Tag: Hyperion

The Wish List

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The Wish List by Eoin Colfer
Genres: Adventure, Demons, Fantasy, Ghosts, Supernatural
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Hyperion
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 0-7868-1863-8
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Meg Finn is in trouble. Cast out of her home by her stepfather after her mom’s death, Meg is a wanderer, a troublemaker. But after her latest stunt, finding a place to sleep is the least of her worries. Belch, Meg’s partner in crime, has gotten her involved in the attempted robbery of an elderly man, Lowrie McCall. But things go horribly wrong. After an accidental explosion, Meg’s spirit is flung into limbo, and a race begins between the demonic and the divine to win Meg’s soul.

Meg’s really not a bad kid, but she hasn’t exactly been an angel either, so the tally of her good and evil deeds is dead even. Her only chance of tipping the scales to salvation is to go back to Earth and do good—specifically, to help Lowrie McCall. He’s got many regrets in his life to set right—a “wish list”— not much time left to do it. But even if Meg can persuade Lowrie to get mixed up with her, she’s going to have to deal with an even scarier, undead Belch—who’s now definitely on the side of the Devil.

A wild journey to the unexpected here-after, The Wish List is a heartwarming tale of a young girl’s last chance, and the love she will need to—quite literally—redeem herself.

Personal & Info

All I know about this book going into it is that it’s written by the same author as Artemis Fowl, which I have not read, but have heard good things about. This book seems almost out of print and is apparently not very popular, because it seems a little harder to find online. Barnes & Noble doesn’t even have it listed on their website as far as I can tell.

Characters

Meg Finn is the main character. The book has conflicting information about her age. She’s either twelve or fourteen. She has recently become known as a bit of a troublemaker.

Belch is kind of Meg’s associate or co-conspirator. He is sixteen, and a far worse troublemaker than she is, but he lacks intelligence. As the story progresses he becomes her enemy.

Franko Kelly is Meg’s step father. He reminds me a lot of “Smelly Gabe” from The Lightning Thief. If you’re not familiar with that, he’s basically a lazy mean slob.

Lowrie McCall is an old man with a heart condition with whom Meg must make amends with in order to save her soul.

Satan is, well, Satan. He’s the ruler of a hell and all that jazz.

Beelzebub is one of Satan’s senior demons. He takes orders directly from the devil himself and is under threat of losing his job.

Myishi is Satan’s tech support person. He wears designer suits and has a goatee similarly to his boss.

Elph is a computer program created by Myishi. His name stands for EctoLink and Personal Help Program. He appears as a floating hologram.

Saint Peter is the attendant who guards the Pearly Gates of Heaven. He basically makes the final decision on who gets in as far as this story is concerned.

Flit is a creature called a tunnel scraper or a mite. Mites are spirits of creatures who get stuck in limbo and must work a tedious job collecting baskets of soul residue in the spiritual tunnel system to earn a chance at reevaluation for entry to Heaven.

Story & Thoughts

I don’t have any strong feelings about this book. I like it well enough. It has all the traits and vibes for the age group. It’s corny in all the ways you would expect.

There are a few memorable things that might be worth mentioning. The main one, I think, is Belch. He has some body horror things happen to him. It’s not scary in the format of this book, but if seen on screen, I can see how it might be a bit frightening to some kids. The book wants Belch to be considered scary, an abomination, but it also wants him to be comic relief. It wasn’t funny to me, but I can understand how it would be to the intended age group.

The inconsistent age thing for Meg bugs me, and not just because of the age itself. So, first of all, there are several instances in the book where something is explained to her, and she is asked if she understands. In all of these instances, she says she doesn’t understand because she’s only fourteen.

It’s like a cop out response to avoid trying to understand, and at the same time making it sound like she is incapable of understanding due to her age. At least, that’s how I choose to interpret it. But, it seems unrealistic to me. I don’t think kids would bother with that kind of response. I have never heard of kids ever trying to make themselves seem less intelligent or inferior just because they are young. Realistically, it’s always the exact opposite.

As for the number of her age itself, I can’t help wondering if maybe she was including the two years she has been dead. That wouldn’t be right, because she can’t age if she’s dead, but it might feel more natural because it’s the number accurate to her birth. The main reason it bugs me is because she was supposedly fourteen for the whole book, but then the information way later about her time of death only adds up to twelve. I just don’t know if it was her counting from her birth while dead, or if something was overlooked in editing.

Aside from these few things, the book is good. I don’t know if I’ll bother reading it again, but it seems like a good children’s/middle grade book. There are demons in the story, and Saint Peter, but you don’t have to know a lot about the bible or anything to enjoy or comprehend the story.

