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Descendants #5
Beyond the Isle of the Lost
Filled with humor and adventure, this addition to the New York Times best-selling series explores a madcap prequel to Disney's The Rise of Red, set in Wonderland.
Fall down the rabbit hole…
For Red, growing up in Wonderland has been no piece of cake (literally—dessert is outlawed). Her mom, the Queen of Hearts, rules the kingdom with an iron scepter, while Red longs for a life of her own. She’s heard rumors about an island that once housed all the villains of folklore. A place with no rules? It sounds perfect.
But then the Queen declares that Red will issue a royal decree at the annual Wonderland Tea Ceremony (aka she'll come up with new ridiculous laws). Of course, Red loathes idea of following in her mother’s crimson-heeled footsteps. Banding together with new friends, Ace and Chester, Red plans the ultimate a party. Little does she know that they’ll be setting off a chain of events (or un-events) that could change things forever.
Fall down the rabbit hole…
For Red, growing up in Wonderland has been no piece of cake (literally—dessert is outlawed). Her mom, the Queen of Hearts, rules the kingdom with an iron scepter, while Red longs for a life of her own. She’s heard rumors about an island that once housed all the villains of folklore. A place with no rules? It sounds perfect.
But then the Queen declares that Red will issue a royal decree at the annual Wonderland Tea Ceremony (aka she'll come up with new ridiculous laws). Of course, Red loathes idea of following in her mother’s crimson-heeled footsteps. Banding together with new friends, Ace and Chester, Red plans the ultimate a party. Little does she know that they’ll be setting off a chain of events (or un-events) that could change things forever.
257 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2024
83 people are currently reading
2596 people want to read
About the author
Melissa de la Cruz
187 books15.8k followersMelissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh off the Boat.
Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.
She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.
Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).
She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.
Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.
She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.
Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).
She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
May 16, 2024
We all know that I'm not the target audience of the movies and the book. I'm way too old. However, I love reading and watching some middle grade movies and books once in a while. And since I really loved the original Descendants books and movies, I was really happy that a new book and film were gonna be released! I was even happier when I discovered that there would be a connection to Wonderland this time, my favorite fiction world of all time!
This might be my favorite Descendants book so far. Which is of course partly because we're in Wonderland and this book almost reads like a really nice and original Wonderland retelling. All the well known places of the Wonderland world are there, we're encountering quite a few familiar faces and despite the fact that this Wonderland is not as crazy as the one we see in the movies, it's still a strange world. I can't wait to see it come to life on tv!
I also really liked Red and her friends. Mostly because they really seemed to be real teenagers. They were asking questions adults didn't want them to ask, they were making plans and rushed into turning them into reality without thinking anything through. They were also really serious when it came to making their world a better and different place for the future and willing to take quite some risks to make their dreams a reality.
The ending of the book is quite brutal though. I'm now really impatiently waiting for the movie to be released, because I have to know how this is gonna end and where this is going. I do think the premise is quite interesting though and I can't wait for Red to explore the kingdom of Auradon. And I do hope that in one way or another her best friends will be by her side when they're finally getting to have a real party. With real pizza. Real music. And real dancing.
This might be my favorite Descendants book so far. Which is of course partly because we're in Wonderland and this book almost reads like a really nice and original Wonderland retelling. All the well known places of the Wonderland world are there, we're encountering quite a few familiar faces and despite the fact that this Wonderland is not as crazy as the one we see in the movies, it's still a strange world. I can't wait to see it come to life on tv!
I also really liked Red and her friends. Mostly because they really seemed to be real teenagers. They were asking questions adults didn't want them to ask, they were making plans and rushed into turning them into reality without thinking anything through. They were also really serious when it came to making their world a better and different place for the future and willing to take quite some risks to make their dreams a reality.
The ending of the book is quite brutal though. I'm now really impatiently waiting for the movie to be released, because I have to know how this is gonna end and where this is going. I do think the premise is quite interesting though and I can't wait for Red to explore the kingdom of Auradon. And I do hope that in one way or another her best friends will be by her side when they're finally getting to have a real party. With real pizza. Real music. And real dancing.
June 24, 2024
I received a copy of this book for free for promotional purposes.
I am such a huge Disney Descendants fan (I’ve seen all the movies and have read all the books in this series) and this book made me so excited for the new movie.
In this book we are introduced to Red, the daughter of the Queen of Hearts. I loved her. She is so different from the Villain Kids in the sense that she isn’t trying to be evil or wicked. She just wants to do her own thing and escape her mother’s tyrannical rule.
