We Are Not Eaten by Yaks

An Accidental Adventure #1

by C. Alexander London

Eleven-year-old twins Oliver and Celia Navel could care less about adventure and they really do not like excitement. They’d rather be watching television. Unfortunately for them, their thrill-seeking parents have dragged them from continent to continent their entire lives. But when their mother goes missing and their father makes a bet with the devious explorer Sir Edmund, the twins are forced into action. They head to Tibet where they fall out of airplanes, battle Yetis, poison witches, and encounter one very large yak.  If they can unravel the mysteries and outwit Sir Edmund, they might just make the discovery of a lifetime . . . and get cable television!

Genres: Adventure, Humor, Middle Grade, Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Childrens

354 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

You have no idea how good this book is!

We all have days where we want to curl up on the couch and spend the afternoon with a remote in our hand. Twins Celia and Oliver Navel have that day every day. But in spite of their best intentions, and their encyclopedic knowledge of TV, their explorer-parents and a race to find the Lost Library of Alexandria tear them from their comfy couch and drop them into the wilds of Tibet.They face all kinds of dangers, confusions and complicated wagers as they struggle to get back to the safety of their apartment and a TV that might even have cable!
Full of misadventures, accidental revelations and just a little bit of magic, WE ARE NOT EATEN BY YAKS is fun for kids AND grown-ups. This is the kind of book that gets reluctant readers reading. Celia and Oliver (and their well-intentioned if easily distracted parents) stumble through the jungles in a mix of hilarity, sarcasm and good-old-fashioned adventure. This is Indiana Jones meets Lemony Snicket - but with only the good parts!


And the real question is: ARE yaks vegetarians?!

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Snicket lite. Our two utterly unsympathetic protagonists, the Navel twins, would like nothing more than to plunk themselves down in front of the television for all eternity. Unfortunately their father is having none of it, and worse, their father has an occupation that makes the twins shudder: he's an explorer. After the disappearance of their mother two years ago he's been dragging the twins all over the globe to find her to no avail. When evidence arrives suggesting that the twins' mother is indeed alive, the next thing they know they're being whisked to Tibet where they encounter witches, yeti, talking yaks, hostile airline attendants, gods, bad food, and more. It's a fun premise but London seems to be trying just a bit too hard to crank up the "whimsy" on this book. The result is a fine but emotionally devoid novel that reads like every other Snicketesque book out there. Enjoyable but forgettable. - B

[Margaret Dilloway · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book at the ALA conference when I told the Penguin Young Readers people my 9 year old son likes funny stories, and he doesn't really like to read.
He read it in 2 nights and took it to school today to share with his class. I was surprised because it's sort of a longer book for him, so I quizzed him on it and he actually had read it! I guess he's a fast reader when he feels like it.
It's about two couch potato kids whose parents are adventurers and are always trying to get the kids to come with them. Just like my kids!
The mom gets kidnapped, and the kids must go with their dad to save her. Hilarity ensues.
Also, there's a Yeti in it. What else do you need?

[Anderson's Bookshops · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kathleen says, "I loved every minute I spent with this book! I laughed out loud and was utterly charmed! This is going to be a perfect book for reluctant readers or anyone who likes adventure stories. This would also make a great classroom read-aloud!"

[Josh Newhouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Lemony Snicketesque but with less pleasant main characters and not as much wit... Slow start, but gets better if more preposterous once jorney begins. Some good library references. It really was an entertaining book and a good start to the series once it found its own voice...

[Juan · Rating 5 out of 5]

***SPOILER ALERT***


This book is awesome I loved it. The twins mom gets lost on a adventure to find a lost library of Alexandra. The mom get found at the end of the book.This book is realistic fiction. This book takes place in the jungle in present time. The conflict is person vs person because, the twins fight and they fight with there father.

This book is about these two twins who spend there day watching TV. They never miss a show or any thing. They now all the channels. There mom and dad are adventurers also, they go to find there mom and meet up with wild animals like ( yetis, tigers). Then they go on a wild adventure to find there mom. Then there dad gets poison by evil witchs. Finally they have five days to find the lost tablets of Alexandra to save him. On the way they find there mom and save there dad.This story is set in the twins house but mostly in the jungle. The conflict is person vs person because sir Edmund the bad guy is trying to stop them from finding there mom and the lost tablets.

