Very informative and well-written!

I love this 8th book in the Willoughby Chase series! Dido's little sister, Is, vows to find her long-lost cousin, and ends up looking for a missing prince too. All the children in London are being snatched up and sent to "Playland", where they are promised treats and games and fun. But the horrible reality is a dark mine where they are forced to work as slaves, and Is has to go underground to continue her search. Is gets unexpected help from some unique and interesting characters, but it is only her fierce determination and street-smarts that will save her cousin and the other children from the horrors of the mines.

I love IS! She is so plucky and fierce and kind. I love her practical common sense, her "no foolishness" approach to every problem, and her unfailing generosity. She somehow manages to be a realist, with no nonsense about her, but she also is open to believing new ideas, even if they seem impossible and wild. She accepts the reality that is placed before her, and deals with it accordingly. I really admire that about her, because I'm a person who is always caught up in fantasy and wishing, without focusing on what is really real, so I waste a lot of time and energy trying to cope/accept the real situation. Is can be so deliciously REAL, and you see that in her relationships with the other characters.

I love how quickly the plot moves along. I love the creepy scenery of the underground mines. I love the weird and strange characters that IS meets along the way! I love it all!

The writing, as with all Joan Aiken's books, really pulls you into the story, describes the scene in a few well-chosen words, and puts you right into the characters' shoes, creating a strong emotional connection to the characters. Excellent and imaginative writing!

I usually like the Green Knowe books, and I adore L.M. Boston's writing style. However, this one is NOT a favorite. The depiction of black magic is just too close to truth for comfort. I would NOT give this one to children to read. Scary stuff.

I enjoyed this little short story, and was delighted to see the beginnings of Mallow's adventures. It's strange how I got used to thinking of her as the bad guy, but she really is such an interesting and complex character, that she doesn't fit into the "bad guy" box. She's so much more.

As always, I adore Valente's whimsical and brilliant writing style. There are lots of delightful plot twists and surprises in this story, but it's too short to really have much development.

A wonderful addition to the Fairyland series!

Another hilarious retelling of Greek myths from Rick Riordan! I can't get over how irreverent and silly these stories are with Percy narrating them. I was laughing through every page!

I especially loved all of Percy's little aside comments to the reader. So funny!

I also thought that the myths were really well organized, one myth story flowing into the next in each chapter. Greek mythology is one big mess of conflicting stories with no real timeline to follow, so being able to make some kind of sense out of that nonsense... simply brilliant job!

This is the perfect conclusion to the Giver quartet. The world-building is exquisite, of course. In every book we get another glimpse of this world and understand it a little better, a little deeper. I especially have loved understanding more and more about the nature of the supernatural gifts that the characters discover in each book.

The action, the interesting plot, the suspense, the deep social themes and everything just amazed me! Everything is so beautifully balanced, and the story delves into the deepest meanings of what it is to be human, but is never preachy at all. Now that takes genius!

All through [b:Gathering Blue|12936|Gathering Blue (The Giver, #2)|Lois Lowry|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388195391s/12936.jpg|2134456] I kept wondering, "But what about Jonas?" Then all through [b:Messenger|12930|Messenger (The Giver, #3)|Lois Lowry|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386924375s/12930.jpg|901952] I kept wondering, "But what about Gabe?" and now we finally know! All those characters have come together beautifully, their individual stories woven together and resolved. A brilliant series!

This book focuses on a new character, Claire. Her son is taken from her when he's born, and she spends most of her young adulthood trying to find him again. She leaves her community, goes through terrible hardship, and finds a new home with kind people. The people she meets along the way add so much color and interest to the story; young children, girls growing up, an old man still strong, new mothers with babies on each arm, a bitter young man with a past, old women with wisdom to share, and of course the evil villains too.

I was actually more impressed with the variety of supporting characters than I was with Claire. She's such a blah character because she basically rolls along with whatever circumstances come her way. Not a lot of gumption in the beginning, but then she does one extraordinary act that takes so much willpower and fortitude that it made me love her! And.... she went back to being blah again. haha! Her story is extraordinary, but (except for her one brilliant moment) she is not.
Then again, maybe that is her message. She is the most boring ordinary person that could possibly exist, but this one extraordinary thing existed inside her, waiting for its perfect moment. She really is a beautiful character after all!

I was glad to see Jonas, Gabe, Kira, and everyone again. I loved the continuation of their stories! But that did mean that the story jumped around a bit, which felt a little jarring even with the different major scenes broken up into sections. It was well-organized, but still felt funny jumping to something different, a new place or person. Maybe I'm just being picky because I've come to expect such perfection and flowing storylines from this author.

This whole series is so wonderful! Everyone should read it!

I do love fairytale retellings and this one does not disappoint! The illustrations are stunning and enchanting. The story is fresh and interesting. I was completely surprised by the twist at the end, and enjoyed every page of this lovely tale.

Like all of Riordan's books, this one is delightfully hilarious! I was laughing and entirely involved in the stories. Even the myths that I already knew kept my attention because they are told in such an interesting way.

It's wonderful to hear the old myths through Percy's irreverent story-telling, with all his funny little asides to the reader! Brilliant writing, as always!