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The Strangest Adventures #1
The Shadow Thief
Millipop Klompet and Ernest Perriclof live in the uneventful town of Drabville, where the cautious Ernest spends his time enlarging his rock collection and Milli dreams of adventure. When the pair are kidnapped from their homes and brought to live in the gothic mansion known as Hog House, they are adopted by the madcap Mr and Mrs Mayor and a series of bizarre encounters follows.
Things do not add up and the children find that sinister plans are beginning to emerge. Why has the notorious Lord Aldor stolen the shadows of all of the town's residents and where are they being held? Assisted by a band of prisoners, the children must venture into the Taboo Territories, and battle the perils dished out by the Lurid Lagoon, in order to outwit Lord Aldor and prevent him from executing his secret master plan.
Praise for The Shadow Thief:
'Clearly [Adornetto] is already an Australian literary phenomenon ... to read The Shadow Thief is to be thrust into a fast-moving plot full of menace and thrills, amply seeded with a magnificently precocious vocabulary' -The Courier-Mail
'an impressive debut ... a wonderful fantasy story, full of adventure and scary, dark shadows' -The Australian Women's Weekly
'a comic fantasy full of magic' -The Sydney Morning Herald
Things do not add up and the children find that sinister plans are beginning to emerge. Why has the notorious Lord Aldor stolen the shadows of all of the town's residents and where are they being held? Assisted by a band of prisoners, the children must venture into the Taboo Territories, and battle the perils dished out by the Lurid Lagoon, in order to outwit Lord Aldor and prevent him from executing his secret master plan.
Praise for The Shadow Thief:
'Clearly [Adornetto] is already an Australian literary phenomenon ... to read The Shadow Thief is to be thrust into a fast-moving plot full of menace and thrills, amply seeded with a magnificently precocious vocabulary' -The Courier-Mail
'an impressive debut ... a wonderful fantasy story, full of adventure and scary, dark shadows' -The Australian Women's Weekly
'a comic fantasy full of magic' -The Sydney Morning Herald
208 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2007
16 people are currently reading
1204 people want to read
About the author
Alexandra Adornetto
17 books3,968 followersAlexandra Emily Adornetto was born on the 18th of April 1992 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She is the only child of an English Teacher and a Drama Teacher and attended, in her own words, "many" schools including MacRobertson Girls' High School, Ruyton Girls' School and Eltham College. She has loved stories for as long as she can remember. In 2006, she won the State Legacy Public Speaking competition. She began writing a Children's novel when she was only 13, inspired by J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. At 14, she sold it to HarperCollins Publishers, that also bought the two next novels of The Strangest Adventures series. The Halo series is her first YA fantasy romance and marks her international debut. She relocated to Oxford, Mississippi, where she divided her time between the USA and Australia, while she studied and wrote. Now she lives in Hollywood, where she hopes to combine novel writing and acting as Alexandra Grace. Her passions include old-school country music, theology, singing and performing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
November 8, 2012
2 stars: DNF - p.189.
I tried. I really really tried.
First off I'll explain why I wanted to read this book in the first place: the author. Alexandra Adornetto is sort of like a role model for me. I aspire to be like her and get MY book published at a young age. She was born in the same country as me and I like to think that I have a chance at publication, despite my age (14). She did grow up in a family of English teachers though. That's probably where she got her vocabulary from.
Adornetto has a very extensive vocabulary. There are words in here I have never seen before in my life. Her writing is sophisticated and reminds me vaguely of a classic book while still having that very childish feel to it.
This is a very strange book. I feel it is based off Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. Things are extremely random and things are multicoloured and never what they seem.
The main characters, Milli and Ernest are very unique. They are strange and curious and like young children are.
I got to page 189 of this and couldn't go any further. The start was really good. I was thoroughly impressed. But in the middle it started to slow down and the strange magic sort of faded away and became normal. That's when I just gave up because it was going in circles.