I liked how the the author put the story line. Also how he did the characters. This reminds me my family because we watch lots of movies and TV but my dad is gone all day except Sundays. Also of me and my brother. I liked how the story is built the story line and characters.

I was surprised when the tiger was on the cliff and the twins were hanging onto the cliff. My favorite part was when the twins were getting kicked out of the plane and they jumped off and there dads head kept hitting the trees and rocks. I was angry when the twin were fighting the yeti and they grabbed the gun but the guns bullets were fake and the gun just made noise. The authors purpose of this book is to tell kid not to be on the Tv all day that they should go outside and go on a adventure. I was moved when the twins found there mom and they were so excited to see her.

My thought on this book were that it is my favorite one so far.My thoughts is that this is a awesome book for people who like mystery's and clues. This book is my favorite out of all of them. This book for me I would rate it 10 because I love the story. I would recommend this book for kids who like mystery \ action books. That's why this book the is so awesome for students.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eleven-year old twins, Celia and Oliver Navel want nothing more than to be left alone to watch their favorite television shows. Unfortunately, having two parents who are famous explorers and living at the Explorer Club makes this difficult. Their mother disappeared three years ago while on an adventure. To them, exploring is dirty, disgusting, and dangerous. If they want to see real life, they figure they can watch a reality TV show. But a cryptic message from their mother forces them into the adventure of a lifetime. Not only is finding her at stake, but because of a stupid bet their father made with Sir Edmund, a horrible little man who wants to kick them out of their home, they not only have to find their mother, but the tablets from the lost library of Alexandria. Without those tablets, they will be forced to work for Sir Edmund for the next seven years. But at least they’d have cable TV. What follows is a funny, unbelievable adventure that would wow almost any kid – but not Celia and Oliver. They still find it dirty, dangerous, and disgusting.

This is a light-hearted, fun adventure that will appeal to both boys and girls. There is action, adventure, danger, and family issues. It is also very obvious that this will be a series. Though the main storyline in this book comes to a satisfying ending, the story is very definitely not over. Normally, this irritates me, but I had so much fun reading this that I will forgive the obvious marketing ploy that will force me to purchase the following book(s).

Recommended for any young (age 9 and up) reader with an interest in action/adventure books.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are Not Eaten by Yaks by C. Alexander London is an exciting addition to the world of adventure books for middle-grade readers. It is the relatable tale of two 11 year-old twins (Celia and Oliver) who would rather watch TV and eat junk food than travel the world with their two explorer parents. But when their mother disappears and their father is indisposed by poison witches in Tibet, they have no choice but to engage in an escapade where they find themselves face-to-face with an angry yeti, an evil imposter, complicated mysteries they must unravel, and much more.

Yaks is riveting and suspenseful, yet always laced with a sense of humor that keeps it light and suitable for ‘tweens. London subtly scatters his book with sophisticated vocabulary and the information he provides about the location of these exploits is bound to spark interest in his readers.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. What a pleasant surprise this was! I ordered it with a recent Scholastic book order because I liked the title and thought my son would enjoy it. We read a chapter together every night before bed, and he would often beg to keep reading! Oliver and Celia are fun characters, and the people they meet along the way in their very reluctant adventure keep them (and the reader) on their toes. We can't wait to read about their next "accidental" adventure!

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This audiobook was a great amount of fun. The two main characters, children of explorers, don't want to have adventures they just want to watch tv. But it turns out all the tv actually helps them out many times throughout the book. A few times I worried that the Tibetan accent was a bit stereotypical. But the fun of the book never waned, and quite clearly a sequel is on the way.

[Talitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very neat book, perfect my kids! My kids have now read this twice! They really love it. Totally impressed!

[Tracy Onze · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful read for Tweens. I definitely recommend it for those who enjoy adventure with a hint of mystery and like a quick read.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book on Tape with A - BCFL Checkout.

