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Book Review: Escape from the Isle of the Lost (Descendants, #4) by Melissa de la Cruz

Escape from the Isle of the Lost (Descendants, #4)  by Melissa de la Cruz

Disney Hyperion, 2018

ISBN-13: 978-1368020053

Available: Hardcover, Kindle edition, audiobook

 

Escape from the Isle of the Lost is the last book in Melissa de la Cruz’s media tie-in series to Disney’s Descendants franchise. For those not familiar with Descendants, be warned that this review is packed with all kinds of spoilers. The premise is that in the fairytale kingdom of Auradon, where all the “good” heroes, princesses, and sidekicks from Disney movies live (mostly) with their children in (mostly) harmony and privilege, the villains and their children have been banished to the Isle of the Lost, a barren, isolated place behind a force-field that prevents them from using magic. The Isle of the Lost has pro-Auradon propaganda everywhere, but the buildings are falling apart, the food, clothing, and supplies brought in from Auradon are spoiled, and the villains’ kids are growing up in abusive homes where evil and villainy are celebrated, becoming angry, defiant, deceptive, and mean. With the current king and queen retiring, their teenage son Ben is about to be crowned king, and, believing that it’s unjust to imprison children for their parents’ wrongs, he successfully argues in favor of allowing four kids from the Isle of the Lost to attend school in Auradon. This is the perfect beginning for an enjoyable, dark reimagining of Disney’s fairytale characters. Mal, the daughter of Maleficent, who revels in her wickedness, plans to use the opportunity to free everyone from the Isle of the Lost and help Maleficent take over Auradon. Instead, she finds herself becoming friends with the three other “villain kids” (VK’s) and appreciating the advantages, friendships, and even love that she discovers in Auradon.

Unsure of whether they can ever really belong in Auradon, the VKs have to overcome the messages they’ve received from their parents, and decide to use their powers for good instead of helping their villain parents escape the Isle to conquer Auradon. Jay, son of Jafar, turns out to be a great athlete. Evie, daughter of the Evil Queen from Snow White, channels her obsession with beauty into creating beautiful clothes for friends and classmates. Carlos, son of Cruella de Vil, overcomes shyness and his fear of dogs. Mal, however, finds herself in love with King Ben, and as a VK is unsure of whether she can meet Auradon’s expectations that she be ladylike, or whether she wants to. Running back to the Isle, her friends (and Ben) follow her there. Before they can convince her to return, her childhood enemy, Uma (daughter of Ursula the sea witch) kidnaps Ben and threatens to kill him if Mal can’t bring her the magic she needs to escape the Isle of the Lost. Mal and the other VKs save Ben and keep Uma from taking over Auradon, with Mal accepting that she can do what needs to be done in order to be both the lady and hero that Auradon needs.

That’s where Escape from the Isle of the Lost begins. Ben, Mal, Jay, and Evie are all about to graduate from high school, and the VKs have all discovered that it feels good to be good. That dark reimagining I expected to stick with the series has dissolved on the part of the four kids from the Isle. Auradon’s Council expects Mal to travel to all the kingdoms on a “listening tour” and are dismayed that she wants to include the Isle of the Lost on her itinerary. Ben’s suggestion that students on the Isle of the Lost be allowed to apply to school in Auradon meets with disapproval, and as he’s about to back down, Mal finally convinces him that four new students should be allowed to apply in a general application process (unfairly included in this number is Dizzy, Cinderalla’s step-niece, who was specifically invited to attend school at the end of the last movie. My daughter is a huge fan of Dizzy, so this was a giant disappointment) A failure for the program to catch on (Isle kids don’t really see the appeal of being “good”) causes Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos to visit the Isle in order to promote it, at first unsuccessfully. After promising a huge celebration for the students who are successfully accepted, though, the Isle kids stampede to apply. In the meantime, Uma teams up with Hades to attract Mal into a dangerous undersea battle. Jay, Carlos, and Evie break into the Evil Queen’s castle in hopes of using her magic mirror to find Mal. Before Uma can defeat Mal, Evie dives through the magic mirror and pushes Mal up from the bottom of the ocean and away from Uma, although afterwards none of the VKs can remember what happened.