The Shadow Thief would appeal to someone younger, maybe 9-12 years old, who likes adventure books and Alice in Wonderland. Not only was I out of the targeted age range, I wasn't fond of the adventure.
I tried. I really really tried.
First off I'll explain why I wanted to read this book in the first place: the author. Alexandra Adornetto is sort of like a role model for me. I aspire to be like her and get MY book published at a young age. She was born in the same country as me and I like to think that I have a chance at publication, despite my age (14). She did grow up in a family of English teachers though. That's probably where she got her vocabulary from.
Adornetto has a very extensive vocabulary. There are words in here I have never seen before in my life. Her writing is sophisticated and reminds me vaguely of a classic book while still having that very childish feel to it.
This is a very strange book. I feel it is based off Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. Things are extremely random and things are multicoloured and never what they seem.
The main characters, Milli and Ernest are very unique. They are strange and curious and like young children are.
I got to page 189 of this and couldn't go any further. The start was really good. I was thoroughly impressed. But in the middle it started to slow down and the strange magic sort of faded away and became normal. That's when I just gave up because it was going in circles.
The Shadow Thief would appeal to someone younger, maybe 9-12 years old, who likes adventure books and Alice in Wonderland. Not only was I out of the targeted age range, I wasn't fond of the adventure.
June 2, 2009
It's written by a 15yr old, not very original. Not very compelling, not necessary for me to even want to read the sequels. Formula, I could probably do the same if I purchased a writing for dummies book or whatever.
August 13, 2022
A veritable explosion of whimsy. A fun story for the whole family.
Milli and Ernest, out past curfew, are thrust into a magical world where their only chance of escape is to save the day. Delightful - so much happens, and at such a fast pace, that I wished it was longer.
Milli and Ernest, out past curfew, are thrust into a magical world where their only chance of escape is to save the day. Delightful - so much happens, and at such a fast pace, that I wished it was longer.
September 10, 2015
The Shadow Thief by Alexandra Adornetto- First off, lets start with the plot.
The Shadow Thief is a Book following the adventures of Milli and her friend Ernest, who let me tell you are quite the opposites yet their friendship is visibly strong throughout the book. With Milli's keenness for adventures and Ernest's brains we soon find ourselves developed into the plot in a town called Drabville. Drabville, is a town which is rather dull and boring that lacks individuality and creativity and disowns anyone who tries to express their uniqueness style. Though of course this doesn't happen often due to the quite interesting plot of the villain stealing the shadows (souls) of the people of Drabville all for the sake of wanting to take over the world and showcasing to the world that magicians are more worthy than they seem. Of course Milli and Ernest get caught up into this mess, which I won't reveal for the sake of spoilers.
Now the writing.
I honestly can't believe that this book was written by a teenager, and to be honest. Barely a teenager. This book is written before Alexandra Adornetto's years. This book is maturely written, with great words, amazing detail and a descriptive plot that sucks the audience in. This is honestly everything that a book should be. As a young teenager myself, the plot in this book is unlike any I've seen before and certainly a unique one at that. The writing is well edited, and uses great detail. You can certainly feel like you are being involved in the book and often when I was reading this I couldn't let go of this book. For a 13 year old the book is pretty damn well written. Adornetto has shown great choices and uses of words and how to set out sentences, you can see there are deep meaning behind why things happen in the book and the words chosen really put that to point and showcase that.
Overall I really enjoyed this book, definitely a must read in my opinion and in my top five I would have to say.
The Shadow Thief is a Book following the adventures of Milli and her friend Ernest, who let me tell you are quite the opposites yet their friendship is visibly strong throughout the book. With Milli's keenness for adventures and Ernest's brains we soon find ourselves developed into the plot in a town called Drabville. Drabville, is a town which is rather dull and boring that lacks individuality and creativity and disowns anyone who tries to express their uniqueness style. Though of course this doesn't happen often due to the quite interesting plot of the villain stealing the shadows (souls) of the people of Drabville all for the sake of wanting to take over the world and showcasing to the world that magicians are more worthy than they seem. Of course Milli and Ernest get caught up into this mess, which I won't reveal for the sake of spoilers.