As for the supporting characters, I loved Chester and Ace. They were such good friends to Red and I was shocked at what happened to them at the end. As a huge Alice in Wonderland fan, I liked the inclusion of the Duchess, who is a character from the book, but never appears in any of the Disney movies.
I also enjoyed exploring Wonderland. It is very different from the Isle of the Lost. It’s basically a no-fun zone due to all the crazy rules.
Like the rest of the series, the book is fast paced and there is never a dull moment, making it a quick and easy read.
Overall, if you love the Disney Descendants franchise, you’re sure to love this one!
I am such a huge Disney Descendants fan (I’ve seen all the movies and have read all the books in this series) and this book made me so excited for the new movie.
In this book we are introduced to Red, the daughter of the Queen of Hearts. I loved her. She is so different from the Villain Kids in the sense that she isn’t trying to be evil or wicked. She just wants to do her own thing and escape her mother’s tyrannical rule.
As for the supporting characters, I loved Chester and Ace. They were such good friends to Red and I was shocked at what happened to them at the end. As a huge Alice in Wonderland fan, I liked the inclusion of the Duchess, who is a character from the book, but never appears in any of the Disney movies.
I also enjoyed exploring Wonderland. It is very different from the Isle of the Lost. It’s basically a no-fun zone due to all the crazy rules.
Like the rest of the series, the book is fast paced and there is never a dull moment, making it a quick and easy read.
Overall, if you love the Disney Descendants franchise, you’re sure to love this one!
April 28, 2025
The cliffhanger?!? Is this gonna be explained in the movie? Or is it gonna be like the other books in this series where the movies don’t follow along or mention any sort of thing that happens during the books…
September 24, 2024
4.5/5 stars
Melissa never disappoints. Although I do find this to be the weakest of the series, it’s probably due to it not having my babies the og VKs. But still this is a welcome addition to that universe that I’m glad to have read. I adore Red, Chester, and Ace. And the themes in this one were so strong and a good expansion of lore that was brought up in Descendants 3. This is about questioning authority and going against a totalitarian government. I am a bit weary as to how Wonderland relates to what we know about this world considering in that bonus story Mal says that VKs don’t attend Auradon Prep anymore? And then mentioned Wonderland. I just don’t know how to feel about that and suppose I’ll get some clarity in the newest film.
This one was slow to start but once we enter the Bramble Bay portion of the book it really picks up. It feels like that town came straight out of Legends and Lattes and I wanted to curl up and like in it. 10/10 atmosphere.
This had a dance scene that I absolutely adored!
There’s legitimately a scene where they’re wadding through a pool of blood and Red thinks about all the people her mom made disappear it’s dark and harrowing and I love it
Omg the helmets that control your mind and memory are wild and terrifying
Overall:
I loved the chemistry between our main 3 characters and the found family dynamic they cultivated. Wonderland was so vivid and lively despite it being so oppressive that I’m excited to see it translated into film. The ending hit me and I loved that it wasn’t necessarily a happy ending it was really bleak and such a strong setup for more story.
Melissa never disappoints. Although I do find this to be the weakest of the series, it’s probably due to it not having my babies the og VKs. But still this is a welcome addition to that universe that I’m glad to have read. I adore Red, Chester, and Ace. And the themes in this one were so strong and a good expansion of lore that was brought up in Descendants 3. This is about questioning authority and going against a totalitarian government. I am a bit weary as to how Wonderland relates to what we know about this world considering in that bonus story Mal says that VKs don’t attend Auradon Prep anymore? And then mentioned Wonderland. I just don’t know how to feel about that and suppose I’ll get some clarity in the newest film.
This one was slow to start but once we enter the Bramble Bay portion of the book it really picks up. It feels like that town came straight out of Legends and Lattes and I wanted to curl up and like in it. 10/10 atmosphere.
This had a dance scene that I absolutely adored!
There’s legitimately a scene where they’re wadding through a pool of blood and Red thinks about all the people her mom made disappear it’s dark and harrowing and I love it
Omg the helmets that control your mind and memory are wild and terrifying
Overall:
I loved the chemistry between our main 3 characters and the found family dynamic they cultivated. Wonderland was so vivid and lively despite it being so oppressive that I’m excited to see it translated into film. The ending hit me and I loved that it wasn’t necessarily a happy ending it was really bleak and such a strong setup for more story.