In addition to the drama on the Isle of the Lost, there are the events and decisions that go along with senior year and graduation.  Jay’s athletic ability has drawn the attention of three prestigious schools who want him on their team; Evie makes enough money from selling designs to her classmates to buy a house and open a fashion line; and Carlos, now with a girlfriend and dog, seems to have become a creative, caring, leader and support for his friends. Mal’s character, disappointingly, seems to have faded as she works to become the “Lady Mal” that the Auradon Council expects as King Ben’s girlfriend. The VKs prank the school, participate in a senior scavenger hunt, say goodbye to good friends, and go through the graduation ceremony.  The book closes with the reader’s knowledge that next year will bring four new VKs to Auradon, with Evie and Carlos to mentor them.

Descendants is a transmedia franchise, and it’s hard to evaluate the book outside of its context. De La Cruz’s books have each preceded (or followed) a movie musical, with the movie Descendants 3 set to appear at the end of July. While the idea behind the series has a lot of promise, the potential conflicts that could rise between VKs and the students of Auradon Prep have sort of fizzled as Mal, Jay, Evie, and Carlos have adjusted to living by the rules in Auradon. In the last movie, Mal used magic to cover up her insecurity and discomfort at trying to fit into the role she was being expected to fill. Now, she’s no longer using magic or rebelling, instead allowing herself to be molded into what the Auradon Council wants. Forgetting what it was like to be on the Isle of the Lost, she tries to sell the kids there on the benefits of being “good”. While other characters have grown and changed for the better, everything that was appealing in Mal has sort of drifted away in the wake of being the king’s girlfriend. Dizzy and her friend Celia (daughter of Dr. Facilier) both get some attention, but their characters don’t get developed as much as I hoped they would. Mal’s nemesis, Uma, who stole the last book and the last movie, gets a little attention, but she isn’t as dynamic or successful a character. Hades is introduced and given a fair amount of backstory and character development, but his contribution to the story is minor. I am sure some of these issues will get more attention in the upcoming movie, but there are an awful lot of loose ends. Evie and Carlos are the ones who really shine in this book.

There is an opportunity in the Descendants franchise that de la Cruz didn’t touch on, that I hope Disney hasn’t missed in the upcoming movie, and that is the opportunity for social justice to take center stage. Mal has proximity to the most powerful people in Auradon because of her relationship to King Ben, even though neither of them has really taken a major stand that the Council disagrees with. If her VK friends stand in solidarity to support allowing the Isle kids in who want to come to school in Auradon, what position would she take? If Ben opposes her, would she back down or support the VKs?  I can’t think of a more relevant moment to bring in the idea of letting imprisoned children go free rather than punishing them for the actions of their parents.

Cameron Boyce, the actor who played Carlos, died last week from SUDEP– sudden death by epileptic seizure. I suppose it’s possible for the Descendants franchise to continue with a new cast, but it’s certainly possible that this is the end of any new material. I hope we get to see what the VKs can really accomplish as they move forward, because it is our last chance to see the original four characters in action, and I really want to see what the resourcefulness, creativity, and determination of Isle kids can lead to when combined with the motivation to really do good instead of just “being good”.  If the movie continues to present Mal in the same “follow the rules, do what you’re told” model that appears in the book, I will be very disappointed.

Some of the relationships may be a little advanced for elementary-aged kids, but nothing goes further than a kiss. The first of these books came out when my daughter was just finishing third grade, and she has followed the Descendants franchise ever since.  If, like her, you are a fan of the franchise who has kept up to date (or know one), you will want to read this. If you haven’t read the previous books and seen the movies, you’ll feel, for lack of a better word, lost. Appropriate for grades 4 and up.

Recommended with reservations.

Posted on July 14, 2019 by , Reply

Book List: Grady Hendrix’s Summer Scares Recommendations (Middle Grade)

Well, we’re about halfway through summer now, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have time for more summer reading!

The HWA’s summer reading recommendation program, Summer Scares, is ongoing. Earlier this summer, I went over committee member Kiera Parrot’s middle grade suggestions, but she isn’t the only one on the committee to have made additional recommendations.  Grady Hendrix, author of a number of excellent books including the reference book Paperbacks from Hell, which covers paperback novels from the 1970s and 1980s, recommended a few older titles.