Now the writing.
I honestly can't believe that this book was written by a teenager, and to be honest. Barely a teenager. This book is written before Alexandra Adornetto's years. This book is maturely written, with great words, amazing detail and a descriptive plot that sucks the audience in. This is honestly everything that a book should be. As a young teenager myself, the plot in this book is unlike any I've seen before and certainly a unique one at that. The writing is well edited, and uses great detail. You can certainly feel like you are being involved in the book and often when I was reading this I couldn't let go of this book. For a 13 year old the book is pretty damn well written. Adornetto has shown great choices and uses of words and how to set out sentences, you can see there are deep meaning behind why things happen in the book and the words chosen really put that to point and showcase that.
Overall I really enjoyed this book, definitely a must read in my opinion and in my top five I would have to say.
January 1, 2019
Firstly, I admire the fact that Alexandra Adornetto was at such a young age when she first had this book published. She shows a vast vocabulary, which assisted in painting an image of the scenes found in the book and bringing to life the characters.
However, I was not taken in by the storyline. I felt that, even though the plot was interesting, the story unfolded in a way that I could either see what was coming or didn't really care about what was going to happen. As a primary school teacher I have seen many stories written by students, which unfold the same way (although I must say, without the interesting vocab or description).
I cannot pinpoint exactly what I was looking for that would make the story jump out at me. I guess it just moved too slowly for my liking. That said, I guess it is aimed at a younger audience and I can see what they may find appealing.
However, I was not taken in by the storyline. I felt that, even though the plot was interesting, the story unfolded in a way that I could either see what was coming or didn't really care about what was going to happen. As a primary school teacher I have seen many stories written by students, which unfold the same way (although I must say, without the interesting vocab or description).
I cannot pinpoint exactly what I was looking for that would make the story jump out at me. I guess it just moved too slowly for my liking. That said, I guess it is aimed at a younger audience and I can see what they may find appealing.
May 28, 2017
This isn't a 'me' type of book however the description and imagination of the author is brilliant. To think she wrote this when she was thirteen, wow! And I struggled to get my 11/12 year old students to write a paragraph!
April 11, 2018
Well, well, well, this is such a strange book.
And when I say strange, who would have thought the hero and heroine will be called Millipop Klompet and Ernest Perriclof.
And it was very strange, you have bizarre mayor and his wife, a talking bird as the every efficient secretary. But dear me, what an adventure to be in Hog House.
And they need to save stolen shadows from Lord Aldor. OH well, stolen shadows? Hmmm..
But it was an interesting read, while not many people can appreciate the imagination of the author.
And when I say strange, who would have thought the hero and heroine will be called Millipop Klompet and Ernest Perriclof.
And it was very strange, you have bizarre mayor and his wife, a talking bird as the every efficient secretary. But dear me, what an adventure to be in Hog House.
And they need to save stolen shadows from Lord Aldor. OH well, stolen shadows? Hmmm..
But it was an interesting read, while not many people can appreciate the imagination of the author.
June 22, 2021
Young adult? um, no.
Just no.
Despite the impressive vocabulary this is most definitely a children's book. Not a young adult book. You can't expect just because the author uses big words, suddenly the whole book should be marketed towards YA.
That's just not how it works
Yes, I absolutely admire this girls talent. Which i have no doubt was encouraged and developed with the help of her English teacher parents. She may have written it, but you can't tell me her parents wouldn't have read it and given her their professional advice and good editing services. Because why wouldn't they? She will only improve her craft with practice and with time and I imagine we will see quite alot of work from her.
But in terms of what it is and how it has been marketed, somewhere you have to draw the line.
Was this a good book? Yes, if it were a children's book it would have been. But as a young adult book? No, it's too immature.
There a examples of why this is scattered throughout. One of them being the use of a 'code of conduct' as a means of resolving society issues such as unemployment and crime.