June 11, 2024
It started off interesting, then it was really good, awesome even. Jace and Harry having a comeback was a big surprise and tho I didn't like them in the earlier books in this one they were pretty fun but I really dislike the ending. YOU CANT JUST GO AND MAKE MY FAVOURITE CHARACTER INTO A CAT COME ON. Hoping they will either fix it in descendants 4 (they won't) or Melissa will bless us with another book in which Red saved Ace and Chester
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2024
What a disappointment the ending was! I was so excited to read this book because I loved the Descendants series. It was great until the very end when Red just goes along with her mother. Yes, there was a promise of more in some distant future, but I wanted Red to make a shocking decree that sent the Queen's head spinning!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2024
Someone tell me why every single story that involves the Queen of Hearts is absolutely heart-breaking. (Pun intended)
Before reading this book, I didn't have a lot of hope for the new movie. Then I read this book and my hope was restored.
This entire series is a solid 3.5/4 star read and I stand by that opinion.
Before reading this book, I didn't have a lot of hope for the new movie. Then I read this book and my hope was restored.
This entire series is a solid 3.5/4 star read and I stand by that opinion.
July 24, 2024
Another engaging Descendants installment. Looking forward to seeing Chester and Ace again after the movie plot. Disney should be hiring de la Cruz to write their Descendants movie as it was garbage and would have been much better written by her. Red in the book is much more interesting than the flop of a film version.
August 10, 2024
Cute back story and prequel to the Rise of Red movies. Helps to see a little more of how what happened to the Queen of Hearts as a teen impacts how she rules today.
December 27, 2024
Loved this group! I am looking forward to the next movie in the series. Also would love to see the world tour of Disney's Descendants & Zombies: Worlds Collide!
September 24, 2024
I really hate the Queen of Hearts. I wish we could see Ace and Chester in future movies, but (like all Descendants movies) I'm sure there won't even be a mention of anything that's happened in the books. Also, I like Red, but I wish the whole book wasn't about only her. I thought we would be flipping between her and Chloe, since they are co-leads of the film, but no such luck. But I really liked the dynamic between Red and her friends and found what happened to them really scary.
I feel that Melissa de la Cruz tries really hard to create a full and lived-in world that the movies, unfortunately, don't acknowledge.
I feel that Melissa de la Cruz tries really hard to create a full and lived-in world that the movies, unfortunately, don't acknowledge.
August 7, 2024
To repeat what several reviewers have said, the ending is brutal. Honestly, I’m kind of gutted by it. And that’s as a 27 year old woman!
I loved Red as a character, and I loved her gaining friends, and trying to break the mold her mother is shoving her into. I do hope to see more of her in Novel or film adaptations.
She’s just an incredibly kind-hearted and relatable character who’s expected to be a carbon copy of the Queen of Hearts.
I loved Red as a character, and I loved her gaining friends, and trying to break the mold her mother is shoving her into. I do hope to see more of her in Novel or film adaptations.
She’s just an incredibly kind-hearted and relatable character who’s expected to be a carbon copy of the Queen of Hearts.
July 6, 2024
I totally love Descendants (: Queen of hearts is a total biatch to her daughter and the way she treats her and the town they live in omg I don’t blame Red behaving the way she does to be honest and what Queen of heart does to Ace and Chester for being friends with Red. I can’t wait to watch the movie and see Red get her mother back
May 24, 2024
This book is kind of a mess tbh. Questionable continuity (though I know that’s more an issue of the movie than this book in particular), inconsistent characterization, and at no point did it manage to actually grab me.
June 6, 2024
This was a great addition to the Descedants world, well worth the 4-5 year wait. Even the bonus chapter in the B&N edition was great, just miss Carlos. Wonder how things will go in the movie that Disney+ will have in July.
July 2, 2024
FIVE STARSSSS I HAD FUN. i love red as a character, and i’m excited to see her in the movie as well!!!! this was a fun read!
October 12, 2024
The ending was insane. Such a good prequel to the movie.