The Lightning Thief

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The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Series Name: Percy Jackson and the Olympians/ Camp Half-Blood Chronicles
Volume Number: 1/1
Genres: Adventure, Contemporary, Fantasy, Mythology
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-078685629-9
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school…again. And that’s the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he’s angered a few of them. Zeus’s master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus’s stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed in his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Personal & Info

This is a reread review. I think I first read this back in 2018. I wanted to read it again to have a fresh memory to see what the differences are between the book and the new Disney+ series adaptation. The first episode of the series already aired by the time I got around to finishing, and I think I’ve already seen episode four by the time I’m typing this. My thoughts on the show will not be included in this review. I’ll be focusing on the book.

As far as the rating goes, I think it’s about the same as it was for my first read. It’s a solid three or possibly three and a half or somewhere between.

I love that this series has ADHD and Dyslexia representation. That’s not something I commonly see in books. Another series that has some good fantasy representation of a disorder is Michael Vey by Richard Paul Evans. I don’t have any reviews for that series on here, yet, but I do plan to reread it eventually, since it has more volumes now. The Micheal Vey series has a main character with Tourette Syndrome, and it focuses on kids that have electric powers. I definitely recommend it.

Characters

Percy (Perseus) Jackson is the twelve year old lead character. He’s a demigod son of Poseidon. Anyone who has heard of the series already knows that, and it’s revealed early on in the story, so it’s not a spoiler. His parentage makes him a big deal, because he’s a child of one of the “big three” Greek gods.

Grover Underwood is Percy’s best friend, and the comic relief throughout the book. He’s the food obsessed character. He’s also prone to anxiety, and often bleats like a goat, because he’s a satyr.

Sally Jackson is Percy’s mom. She’s lived a rather unfortunate life, but her dream is to be a novelist.

Gabe Ugliano is Sally’s husband and Percy’s step father. Percy’s nickname for him is Smelly Gabe, and the pun of his last name speaks for itself as to what kind of person he is.

Annabeth Chase is around twelve, just like Percy. She’s the demigod daughter of Athena, and she has five beads on her camp necklace, which means she’s been there for five years. Her relationship with her human family is a bit tenuous and complicated. Annabeth is the smart character.

Mr. D, the camp director, is the god Dionysus. He runs the camp as a punishment, and he’s not great with kids.

Chiron, as in the centaur of Greek myth, is one of the people who runs camp half-blood. He helps train the demigods and gives them guidance.

Luke Castellan is nineteen, and a son of Hermes. He’s also the best swordsman at camp, and leader of the Hermes cabin. Annabeth has a blatantly obvious crush on him, but he thinks of her as a little sister.

Clarisse La Rue is a demigod daughter of Ares. She’s not terribly important in this book, but she plays a bigger role in some of the other volumes. She mostly plays the role of camp bully in the early parts of the story.

Of course, various Greek gods, demigods, and monsters also make appearances in the story or get significant mentions.

Story & Thoughts

Upon first reading this book, there are a few strong thoughts. Those primarily being, I don’t like Annabeth, and the children having to carry on the grudges of their parents is ridiculous. Now, for the reread, I can’t actually remember why I disliked Annabeth so much right away.

My memory says I consider her a bully, but she doesn’t actually do anything significantly mean in this book. There’s a little bit of name calling, but it doesn’t seem as mean spirited to me as I remember. I still think the kids carrying on parental grudges is silly, though. Annabeth, of all people, should certainly see it that way, because she’s supposed to be the smart one. If she were truly wise, she wouldn’t buy into all that.

One of the great things about this book is you don’t have to know anything about Greek mythology to read it. Any time something relevant comes up, like a god or a monster, they tell you the story. For example, Medusa makes an appearance at some point. They explain the most important parts of her story so you know who she is and why she is how she is. It’s like you get mini lessons while reading an enjoyable story.

The writing is all around great. The flow of the words makes the book feel like a comfort read. All of the descriptions are relatable and easy to understand, which makes forming a mental picture simple. Whether it’s monsters, places, or character descriptions, they’re all well done.

I also like the foreshadowing. Using the Oracle to give an extremely vague layout of the plot structure is pretty clever. The reader and the heroes both get a chance to figure out the meaning as the story progresses. The chapter titles are also wonderful. They give you insight into what happens in each chapter without spoiling anything, but they’re also silly enough to garner interest.

One more important good thing about it. The story has a serious plot, but the adventure has a lot of laughs. The kids don’t stop acting like kids just because things are serious.

The book is generally good, but as much as I praise it, it’s not perfect. It does feel like it drags in some areas, and Annabeth having a crush on the cool older boy is such a stereotype. Nothing bogs the story down too much, though. It’s well worth the read.

Daughter of the Deep

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Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan
Genres: Adventure, Contemporary, Sci-Fi
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-368-07792-7
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

Ana Dakkar is a freshman at Harding-Pencroft Academy, a five-year high school that graduates the best marine scientists, naval warriors, navigators, and underwater explorers in the world. Ana’s parents died while on a scientific expedition two years ago, and the only family she has left is her older brother, Dev, also a student at HP. (And they’ve heard all the Harry Potter jokes already, so don’t go there.)