(Need to finish!!!! We were close to the end when it finally came due).

[Reesha · Rating 2 out of 5]

As an aging, jaded, sardonic, wrinkly ol' grown-up, I am clearly not the target audience for this book. In addition, I read an ARC (which is why I won't point out any errors — in the hopes they were fixed before final publication). All of which is to say: You shouldn't put any stock in this review.

I often enjoy adventurous series written for kids as a relaxing palate-cleanser in between my usual reads, but I felt like this one fell flat as the start to such a series. It was a mostly uninteresting slog and sparked no desire to seek out the next book in the series. I expect in a year, I'll have no memory of having read it.

Some children would undoubtedly find the kids and their adventures intriguing, but I mostly found the content of the story unpleasant and the characters bland — neither likable nor hatable. I just didn't care what happened to anyone.

That said, efforts to get kids interested in travel and adventure are always worthwhile and, as the series is quite popular, I suspect later volumes added retroactive shine to this one.

But for me, 2.25 stars. I won't return to the series.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Children of explorers who don't want to explore. Mom goes missing, and Dad makes an outrageous bet. This forces them into action. Many adventures along the way. Will they earn their fondest desire -- cable TV?

[Tyler Standish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book, and I learned that a lot of interesting facts. There really are poison witches in Tibet. Falling from 30,000 us not pleasant. I liked the humor in the book, as well. I highly recommend it.

[Jaclyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A juvenile adventure story. I do want to read the other books in the series now. It is about a brother and sister who are twins who end up on an adventure searching for their mother who has been missing when they would ne rather at home watching TV.

[Stefanie McKoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book- I have read the second in series already and then listened to this one with my son. He LOVED it so 9 year old approved!

[Renee Novak-Arze · Rating 5 out of 5]

kids who do not want adventure, just cable tv, end up in an adventure.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had its moments. Some good lines and cute ideas, but not sure we will need to read more in the series.

[Vivi]

Relatable twins (TV couch potato maniacs) form the bulk of the story. It's not a stand on your feet pumping adrenaline type story, but more of a slow burn adventure with reluctant heroes.

[Magsteriniv · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is so funny. great read.

[Germaine]

A fun, lighthearted series that I like to come back to every now and again.

[Gillian McDermott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the most enjoyable characters but lots of humor and adventure

[readyplayer3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious and exciting.

[Elizabeth Rexing]

Another reread. Unfortunately did not hit the same as when I read it originally in 6th grade (duh). Did not see any of the original magic :/

[رجاء · Rating 4 out of 5]

just as good as i remember

[Year 5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s ok 😱🤯🤬

[Pms Student · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book the An Accidental Adventure by Alexander London is a good book. One thing that I like about it is that it takes place in Nepal. Another thing that I like about this story is that Oliver and celia are super funny. They always fight a lot because they are brother and sister. One thing that I don’t like about the book is that is is confusing of what they are doing. Another thing that I don’t like about the book is that the twins don’t really care that they are in cool places.

[Cornelia Franke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Figuren: Die Zwillinge Celia und Oliver Navel sind die Hauptfiguren dieser Reihe und ergänzen sich ganz prächtig. Celia ist die Beschützerin, benimmt sich oft wie die erwachsenere der beiden, und ist von ihrer Grundeinstellung her mürrisch und skeptisch (was sich jedoch aus ihren Erfahrungen ergibt). Dagegen ist ihr Bruder der Neugierige und Unvorsichtige und auch ein klein bisschen ein Feigling. Zusammen scheinen die beiden jedoch unschlagbar. Ihre Verbundenheit, ihr Vertrauen ineinander und das Verständnis, dass sie voneinander haben, macht Oliver und Celia zu zwei ganz wunderbaren Figuren im Jugendbuch-Bereich. Sie treten füreinander ein und passen auf den anderen auf, weil sie eben nur sich haben, wenn ihr Vater sie mal wieder auf eine halsbrecherische, total gefährliche Reise mitschleppt. (Und als running gag regelmäßig K.o. geschlagen wird.) Die Dialoge zwischen den beiden erheitern ungemein. Witzig, hin und wieder bösartig, aber auch kindisch. Obwohl sie kopfüber an einem Seil entlang klettern müssen oder einem Yeti gegenüberstehen, sie zanken sich, wie es Geschwister nun mal tun, aber sie arbeiten halt auch zusammen.
Alle Figuren in diesem ersten Teil sind sehr gut vorstellbar. Und dass, obwohl der Autor an äußerlichen Beschreibungen spart. Aber ihre Eigenarten, ihre Redeweise ist so gut dargestellt, dass sich von selbst ein Bild ergibt. So habe ich mir Dr. Navel immer als ein wenig schlaksig vorgestellt und ein bisschen wie Steve Irwin, der mitten im Dschungel nach Käfern sucht und sich riesig freut, wenn er etwas Brandgefährliches entdeckt. (Oh, ein vor Wut schäumendes Yetiweibchen! Ich mache erstmal zwei Schritte darauf zu und sehe es mir näher an!)