July 17, 2024
*please note, if you actually take time to read anything I write here it is just brain to type vomit. This is a review that I am not going to over think/edit/ or analyze. HAHAHA so if you dare to read, this is my disclaimer, please don't assume all my reviews are this blatantly lackluster. :) Most of these thoughts have a very - Jenny Nicholoson hot take more than an actual book review, so bare with me if you choose to read. I really wanted to have all my many thoughts in one place, because I'm not going to make a youtube video to expound my ideas. (Ps. All hail queen jenny...how do you make four hours worth of watchable, endearing content? omg)
As always these simple stories bring me joy I can't really explain. Cruz understands the old school Disney World in such a sweet and well written way. For any of you who have never cared or have watched the Descendants franchise of musicals (Via the good ole fashioned Disney D-com's) these may not be for you. It isn't going to be a series for everyone, however, if you love campy *not camp rock campy...there is nothing worse than than camp rock........these films are fun. I would put them almost on the level of the High School Musical's but absolutely not on the same level as Lemonade Mouth or the Zombies franchise.
I am a Disney bebe, I love all the D-coms, and these were some of the better straight to tv editions they had come up with in the past several years. Obviously, the original idea came from Wicked. I'm fairly certain Disneys "twisted tales" either came out before Descendants or around the same time. I would absolutely argue these books are written EXCESSIVELY better than that of the Twisted Tale franchise, and they are incredibly different.
They have an old school Ever After High feel for you kids out there who enjoyed that series. You absolutely cannot tell me Disney was not competing with Mattel in their attempt to hit the Monster High and Ever After High craze. Where Descendants is clearly Ever After- Zombies is absolutely Monster High. It's just shocking they so blatantly started to copy paste the concepts, colors, and brand ideas without getting themselves into hot water.
I suppose when you are the house of mouse you are fairly invincible to the smaller brands, but I've always wondered how Mattel didn't fight back a bit. Perhaps they did slightly when partnering with the mouses biggest known rival - Nickelodeon -for their live action monster high brand deal. Idk if Mattel ever reached out to Disney during the heightened craze of dolls and media they were creating, but it was certainly not lost on the artists community that Disney made a cheap nock off of their fantastic concepts, while slapping a Disney Heritage label onto each character for that magic glow. The Nickelodeon rights purchase for the rights to not only the animated series and many movies would have been a great middle finger of , 'look what you made me do!', aside from them then creating the nonsense of the live action versions. Sadly, Descendants not only stole views and gaze away from the MH/EAH crowds, but also CLEARLY just had massively bigger budgets to work with. So, ironically, although I much prefer the Mattel concepts and franchise- these books sold the dumb musicals harder for me than they should have. I digress....
I would argue the books are even better than the musicals themselves...minus the lack of plot.
(Hear me out)
The 5 books are all pre-cursers to each of the musicals. So they are just to further introduce your later full film characters. What I adore about this is I go in (knowing I wont love these movies) but really caring about my characters involved. It makes the movies absolutely more enjoyable because Melissa is a good writer. Regardless of their stupid names (I hate the names so much) I do enjoy and love MANY of the characters in this deeper Descendants universe due to the backstories and books themselves. The books are written to just be a jumping place for the films....and I wish we had more of them. Give us more stories Disney, let us enjoy these characters off screen. It's tremendously cheaper than any full musical would be to produce while also an incredibly easy way to engage older elementry and jr high readers. At the height of Covid, I was running a daycare for my nursing fascility I work at. This was to ensure nurses and other staff could come in and serve our community while still having a safe place for their children with schools shut down. I had some incredibly difficult kids in the group, one in particular who HATED reading 'to the core' (joke intended, u know if u know). She was, however, a massive Descendants fanngirly. SO - I utilized these books for educational purposes in an attempt to help her better reading capabilities. She, along with ALL the other kids, LOVED this so much, because the books are fun and engaging. Obviously, if you have a child with a Kindergarten reading level- who is in fourth grade- hating to read- ANYTHING getting them to read is magic.
Disney magic I guess.
Anyway, these books deserved full standalone stories and I am avidly sad that instead they are always just an aside or pre-curser. Due to this, there is literally always an excessive lack of plot that is disarming, however, the books are so stupidly charming I continue to purchase every last one. When I saw that Descendants 5 was happening the only thing I really hoped was that Cruz had been called to give me another charming 200 page, simple summer read. Beyond the Isle... was absolutely that.
I would argue this is the largest cliff hanger that I can recall any of the books ending on?! That being said I am STOKED to jump onto my couch, grab some tasty cake (The wonderland kids aren't allowed sweets- so i owe it to them) and watch this film.
Very very excited.
So yea, I gotta hand it to Cruz, she's given an uphill battle every damn time with this series. "Please write some 200 pages worth of story that will just lead to our movie, without too little plot to not be a standalone story- but also with no plot".