The narrator clearly says, the town has solved all of its unemployment and antisocial behaviour through strict rules. What are these rules? To wear nothing but dull colours and the architecture for all of them homes are all the same. That's literally all that it says about the code of conduct. Nothing else. Nothing about how else they stop crime and other bad things in our society.
Now, does that sound even remotely logical? No?
No, I didn't think so.
Another immature notion was that a villain was defeated simply by throwing cakes and deserts in his face. Sure, that sounds reasonable to me. How doesn't want to be defeated by children with either terrible table manners?
Putting that aside, I will note that this book was a mash of pretty much all popular children's literature possible. This including Peter Pan (as marketed), Alice and Wonderland, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, A Series of Unfortunate Event, Harry Potter.
How do I know this? Well, I mean, did you read it? It has small unattentional references. Such as a flemgo from alice and wonderland, and a lady that seems alot like the Queen of hearts, the house is named very similarly to hogwarts from Harry Potter and so on.
So does that make it original and interesting? Eh.. not really. But I wanted to know where this was going since I was truly amazed at such a young age this girl did well in description and writing
But again, there is no doubt in my mind this should have been a children's book. Not a young adult.
Just no.
Despite the impressive vocabulary this is most definitely a children's book. Not a young adult book. You can't expect just because the author uses big words, suddenly the whole book should be marketed towards YA.
That's just not how it works
Yes, I absolutely admire this girls talent. Which i have no doubt was encouraged and developed with the help of her English teacher parents. She may have written it, but you can't tell me her parents wouldn't have read it and given her their professional advice and good editing services. Because why wouldn't they? She will only improve her craft with practice and with time and I imagine we will see quite alot of work from her.
But in terms of what it is and how it has been marketed, somewhere you have to draw the line.
Was this a good book? Yes, if it were a children's book it would have been. But as a young adult book? No, it's too immature.
There a examples of why this is scattered throughout. One of them being the use of a 'code of conduct' as a means of resolving society issues such as unemployment and crime.
The narrator clearly says, the town has solved all of its unemployment and antisocial behaviour through strict rules. What are these rules? To wear nothing but dull colours and the architecture for all of them homes are all the same. That's literally all that it says about the code of conduct. Nothing else. Nothing about how else they stop crime and other bad things in our society.
Now, does that sound even remotely logical? No?
No, I didn't think so.
Another immature notion was that a villain was defeated simply by throwing cakes and deserts in his face. Sure, that sounds reasonable to me. How doesn't want to be defeated by children with either terrible table manners?
Putting that aside, I will note that this book was a mash of pretty much all popular children's literature possible. This including Peter Pan (as marketed), Alice and Wonderland, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, A Series of Unfortunate Event, Harry Potter.
How do I know this? Well, I mean, did you read it? It has small unattentional references. Such as a flemgo from alice and wonderland, and a lady that seems alot like the Queen of hearts, the house is named very similarly to hogwarts from Harry Potter and so on.
So does that make it original and interesting? Eh.. not really. But I wanted to know where this was going since I was truly amazed at such a young age this girl did well in description and writing
But again, there is no doubt in my mind this should have been a children's book. Not a young adult.
May 19, 2012
The Shadow Thief is one of the few children’s books that effectively combines creativity and sophistication. The story takes place in the town of Drabville, the home of 11-year-old Millipop Klompet. Milli is vibrant and impulsive, and struggles to fit in with the monotonous lifestyle that most of Drabville’s population adopts. Together with her best friend, Ernest Perriclof, she desperately searches for any kind of adventure. However before long, adventure finds her, in the form of a bright red doorknocker.
The story continues with Milli and Ernest being drawn into the magnificently terrifying Hog House, and encountering the ludicrous Mr and Mrs Mayor. With a surprise lurking in every corner, Milli and Ernest must be careful as they explore Hog House, and even more careful as they meet its occupants. However, it soon becomes apparent that there are even more sinister things afoot, and it’s up to Milli and Ernest, along with their newfound allies, to stop an incredibly dangerous enemy.