Ana’s freshman year culminates with the class’s weekend trial at sea, the details of which have been kept secret. She only hopes she has what it’ll take to succeed. All her worries are blown out of the water when, on the bus ride to their ship, Ana and her schoolmates witness a terrible tragedy that will change the trajectory other lives.

But wait, there’s more. The professor accompanying them informs Ana that Harding-Pencroft has been fighting a cold war against its rival school, Land Institute, for 150 years. Now that cold war has been turned up to a full boil, and the freshmen are in danger of becoming fish food.

In a race against deadly enemies, Ana will make amazing friends and astounding discoveries about her heritage as she puts her leadership skills to the test for the first time.

Personal & Info

I meant to read this shortly after Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, but I wasn’t in the mood at the time. It’s apparently recommended to read that first to have some background foundation before going into this book, since this is sort of a spin off. I did not read any of the other books by Verne that had more Captain Nemo in them. Due to how much time has passed, I’ve probably forgotten some things, so I’ll do my best with what I remember for this review.

It may have been a blunder to only read Twenty Thousand Leagues, because this book also mentions The Mysterious Island quite a bit. I didn’t see that one recommended anywhere as a thing to read before going into this. You can probably read the whole thing just fine without reading any of the Verne books, but if you do read them you have more understanding regarding what the characters are talking about, and you may be able to pick out some references to the source material.

However, the book clearly states the Verne books are not entirely accurate as a way to allow for the story and technology to be a little different. So, even if you did read one or both, there are things that will be different. If you are a stickler for details, this might bug you. So, basically, it’s a good idea to read both books for the background, but you don’t have to, but also take everything with a grain of salt if you do.

There are a forward and an introduction at the beginning of the book. The forward gives some enthusiasm and introduction to the book. The introduction talks more about the inspiration behind the book, as well as some information about Captain Nemo for those who might not know about him.

Characters

Ana Dakkar is the main character. She attends Harding-Pencroft Academy, a school for future marine scientists and naval officers.

Dev Dakkar is Ana’s older brother. He is a senior at school while she is a freshman.

Socrates is a dolphin friend to Ana and Dev, but mostly Ana.

Ester Harding is Ana’s roommate and one of her best friends. She is in House Orca.

Top is Ester’s emotional support dog, but he supports anyone who needs it. He is part Jack Russel and part Yorkie.

Nelinha da Silva is also Ana’s room mate, and her other best friend. She is in House Cephalopod.

Gemini Twain, also known as Gem, is the House Shark Prefect. He acts as Ana’s bodyguard throughout most of the book.

Dr. Theodosius Hewett is a theoretical marine science teacher. He doesn’t seem very likable.

Jupiter is an orangutan chef who speaks sign language.

Ophelia Artemesia is a Harding-Pencroft alum. She knew Ana’s parents, and she is from House Orca and Shark.

Luca Barsanti is also a Harding-Pencroft alum. He is married to Ophelia, and comes from House Cephalopod.

There are a bunch more characters, but these are the ones I think are most important. Most of the list is available in the beginning of the book, before chapter one. There is a full list of the freshman class along with which Houses they are in.

Some of the villains have names, but I don’t think they are truly important enough to bother mentioning here.

Story & Thoughts

The school uses a four house system to divide the classes by specialty, which is kind of cool. The houses are Shark, Orca, Dolphin, and Cephalopod. They have a list at the beginning of the book, along with the freshman class, to tell you which characters are in each house and what each house specialize in. The story makes it relatively easy to remember which does what as it goes, too.

The premise revolves around Captain Nemo being an actual historical person. There are names from the Verne books scattered everywhere throughout: Harding, Pencroft, Aronnax, Land, Verne. It does a good job giving nods to the Nemo books. The titles of the books themselves come up fairly frequently as part of the lore of the schools’ origins, and many of the characters have read them.

It took a few chapters for me to get into, mostly because I wasn’t sure what to expect. I didn’t like Twenty Thousand Leagues much, so that made me a little wary of this book. The story moves quickly, but the majority of the first half is traveling, with a few events to push the plot forward.

I could predict where the story would end up early on. It’s not an elaborate story, but it is done well enough that I like it despite having figured out the major plot twist right away. I think it’s a good sign of the book’s quality when I don’t like the book that inspired the story, but I do like the resulting story.

I won’t bother trying to point out differences compared to the source material, because they state in the book that the Verne novels are not the whole truth, nor entirely accurate. It’s a good excuse for some creative liberties.

I love how diverse the cast is. The school seems to recruit all types of people from all over the world. There is even autistic representation with Ester.

When all is said and done, I feel like this book is a great starting point for a new series. There are no current plans for that, but the story leaves it open. Maybe some day.