And my word, she does the damn thing. *Cheers with rootbeer
My only large gripe is audible lost licensing with Disney over the first four books I purchased...so since they aren't permanently downloaded onto my phone they are currently completely inaccessible. To me that raises a decently large issue. If it was a dvd on my shelf, they could lose the rights but I would still have access to the media I purchased when the rights were there.
This is a gateway for a major issue with our digital libraries in the foreseeable future.
Keep in mind, unless you have a digitally downloaded carbon copy of your favorite items somewhere- at any point these companies can treat you as a renter and not as an owner.
Amazon is doing this same thing with their movies. Things you purchase could and can just vanish.
It's something as readers we need to stay aware of. I hold too- OWN a physical copy of the books you love. It is imperative. <3
...rant over, excited to go watch the film...
Concept 3.5/5
Setting 3.5/5
Characters 3.5/5
Magical Ambiance 2/5
Plot 2/5
Coherence 5/5
Romance 3.5/5
Audio Reader 3/5
Final Rating 3.5/5
Verdict: Off to eat cake and off with their heads <3
"What's my name? What's my name? SAY IT LOUDER!"- Uma
As always these simple stories bring me joy I can't really explain. Cruz understands the old school Disney World in such a sweet and well written way. For any of you who have never cared or have watched the Descendants franchise of musicals (Via the good ole fashioned Disney D-com's) these may not be for you. It isn't going to be a series for everyone, however, if you love campy *not camp rock campy...there is nothing worse than than camp rock........these films are fun. I would put them almost on the level of the High School Musical's but absolutely not on the same level as Lemonade Mouth or the Zombies franchise.
I am a Disney bebe, I love all the D-coms, and these were some of the better straight to tv editions they had come up with in the past several years. Obviously, the original idea came from Wicked. I'm fairly certain Disneys "twisted tales" either came out before Descendants or around the same time. I would absolutely argue these books are written EXCESSIVELY better than that of the Twisted Tale franchise, and they are incredibly different.
They have an old school Ever After High feel for you kids out there who enjoyed that series. You absolutely cannot tell me Disney was not competing with Mattel in their attempt to hit the Monster High and Ever After High craze. Where Descendants is clearly Ever After- Zombies is absolutely Monster High. It's just shocking they so blatantly started to copy paste the concepts, colors, and brand ideas without getting themselves into hot water.
I suppose when you are the house of mouse you are fairly invincible to the smaller brands, but I've always wondered how Mattel didn't fight back a bit. Perhaps they did slightly when partnering with the mouses biggest known rival - Nickelodeon -for their live action monster high brand deal. Idk if Mattel ever reached out to Disney during the heightened craze of dolls and media they were creating, but it was certainly not lost on the artists community that Disney made a cheap nock off of their fantastic concepts, while slapping a Disney Heritage label onto each character for that magic glow. The Nickelodeon rights purchase for the rights to not only the animated series and many movies would have been a great middle finger of , 'look what you made me do!', aside from them then creating the nonsense of the live action versions. Sadly, Descendants not only stole views and gaze away from the MH/EAH crowds, but also CLEARLY just had massively bigger budgets to work with. So, ironically, although I much prefer the Mattel concepts and franchise- these books sold the dumb musicals harder for me than they should have. I digress....
I would argue the books are even better than the musicals themselves...minus the lack of plot.
(Hear me out)
The 5 books are all pre-cursers to each of the musicals. So they are just to further introduce your later full film characters. What I adore about this is I go in (knowing I wont love these movies) but really caring about my characters involved. It makes the movies absolutely more enjoyable because Melissa is a good writer. Regardless of their stupid names (I hate the names so much) I do enjoy and love MANY of the characters in this deeper Descendants universe due to the backstories and books themselves. The books are written to just be a jumping place for the films....and I wish we had more of them. Give us more stories Disney, let us enjoy these characters off screen. It's tremendously cheaper than any full musical would be to produce while also an incredibly easy way to engage older elementry and jr high readers. At the height of Covid, I was running a daycare for my nursing fascility I work at. This was to ensure nurses and other staff could come in and serve our community while still having a safe place for their children with schools shut down. I had some incredibly difficult kids in the group, one in particular who HATED reading 'to the core' (joke intended, u know if u know). She was, however, a massive Descendants fanngirly. SO - I utilized these books for educational purposes in an attempt to help her better reading capabilities. She, along with ALL the other kids, LOVED this so much, because the books are fun and engaging. Obviously, if you have a child with a Kindergarten reading level- who is in fourth grade- hating to read- ANYTHING getting them to read is magic.