Alexandra Adornetto’s imaginative plot (which was published when she was only 15!) is captivating and unlike any children’s book written before. The Shadow Thief is an intelligent and enjoyable read which provides all you could want from a children’s book. It is perfect for kids of all ages, as well as adults who have never quite grown up.
The story continues with Milli and Ernest being drawn into the magnificently terrifying Hog House, and encountering the ludicrous Mr and Mrs Mayor. With a surprise lurking in every corner, Milli and Ernest must be careful as they explore Hog House, and even more careful as they meet its occupants. However, it soon becomes apparent that there are even more sinister things afoot, and it’s up to Milli and Ernest, along with their newfound allies, to stop an incredibly dangerous enemy.
Alexandra Adornetto’s imaginative plot (which was published when she was only 15!) is captivating and unlike any children’s book written before. The Shadow Thief is an intelligent and enjoyable read which provides all you could want from a children’s book. It is perfect for kids of all ages, as well as adults who have never quite grown up.
December 23, 2009
Although this is a childs book, I liked it and I found it even more enchanting because it was written by a girl younger then myself, only 15 I think. Very well written, buy this one for any age who enjoys a bit of a mystery. Reminded me somewhat of A Series of Unfortunate Events.
June 12, 2016
well... it's good, just a bit confused with the idiom of australian english...
January 24, 2016
i picked this one up because i liked the cover & blurb, but i couldn't be doing with the breathless style. would probably be fine with its actual intended demographic though.
October 14, 2015
A painful read. I can see why some teens would like it - but NOT my style AT ALL!!
June 25, 2017
I picked this series up at the Library because they had all 3 & I like to listen to books on cd while I drive. Never heard of the author or the book but in the beginning it was stated that the author was reading. "That can't be" I thought "She sounds about 12". When I got home I googled the author and what do you know! She is 12! Okay, not quite but 15. Impressive! She has a lovely voice & reads quite well.
The story begins with Millipop. I refuse to call her Milli because why would you give a character such a quizzical name & then immediately reduce it to Milli? But that just me.
I was enchanted as the story began. Impressed by the author's imagination and thought I would be giving the book a solid 4 stars. Unfortunately, the book began to ... drag.
I intend to finish the series with hopes that it will pick up but this 1st book gets a 2.5 from me.
And to A.A., should she stumble upon this review - You are talented. I expect good things from & for you. Congratulations!
The story begins with Millipop. I refuse to call her Milli because why would you give a character such a quizzical name & then immediately reduce it to Milli? But that just me.
I was enchanted as the story began. Impressed by the author's imagination and thought I would be giving the book a solid 4 stars. Unfortunately, the book began to ... drag.
I intend to finish the series with hopes that it will pick up but this 1st book gets a 2.5 from me.
And to A.A., should she stumble upon this review - You are talented. I expect good things from & for you. Congratulations!
October 5, 2017
The Shadow Thief was a really complex book and I enjoyed it immensely, except for some of the hard to understand language. I did grow tired of the book at some points, but by the time I had finished the Shadow Thief I was glad. By coming across this book in my local library I was intrigued by the cover and the plot.
While older readers can understand the language used, I found this book in the Junior Fiction section of the library, but couldn't decide if it belonged in the YA section because of the complex language used. I can't believe how Adornetto wrote this book as a teenager with so many different ideas and forms of language within its cover, and I think that in conclusion, the book was intriguing to say the very least.
While older readers can understand the language used, I found this book in the Junior Fiction section of the library, but couldn't decide if it belonged in the YA section because of the complex language used. I can't believe how Adornetto wrote this book as a teenager with so many different ideas and forms of language within its cover, and I think that in conclusion, the book was intriguing to say the very least.