 

Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn

HarperCollins, 1987

ISBN-13: 978-0380704422

Available: Library binding, paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook, MP3 CD

 

You might remember that Kiera Parrot recommended a recent book by Mary Downing Hahn, The Girl in the Locked Room, in our previous booklist of middle-grade recommendations for Summer Scares. Mary Downing Hahn has been writing since the 1970s, and Wait Till Helen Comes is one of her earlier books.  Published in 1986, it has received multiple reader’s choice awards and was made into a movie. A reread of Wait Till Helen Comes shows that it is still seriously creepy. The story starts with narrator Molly’s mother remarrying to a man named Dave, whose daughter Heather is troubled and possessive of her father after her mother died in a fire. The new family moves to a converted church in the middle of nowhere, under Molly’s protest. Molly’s mother tells Molly that as the older child, it is her responsibility to take care of and get along with Heather, who is openly hostile to both of them, to Dave’s obliviousness.

Together, Molly and Heather discover a graveyard on the property, with a stone that has the initials H.E.H, the same as Heather’s. Heather becomes obsessed with discovering who it is, and Molly witnesses her having a conversation with a ghost girl called Helen. When Molly brings it up with their parents, Heather denies it and Dave and Molly’s mother dismiss it as superstition and imagination. When Heather and Molly are alone, though, Heather threatens Molly, and one day when the family is out of the house, they return to discover that Molly’s and her mother’s things have been destroyed. Once again, their parents accuse Molly of making things up to make things more difficult for Heather.

After learning that Helen drowned after escaping a fire where her parents died, and that a number of girls have drowned since then in a nearby pond, Molly decides she must break Helen’s hold over Heather before someone dies. The climactic scene between Helen, Heather, and Molly, will leave your heart pounding fast.  While far from perfect, the story is atmospheric, suspenseful, and compelling enough to overlook any flaws, especially if you’re 9 years old. The book does deal with death, grief, and suicide, so some people have raised objections to it in the past, but in the fantasy context I don’t think it’s likely to lead to more.

 

The House With a Clock in Its Walls (Lewis Barnavelt, #1) by John Bellairs, illustrated by Edward Gorey

Puffin, 2004 (reprint edition)

ISBN-13: 978-0451481283

Available: Library binding, paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook, audio CD

 

First published in 1973, this is another classic, not just in middle-grade horror (or Gothic mystery, if you’d rather), but in children’s literature. It is 1948, and 10 year old Lewis Barnavelt’s parents have died, so he is sent to live with his eccentric Uncle Jonathan. Jonathan and his neighbor, Mrs. Zimmerman, are magicians, and Jonathan’s house previously belonged to Isaac Izzard, a warlock, or black magician, who has a clock with an unknown purpose ticking away in the walls. As a result, Jonathan has filled the house with clocks to cover over the sound. It’s enough to make a magician uneasy enough to stop the clocks in the middle of the night, and Lewis is just a kid.

If Lewis only had to interact with Uncle Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmerman, the book would be filled with oddities, quirky moments, minor wonders, and an illustration of what the friendship of long-term, close, and very different friends looks and feels like. And it does have those things. But when school starts, Lewis has to find a place among his peers, and as he’s not athletic, he’s soon left in the dust. One of the popular, athletic boys breaks a leg and starts spending time helping Lewis with athletic skills, and in hopes of continuing the friendship Lewis boasts of his uncle’s magical powers, first claiming that Jonathan can block the moon and then suggesting that the two boys use his spellbook to raise the dead. Sneaking out in the middle of the night, Lewis and his friend recite the spell in front of an unknown tomb and really do manage to raise the dead. Unsettled by his experiences with magic, Lewis’ friend abandons him, leaving him on his own, to deal with the person he has raised from what turns out to be Isaac Izzard’s crypt– a person who wants to find the clock in the walls of his uncle’s house.

This is a great book for so many reasons. Lewis himself is kind of an oddball kid, reading historical lectures late into the night and reciting Catholic prayers when he’s anxious. Awkward around his peers, he is interested in puzzles and spells, and brave enough to confront his fears. While he doesn’t want to admit his mistakes, in the end he takes responsibility for his actions and resolves what has become a terrifying situation in a creative way. In a strange environment, he adapts to becoming part of the rather odd friendship/family of Mrs. Zimmerman and Uncle Jonathan, who may bicker with each other but are loyal and stand up for each other when it counts. You might have to get today’s impatient kids to stick with the book through the first few pages of Lewis’ train ride and Latin recitations, but upon meeting Uncle Jonathan, they’ll want to know more. Even though the story has a slow build, it is interesting along the way, and once it speeds up, readers won’t want to stop.

I can’t not mention that Edward Gorey illustrated this book. His illustrations are what set the mood for the story, and the book wouldn’t be the same without them.