Disney magic I guess.
Anyway, these books deserved full standalone stories and I am avidly sad that instead they are always just an aside or pre-curser. Due to this, there is literally always an excessive lack of plot that is disarming, however, the books are so stupidly charming I continue to purchase every last one. When I saw that Descendants 5 was happening the only thing I really hoped was that Cruz had been called to give me another charming 200 page, simple summer read. Beyond the Isle... was absolutely that.
I would argue this is the largest cliff hanger that I can recall any of the books ending on?! That being said I am STOKED to jump onto my couch, grab some tasty cake (The wonderland kids aren't allowed sweets- so i owe it to them) and watch this film.
Very very excited.
So yea, I gotta hand it to Cruz, she's given an uphill battle every damn time with this series. "Please write some 200 pages worth of story that will just lead to our movie, without too little plot to not be a standalone story- but also with no plot".
And my word, she does the damn thing. *Cheers with rootbeer
My only large gripe is audible lost licensing with Disney over the first four books I purchased...so since they aren't permanently downloaded onto my phone they are currently completely inaccessible. To me that raises a decently large issue. If it was a dvd on my shelf, they could lose the rights but I would still have access to the media I purchased when the rights were there.
This is a gateway for a major issue with our digital libraries in the foreseeable future.
Keep in mind, unless you have a digitally downloaded carbon copy of your favorite items somewhere- at any point these companies can treat you as a renter and not as an owner.
Amazon is doing this same thing with their movies. Things you purchase could and can just vanish.
It's something as readers we need to stay aware of. I hold too- OWN a physical copy of the books you love. It is imperative. <3
...rant over, excited to go watch the film...
Concept 3.5/5
Setting 3.5/5
Characters 3.5/5
Magical Ambiance 2/5
Plot 2/5
Coherence 5/5
Romance 3.5/5
Audio Reader 3/5
Final Rating 3.5/5
Verdict: Off to eat cake and off with their heads <3
"What's my name? What's my name? SAY IT LOUDER!"- Uma
April 23, 2025
Here we are again, 100% for my daughter.
She rates this book as many 5 stars as she can. She absolutely loves Red and everything about this version of Wonderland and has absolutely nothing bad to say.
I, on the other hand, love my daughter and so I continue to read this series to her.
I will say, this felt a little more genuine than the stories that took place in Auradon. While all of these books are extremely dramatic and over the top, this one was a little bit less… extreme. Red was much more relatable to any of the other Villain kids and her relationships with Chester and Ace were wonderful, and I love that they broke her out of her shell.
I will say, there’s very little plot to these books. They are very character dominant, so they are a struggle to read when the characters are unrealistic nor relatable.
At the end of the day, this one was more enjoyable than the last couple and Red is the best character to come from this series.
She rates this book as many 5 stars as she can. She absolutely loves Red and everything about this version of Wonderland and has absolutely nothing bad to say.
I, on the other hand, love my daughter and so I continue to read this series to her.
I will say, this felt a little more genuine than the stories that took place in Auradon. While all of these books are extremely dramatic and over the top, this one was a little bit less… extreme. Red was much more relatable to any of the other Villain kids and her relationships with Chester and Ace were wonderful, and I love that they broke her out of her shell.
I will say, there’s very little plot to these books. They are very character dominant, so they are a struggle to read when the characters are unrealistic nor relatable.
At the end of the day, this one was more enjoyable than the last couple and Red is the best character to come from this series.
May 22, 2025
3.5 stars for a fun retelling middle grade. If you like, or know a kiddo that likes, the Descendants or retellings, this is one to checkout.
You don’t need to have watched or read other Descendants novels, to enjoy this adventure read.
Thank you Disney and Honcho Media for sharing this one w me. My review and thoughts are my own.
You don’t need to have watched or read other Descendants novels, to enjoy this adventure read.
Thank you Disney and Honcho Media for sharing this one w me. My review and thoughts are my own.
June 14, 2024
Once again another good and favorite book of mine. I love this series and I'm always excited to watch the movie that is loosely based off the books. I very much enjoyed this book and I can't wait to see the movie
Read
September 25, 2025Beyond the Isle of the Lost
Red is bored out of her mind at an un-garden party. It sounds like the most boring party you can imagine. No one opens the presents and they get thrown away at the end of the event. There are tables heaped with pies, cakes, and tarts, but no ones eating for fear of being poisoned. Games consist of standing in one place for a long time and sleeping until someone rudely woke you up. Red is the guest of honor and amusing herself with stacking tea cups on top of each other.