March 9, 2018
This book started so well, the concept was so cool and I loved Millie's character but then it got quite boring very quickly and I struggled to finish it. There were some parts where I really didn't understand where the story was going as the plot would just change totally and I was kind of just waiting around for something to happen while also being very confused. Also, the claimed Lord Aldor was really scary and evil but they were caught snooping and I'm pretty sure he just offered then something to eat and then the next chapter started like nothing happened. Not a big fan of the book, but I liked the idea and that's what helped me hold on until the end.
I know that when the author wrote this she was so young so I appreciate how talented she was at a young age.
I know that when the author wrote this she was so young so I appreciate how talented she was at a young age.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2022
This took a little for me to get into, but once I was hooked, I sailed through it. It is a fantasy adventure with hidden messages of friendship, loyalty and standing up for what you believe in. The story is set, in the first instance, in an odd-ball town that has been somewhat taken over by some powerful and evil magic. Citizens live in a bland world and some mysteriously disappear. Through an image in the paper, 2 children discover not all is as it seems and set about to discover the secrets of the town. A little far-fetched but engaging nonetheless.
July 29, 2022
I first started reading this in primary school. Back then, it captured my imagination and was one of the books that inspired me to write my own stories.
Reading it again now, it is still a solid adventure but it didn't have the same amount of magic and wonder I found in it when I was younger. There are plenty of other fantastical and creative stories out there that are better written.
But, I still have very fond memories of this book so it's 4-stars for the way it made my childhood more magical.
Reading it again now, it is still a solid adventure but it didn't have the same amount of magic and wonder I found in it when I was younger. There are plenty of other fantastical and creative stories out there that are better written.
But, I still have very fond memories of this book so it's 4-stars for the way it made my childhood more magical.
April 16, 2024
🌟2🌟
a solid 2 star because in all honesty i should have stopped reading this from the moment i began. i know this was written by a 13 year old, and maybe if i was like, 9 or something i would have enjoyed the whimsy of the adventure, but as an adult it was just kinda cringe at times 😭 defs read like a child who enjoyed a series of unfortunate events and wanted to use meta language and big words.
anyways, it just wasn’t anything great and i lowkey zoned out multiple times while reading and there are so many details i couldn’t take in.
a solid 2 star because in all honesty i should have stopped reading this from the moment i began. i know this was written by a 13 year old, and maybe if i was like, 9 or something i would have enjoyed the whimsy of the adventure, but as an adult it was just kinda cringe at times 😭 defs read like a child who enjoyed a series of unfortunate events and wanted to use meta language and big words.
anyways, it just wasn’t anything great and i lowkey zoned out multiple times while reading and there are so many details i couldn’t take in.
April 5, 2021
Wonderful.
The book is wonderful in every way, from the characters to the plot, from the villains to the heroes. I couldn’t put it down, as soon as I started to read it. I’ve even read the sequels but hands down the first is my favourite book. To those who can’t see the charm in the book, well that’s on you, it’s not the book’s fault you have a lack of imagination, I recommend this highly to anyone looking for adventure and wonder.
The book is wonderful in every way, from the characters to the plot, from the villains to the heroes. I couldn’t put it down, as soon as I started to read it. I’ve even read the sequels but hands down the first is my favourite book. To those who can’t see the charm in the book, well that’s on you, it’s not the book’s fault you have a lack of imagination, I recommend this highly to anyone looking for adventure and wonder.
December 9, 2020
i first read this book when i was 12 years old and i was obsessed with it. thought i’d give it a re-read and it’s still pretty good. it’s definitely not for my age group (although the vocabulary used definitely is) but i still really enjoyed it.
October 3, 2017
I'm told the author wrote this at the age of 13 which makes it some achievement. Not my thing though.
October 21, 2019
One of my childhood favourites (: Need to reread though
December 28, 2024
Great book for someone in primary school that has a wide vocabulary. Very impressive work for a 15 year old author.
February 10, 2025
Very wordy. I really wanted to like it, but it didn't hold my attention.
