that left me hungry for the sequel. It reminds me in all the best ways of Megan Whalen Turner's "Thief" series, but is not derivative of that. It involves a "Prince and Pauper" scheme to usurp the throne of a completely believable fictional kingdom, but layers of secrets and plot twists keep the story consistently engaging. The main character has a compelling mixture of strengths and weaknesses, and the more the reader knows, the more he/she can identify with him.

The reading was fabulous--perfect for the characters. I listened on a long drive and was completely lost in the book.

The False Prince will be among my top recommendations to my students, but it was certainly no chore to read it. I hope there's another Nielsen/McWade treasure out by next summer!

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Loved it, loved it!

Revisado: 07-09-12

This is a charming, engaging, and "real" story. I say real instead of realistic because some of the plot is quite improbable, but the characters are utterly convincing and lovable. Although the story is teen-centric, I appreciated that the minor characters of parents are portrayed as caring and understanding human beings and not as stereotypes or buffoons. Even the flamboyant Tiny Cooper, who is figuratively and literally larger than life, has a complex persona. The device which drives the story (and which forces the plot into its contortions) is that there are two very different Will Graysons, each written by a different author and voiced by a different reader, whose lives intersect at a time of mutual identity crisis. If I had to attribute my enjoyment of the story to one factor, it would be the respect with which the authors treat their characters and their very real teen struggles--with depression, loneliness, fame, purpose, and all kinds of love. A warning to the squeamish--the language can be quite candid and streetwise sometimes, but this is part of the verisimilitude.

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A well-read, imaginative diversion

Revisado: 07-09-12

The reader makes all the difference sometimes, and Bronson Pinchot is masterful at creating distinct voices. It was sometimes hard to believe that only one person was reading! The story is a bit light and corny for my taste, but it was original. Marlo and Milton are sent to Heck, which is a kind of limbo exclusively for children, populated by a corrupt bureaucracy of flawed demons administering offbeat punishments such as locking away the phonics lessons from the kids who are "hooked" on them and forcing boys to wear humiliating clothing such as lederhosen. I would imagine this story appealing most to a fanciful ten year-old, but I stuck with it because I was so entertained by the excellent reading.

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