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Kamilla Benko

Autor/a de The Unicorn Quest

10 obres 499 Membres 10 Ressenyes

Sèrie

Obres de Kamilla Benko

Etiquetat

Coneixement comú

Gènere
female
Nacionalitat
USA

Membres

Ressenyes

I thought I could read this to my 5yo, but it was too scary and angsty.
 
Marcat
LibrarianDest | Hi ha 2 ressenyes més | Jan 3, 2024 |
“A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a very good story in the slightest.” C.S. Lewis

I see a lot of very positive reviews of this book, and judging by their content many of them seem to be written by the middle graders that are the target audience for the story. I’m certain that I can give this book to my 11yr old and she will gobble it up and love it just as much as some of these other reviewers. Unfortunately, that doesn’t make it a great book.

The first couple chapters were actually ok. There was mystery and danger and it set the stage for something interesting to come. Then the rest of the first half of the book was taken up with Anna’s anxiety over what her sister thinks about her and assuming the worst and trying her hardest to fix things herself, assuming that it’s all her fault. It’s definitely a noticeable theme in the movies, but when it’s the main focus of so many chapters and there isn’t the lightness of the supporting cast, or any songs, or Kristen Bell’s fantastic portrayal, it’s really tough to read and gets annoying really fast.

The blight and then the nightmares are all kind of confusing and nothing seems to happen for quite awhile except the spread of the blight and the growing anxiety of Anna, with a few obvious exhibitions of Elsa’s own fears and anxieties. The supporting characters all take a turn, but we spend a lot of time in Anna’s head with her big plans and big anxieties and her heartfelt conviction that she needs to solve this problem and prove herself. We also see Elsa working way too hard to carry the entire kingdom on her own shoulders and prove herself in this way too. It’s pretty obvious (maybe just because I’m over the age of 25) that these ladies need each other’s help and should just talk things over more.

The second half of the book has the sisters finally choose a plan of action and head of in pursuit of answers, and things get a little more interesting with the introduction of more mythical creatures and a possible explanation of what is actually happening, but so much still takes place in Anna’s head and it’s just so tiresome being there. Again, I kept thinking to myself that if she and Elsa would just talk about what’s bothering them, they would get a LOT farther. It’s a theme in the movies, and a good one, and it’s true to life - we can each get stuck in our own heads and assume things about others and their intentions and forget just how much they love us and how much they believe in us, but it didn’t have to take up anywhere near this much of the book. This could have been 1/3 shorter and a lot more interesting.

They eventually figure it out after many wrong turns, and everything ends up beautifully. The key to the story is basically the same as the movies, so nothing surprising in that regard, and then the epilogue tells us exactly where in the timeline of Anna and Elsa that the story fits.

I was so tired of the book by the end that I didn’t care about how well things worked out and how they were all set to live happily ever after, or even the thrill that was intended to come from the epilogue, I was just so glad to be done. I don’t think this book will spoil me on the movies, but I do think I’ll be unlikely to try another book by this author any time soon.
… (més)
 
Marcat
Annrosenzweig | Oct 15, 2021 |
Great book, the story held my attention throughout. The pacing and plot where really good and characters true to form. Intersting and engaging enough for adult readers as well as teens.
 
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Musaib03 | Hi ha 2 ressenyes més | Jan 29, 2021 |
I'm glad I picked this back up again after a few months, now that I'm in the middle grade mood. It felt at first like what it was...a filler between movies, but soon grew into its own entity, and showed that really, Benko wasn't afraid of (or was allowed to) make some huge decisions for the world of Arendelle and the characters. I love the willingness to expand Arendelle's lore, full of magical creatures and legends. Also, the end was just so sweet.
 
Marcat
Chyvalrys | Hi ha 2 ressenyes més | Aug 5, 2020 |

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Estadístiques

Obres
10
Membres
499
Popularitat
#49,589
Valoració
½ 3.7
Ressenyes
10
ISBN
42
Llengües
1

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