September 27, 2025
it was good, and very charmingly written (i would've loved this as a kid). didn't love the fatphobia that was present throughout the whole book.
December 17, 2025
Everything was perfect in this novel,
the characters, the plot, the writing.
I cant wait to get the next book now
the characters, the plot, the writing.
I cant wait to get the next book now
July 1, 2014
This book goes on my Awesome shelf not because of literary merit alone, but because it was written by a 13 year old. That seems to me to be just a wee bit of high achievement! ...I still can't quite see the link between this and Peter Pan (the blurb says it was inspired by Peter Pan), but I can see very many links with Alice in Wonderland. However that doesn't matter.
I confess I am unable to give a reasonable assessment of the book, due to my preoccupation with the extreme youth of the author... I'm like an employer interviewing a potential employee whose personal appearance or mannerisms are so different from the rest of the crowd that I can't get them out of my head sufficiently to make an equal opportunity decision. How weird.
I hope one of my boys will read the book so that I can hear what they thought of it. The language initially had me thinking it was aimed at tweens or older. But the climax scene was so innocently pitched at a younger audience that I'm not quite sure. I suppose it has something of the Lemony Snicket feel in that respect. Sly and ironic asides to the reader all the way through, a semi-sophisticated vocabulary and yet, not really aimed at a truly sophisticated audience. A book for young book geeks perhaps.
I have to thank Alexandra Adornetto for inspiring my nearly 11 year old too. When I showed him the book and said the author was 13. And jokingly said that I hoped he would be published in the next two years, he looked at me seriously and said. 'Of course. I'm aiming for within one year.' And although this seems highly improbable to me, I have to say, it's good to aim high. So well done Alexandra. I'm a bit gobsmacked.
Oh, by the way, the reason I bought it to read in the first place (indeed bought the full set of three books) was because of the completely groovy cover design and illustration. It seemed to me that any book that looked that cool, could not possibly be anything but cool. So congratulations are also due to Jenny Grigg. Way to go, girl.
I confess I am unable to give a reasonable assessment of the book, due to my preoccupation with the extreme youth of the author... I'm like an employer interviewing a potential employee whose personal appearance or mannerisms are so different from the rest of the crowd that I can't get them out of my head sufficiently to make an equal opportunity decision. How weird.
I hope one of my boys will read the book so that I can hear what they thought of it. The language initially had me thinking it was aimed at tweens or older. But the climax scene was so innocently pitched at a younger audience that I'm not quite sure. I suppose it has something of the Lemony Snicket feel in that respect. Sly and ironic asides to the reader all the way through, a semi-sophisticated vocabulary and yet, not really aimed at a truly sophisticated audience. A book for young book geeks perhaps.
I have to thank Alexandra Adornetto for inspiring my nearly 11 year old too. When I showed him the book and said the author was 13. And jokingly said that I hoped he would be published in the next two years, he looked at me seriously and said. 'Of course. I'm aiming for within one year.' And although this seems highly improbable to me, I have to say, it's good to aim high. So well done Alexandra. I'm a bit gobsmacked.
Oh, by the way, the reason I bought it to read in the first place (indeed bought the full set of three books) was because of the completely groovy cover design and illustration. It seemed to me that any book that looked that cool, could not possibly be anything but cool. So congratulations are also due to Jenny Grigg. Way to go, girl.
October 17, 2013
BEFORE YOU BUY IT: Be sure that you are aware that this is a children's book and NOT a YA or teenage-appropriate book.
I was so excited to read this book because I absolutely LOVED Halo, and Bethany and Xavier's story. I really enjoyed that series, and felt that it was well-written and intriguing, giving me high hopes for A.A.
However, I am extremely (seriously, monumentally) disappointed. If I had purchased the book in hard-copy format, I would most definitely be returning it to my local Chapters. Unfortunately, I don't believe that Kobo does refunds unless there's something horribly wrong with the download (and severely disliking the book does not count). I have never returned a book or chosen not to complete reading one, so this is a first for me.