The book tells us this about Red. (Red’s birthright was to rule next to her mother. She knew what was expected of her, but that wasn’t what she wanted for herself. What she wanted was to be a little naughty—to have a little bit of fun—and so she’d been sneaking out at night, taking things, she wasn’t supposed to touch—all to defy her mother and, if she was being super honest, get her attention. The Queen arrives, greets Red, asks if she’s enjoying the party, critizes her attire (too much leather) and then starts to give out a new set of rules (which include birthdays being banned. Treats discouraged. Especially cupcakes. Jokes are also limited to every other Saturday.
After sending a boy away for eating some of the tarts, the Queen talks about the “War of Roses” where Wonderland refused to unite with the rest of Auradon. Then Queen announces that this year’s Wonderland Tea Ceremony will be special because Red will be giving the royal decree (a collection of rules, regulations, and goals for the upcoming year.) Leaving the party, Red goes to her favorite spot (an old Tum Tum tree that overlooks Wonderland). She thinks about how she’s never been outside Wonderland and a place called the Isle of the Lost where the kids of Villains are said to have freedom and live their lives. She thinks about what happened to the boy and decides she won’t make any more silly decress. She’s going to find a way instead to lighten up Wonderland.
We learn that Maddox teaches science at Wonderland High and science is Red’s favorite subject because it’s predictable-unlike her mother-. There’s a new student in class named Chester. He’s from Caterpillar Bush. He and Red are assigned to be lab partners. He admits that he never found his role. Red looks to talk to him more at the end of class but he’s already gone. She looks around for him the rest of the day, but doesn’t see him. After school, she sees him again by her locker and he admits he cut. Sitting in hard desks all day he says isn’t his thing. Red tells him the punishment if he’s caught is writing her mother’s decree a 100 x’s but he seems unfazed. He questions why Red hasn’t tried to talk to her mother but she basically says that’s not how it works. Red and Chester work on a potion that turns him large and her small.
When they’re back to normal, Chester and Red discuss the similarities of science and magic. They again talk about roles. Chester advises Red that roles can always be broken out of and he offers to help her out in that department, which she accepts. Red is informed by her mother when she gets home that they’ll start her training soon. They start with “The Look” which Red nails when she thinks about not caring about the Tea Ceremony. That night, Chester and his friend (Ace) break Red out of her room. They talk about how they aren’t rule followers like the other Wonderland kids. Ace suggests they throw a party to get the other kids to rebel. Red and Chester agree and they decide to have it in a clearing where no one will hear the loud music.
The Queen excuses Red from classes to have lessons with new trainers (recent graduates of Wonderland High) Twee, daughter of Tweedledee and Dora, daughter of Dormouse. They’ll be teaching her manners and etiquette. During the lesson, Red is asked if she wants to be leader (when she makes mistake after mistake)and she lets it be none she doesn’t. They tell her she has no choice and that Royals are always watched. Red doesn’t want to be Queen but doesn’t want to be an embarrassment to her mother either. Chester, suggest she skip the whole event. Red is conflicted but decides to continue her rebellion.
Chester show them the spot he picked and they agree on pizza and pickleball for entertainment. As they leave, Red hears Twee and Dora in the maze upset over her standing them up. They say that there’s something off about her. She’s not as disciplined as the other Wonderland kids and she doesn’t even want to be Queen.
The Queen comes down on Red about where she’s been when she gets back, but easily dismisses it when she says she was working on a project for Maddox. At school, Chester and Red pass on the invitations signed by the Party Commisson (a name given to them by Ace). One of the invitations is spotted by the Duchess but before she can look at it, Red distracts her with a perfect imitation of her mother and demanding to know why she hasn’t responded to the invite for the Tea Ceremony. Chester then steals the invite from her.
At her next training session Dora and Twee call Red out for her rudeness standing them out. They tell her they know she’s been hanging around with Chester and warn her that the Chesters have been known to manipulate weak individuals. Red proves just how much of her mother she can be when a Frog Butler brings her an oyster. Red (with egging on from the Queen) orders he take it away and bring her a souffle. When he tells her one isn’t ready, she tells she didn’t ask him that. When he tells her there might be a wait she flings a plate at him and then orders him to clean it up. Her mother couldn’t be more proud. The Queen says the next lesson she’ll present her decree and tells her to make it heartless.