Lob, Lob, Lob: Originell! Das erste unfreiwillige Abenteuer von Celia und Oliver entwickelt sich wirklich originell und detailreich. Der Autor hat von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite Details gestreut, die am Ende ein dichtes Netz ergeben und ich mir so dachte: Warum bin ich da nicht früher drauf gekommen? Durch die vielen unvorhersehbaren Wenden und Schauplatzwechsel kam ebenso reichlich Spannung auf.
Sehr gefallen hat mir die Umsetzung, die an Romane wie „Um 80 Tagen um die Welt“ erinnerte, und die Gestaltung des Klubs der Forschungsreisenden, dessen Mitglieder so gerne über ihre Abenteuer und Entdeckungsreisen wetten. Dazu ist das Buch lehrreich ohne belehrend zu wirken. Durch die bisherigen Reisen der Zwillinge und das aktuelle Abenteuer in Tibet erfährt man beim Lesen viel über Bräuche, Kulturen und Legenden (einiges überspitzt, einiges wahnwitzig). Dadurch, dass die Zwillinge den größten Teil für sich erklären oder bei den komplizierteren Antworten der Erwachsenen noch einmal kindgerecht nachhaken, ist es auch umso verständlicher für die Altersstufe.
Zu Beginn wirkten Celia und Oliver sehr trotzig und ihr Hang zum Fernsehen (und der ständig wiederholte Wunsch, dass sie nur dies tun wollen, nur dies) nervte. Ich hatte so das Gefühl, dass der Autor sich dabei etwas von der Seele schreiben wollte, und war sogar schon versucht, das Buch wegzulegen. Zum Glück habe ich es nicht getan! Denn London fängt sich und je weiter die Geschichte sich entspinnt, desto nachvollziehbarer wird die Überzeugung der Zwillinge. Aber es kam sogar noch besser. Hatte ich zu Beginn das Gefühl, dass Celia und Oliver nur langweilige Sesselsitzer waren, so entwickelten sie sich im Verlauf des Buchs für den Leser mehr und mehr zu Abenteuern. Obwohl sie das eigentlich gar nicht sein wollen, aber es lässt sich nicht abstreiten. ;)
Außerdem gefiel mir eine Wende sehr gut. Je weiter das Buch voranschritt, desto weniger ließ sich abstreiten, wie wahnsinnig schlau und gewieft die Zwillinge sind. Durch ihren massiven Fernsehkonsum haben sie sich einen Wissensschatz angesammelt, der ihnen auch in den seltsamsten Situationen weiterhilft. Wie zum Beispiel die Titelmusik von Celias Lieblings-Soap zum Meditieren nutzen, weil das das einzige Lied ist, das Oliver auswendig kann und dabei immer wegdämmert. Oder wenn sie aus einem Flugzeug geworfen werden.

Zusammenfassend: Es hat Spaß gemacht! Olivers und Celias unfreiwilliges Abenteuer bietet eine originelle, witzige und spannende Geschichte. LESEEMPFEHLUNG!
Daher vergebe ich auch volle 5 von 5 Sternen für „Wir werden nicht von Yaks gefressen* hoffentlich“ und freue mich auf Band 2.