Now, with that being said, this book may have been badly marketed, as it is very obviously a book geared towards 10-11 year olds. This book is written very immaturely, using too many unnecessary synonyms in place of what would have been more accurate plain language. So much so that it feels as though the author simply right-clicked in MS Word and chose the most impressive-sounding word in the list. I found this extremely distracting, and found the overuse of exclamation points to be distractingly juvenile; "Milly couldn't believe it! They were back at Hog House!" is not my idea of a well-written book for anyone over the age of 8.
Needless to say, I made it about 5 chapters before it all just became too much and I put the book down (well, more accurately, I marked it as "finished" on my Kobo).
I was so excited to read this book because I absolutely LOVED Halo, and Bethany and Xavier's story. I really enjoyed that series, and felt that it was well-written and intriguing, giving me high hopes for A.A.
However, I am extremely (seriously, monumentally) disappointed. If I had purchased the book in hard-copy format, I would most definitely be returning it to my local Chapters. Unfortunately, I don't believe that Kobo does refunds unless there's something horribly wrong with the download (and severely disliking the book does not count). I have never returned a book or chosen not to complete reading one, so this is a first for me.
Now, with that being said, this book may have been badly marketed, as it is very obviously a book geared towards 10-11 year olds. This book is written very immaturely, using too many unnecessary synonyms in place of what would have been more accurate plain language. So much so that it feels as though the author simply right-clicked in MS Word and chose the most impressive-sounding word in the list. I found this extremely distracting, and found the overuse of exclamation points to be distractingly juvenile; "Milly couldn't believe it! They were back at Hog House!" is not my idea of a well-written book for anyone over the age of 8.
Needless to say, I made it about 5 chapters before it all just became too much and I put the book down (well, more accurately, I marked it as "finished" on my Kobo).
March 11, 2009
I agree with Marta in the comments of this book, but I think I would have really liked this book when I was young and we can be as critical as we want about how this book rips off a million other stories, which it does, but the fact is this is a CHILDRENS book and if I were mean enough to actually have children I would probably enjoy reading this to them.
Her over use of giant words I don’t myself know bothered me some. It was kind of try hard in that sense, but I give it three stars (I liked it) because she was 13 (albeit aided by an army of parents and publicists), it’s a kids book, most kids wouldn’t know the stories she took from anyway; so who knows, maybe this could be their introduction to books and the stories they were taken from and would hence inspire a lifetime love of reading. Genius steals. You never know.
ARUM is very right too. I know American kids would not understand a lot of the terminology used in these books, but again, who knows, maybe it will educate them in some new terms and open their eyes to a world outside their backyards.
It's easy for us who are 30+ and have invested in a lifetime of snobbery and reading to tear a book like this apart, but I say good on ya Alexandra. If you can do this at your young age now, who knows what you can do in 10. I look forward to reading those books and maybe you will start to have new ideas of your own. Also I live in Melbourne and have Melbourne pride. Go Alexandra! Melbourrrrrrrrne!
Her over use of giant words I don’t myself know bothered me some. It was kind of try hard in that sense, but I give it three stars (I liked it) because she was 13 (albeit aided by an army of parents and publicists), it’s a kids book, most kids wouldn’t know the stories she took from anyway; so who knows, maybe this could be their introduction to books and the stories they were taken from and would hence inspire a lifetime love of reading. Genius steals. You never know.
ARUM is very right too. I know American kids would not understand a lot of the terminology used in these books, but again, who knows, maybe it will educate them in some new terms and open their eyes to a world outside their backyards.
It's easy for us who are 30+ and have invested in a lifetime of snobbery and reading to tear a book like this apart, but I say good on ya Alexandra. If you can do this at your young age now, who knows what you can do in 10. I look forward to reading those books and maybe you will start to have new ideas of your own. Also I live in Melbourne and have Melbourne pride. Go Alexandra! Melbourrrrrrrrne!
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