 

Gegege no Kitaro  (The Birth of Kitaro) by Shigeru Mizuki

Drawn & Quarterly, 2016

ISBN-13: 978-1770462281

Available: Paperback

 

Kitaro is a manga series by artist Shigeru Mizuki that dates back to the 1960s, described by David Merrill as ” the seminal yokai-busting horror-fantasy-folkore-adventure-comedy manga”. The titular character, Kitaro, is a young boy with one eye who serves as a diplomat between humans and yokai (Japanese folk monsters).  Originally a more adult title called Graveyard Kitaro, the series really took off when it was retooled as GeGeGe no Kitaro to be more of a funny-scary series for elementary-aged kids, and was even spun off into several different television shows.  While Kitaro is somewhat of a pop culture phenomenon in Japan, it hasn’t been well-known in the United States. The publisher Drawn & Quarterly has been releasing English-language volumes of Kitaro over the past several years. The first is out of print, but The Birth of Kitaro shares Kitaro’s origin story, so it might be a good place to start. I haven’t had the opportunity to examine these myself, but I saw and (briefly) blogged about Mizuki’s yokai art last year, and it is amazing. For some adult manga lovers, Kitaro may have more nostalgia or historic value than anything else, but it looks to be a great choice for middle-grade readers who love monsters.

 

Wait Till Helen Comes and The House With a Clock in Its Walls are pretty well known in the world of children’s literature, but Kitaro won’t be familiar to a lot of librarians or middle-grade readers. Summer Scares gives you the opportunity not only to introduce some old, familiar favorites, but to bring to light some lesser-known titles that deserve more of a spotlight and increase the breadth of kids’ exposure to manga as well as to creatures and stories from another country and culture. Enjoy!

 

Posted on July 10, 2019 by , Reply

Book Review: Cats vs. Robots: This Is War by Margaret Stohl and Lewis Peterson

Cats vs. Robots: This Is War by Margaret Stohl and Lewis Peterson, illustrated by Kay Peterson

HarperCollins, 2018

ISBN-13: 978-0062665706

Available: Hardcover, Kindle edition, audiobook, audio CD

 

Cats vs. Robots: This Is War is a rare treat at a time when things have gotten pretty serious and scary, and there is a lot of anger and misunderstanding out there. The technologically oriented Wengrod family gets caught in the middle of an intergalactic race between a robot empire and an empire of cats, to acquire the “Singularity Chip,” , which could lead to immortality. Twins Max and Min are nothing alike: Min loves school, order, and inventing robots, while Max hates school and loves videogames and the neighbors’ cat. Despite knowing his parents and sister hate cats, Max rescues two kittens and brings them home, only to discover that their inventor parents have taken off on a work trip to China, leaving them in the care of their cousin Javi, who is willing to give the kittens, a source of chaos, a tryout. Obi, the elderly neighborhood cat, is an agent of the cat empire, but it’s unclear if he’ll be able to survive long enough to thwart the robots and acquire the chip, so he sends the kittens on a mission, but being kittens they primarily create chaos, and they manage, unknowingly, to damage the robot Min has been building (it’s pretty awesome to see Min at work– there should be more science- and coding-loving girls in fiction). In the meantime, the robot empire has managed to subvert the electronic system that controls the house, which tries to convince the Wengrods’ early robot creations to stop the kittens and find and retrieve the Singularity Chip, invented by Max and Min’s parents and hidden from thieves. In the midst of all this, Max and Min have to make peace with each other, and both robots and cats have to accept that not all of them share all the same traits.

Javi, while not a main character, plays an important role in a couple of ways. First, they are the first nonbinary character I’ve seen in a middle grade book, and Stohl and Peterson take the time to explain it in a way kids should be able to understand (Stohl has a nonbinary child). Second, Javi, knowing what it is to not fit inside a single box, is both understanding and encouraging in trying to make peace between the robots and the cats. Stohl and Petersen do a nice job of making Javi a part of the story without making them the focus.

Stohl’s characterization of both cats and robots made me grin. She takes their most common traits and exaggerates them to the point that I had to laugh, but at the same time shows individuals who display differences. This is a funny book and a fast read with a serious theme and plenty of action and wackiness that is perfect for engaging readers of all kinds, in a time when it seems people can find nothing to bring them together.  Highly recommended.

Posted on October 29, 2018 by , Reply
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