On Friday, Red suspects Maddox knows about the party because he doesn’t give them any homework over the weekend (which he’s never done before). Red proves to be a disappointment to her mother again when she tells her (her) decress will be to uproot unsanctioned plants. The party is a success once Red convinces the kids its not a trap. One of the girls even admits she couldn’t take another garden party. Soon they start to run out of food. Before they can order more, they’re alerted to the presence of the card soldiers. Ace, Red, and Chester are captured.
The Queen is waiting for Red in the throne room. She says she’s sent “her friends” home. Then she warns her about how Royals shouldn’t have friends because it makes them look soft. Red tells her it was her party and the Queen just laughs at this (as in that was NOT a party). That night, Red thinks of Bramble Bay. Chester, Red, and Ace meet up after their bust of a party and Red says maybe the people in Bramble Bay can help them with their party as they don’t follow the Queen’s rules. *(Ace says it would be risky due to the borders being patrolled, Red remarks that she can get them through due to her status but Chester states it would be dangerous since the Queen would know where Red went).
Red finds a good enough map and Chester says he and his cousin can “borrow” the Duchess’s car. Using her non replay to the Tea Ceremony as an excuse, Red pays the Duchess a visit and gets her to sign a response that she’ll deliver to her mother. While Chester creates a distraction she steals some of her clothes. She then gives her mother a letter from the Duchess that says because of her late response she’d like to train Red herself. The Queen tells Red to use this offer to put her in her place. In Bramble Bay at a restaurant, a girl recognizes Red as the Princess and accuses them of spying, but then walks off
The next day while deciding the next part of their plan, they have a car accident with an oyster truck. Red gets out to help clean up the mess and the girl from the restaurant offers to help her. She apologizes for her attitude the day before and says when she saw her offer to help she realized the Queen would never do manual labor. Making her unlike her mother. It turns out she’s Dee the twin sister of her mentor Twee (which is why she seemed familiar earlier). Red tells her about the incident with the party and Dee says even in Bramble Bay they don’t have parties but she invites them to a shindig that night.
Red, Chester, and Ace meet Horace and Jace who got trapped there after the Rabbit Hole was sealed. But they say that they’re going to escape and take Dee with them. They find out Dee wanted to escape the dull life of the Capital but struggled because Twee wouldn’t come. Ace, Chester, and Red find out from Dee that they have to hold their events in secret so not to arouse suspicion. She presets Red with a bag of tapes that she says washed out on the shore as a “Tea Ceremony” gift. Red tells Dee that Twee is fine and now gives her lessons and she says that her sister only went for a job in the court to avoid being a card soldier.
Dee presses Red on what she’ll use her leadership for even tho she says its not what she wants. The party is then broken up by the arrival of approaching card guards. Red apologizes and says it wasn’t her intention to bring them there but Dee says she believes her. Chester notes that The Duchess' car could be reported if seen as the three go to leave as Chester quickly stops to go do something before returning as the three depart in the car. Red then drives the car back to Wonderland.
The Queen isn’t interested at all about hearing about the Duchess’s lessons and instead is concerned about getting a special set of tea sets for the ceremony. She then tells Red she’ll be gone for a while due to business, she then orders her daughter to have her hair put up because its custom. When Red suggests what if she broke custom, her mother gets angry and tells her not today. Red calls an emergency Party Comission meeting and tells Ace and Chester; she wants to throw another party in her castle (inspired by what she saw at Bramble Bay). Katie (the Caterpillar’s granddaughter contributes a boom box) and Bill supplies them with food. Chester surprises Red with a homemade disco ball.
Red changes into a pale pink dress that her mother wouldn’t approve of (because she’d say it would clash) but Red finds that it doesn’t and looks good on her. People start to arrive at the dance, and its a lot of people. Still, they don’t really know how to act at a party. So, they’re kind of robotic and stiff. Red and Ace liven things up by dancing together and pretty soon the other kids pick up on it and join in. Then the Queen arrives, yells for them all to get out (including Red) and calls her guards. Ace, Red, and Chester escape through a secret passageway and end up in the moat. When they come out of the moat they end up in a forest with a waterfall where they decide to rest.
Red, Ace, and Chester decide to head for the Pool of Tears and if they can’t solve the riddle, they’ll just leave Wonderland for good. They don’t make it there tho. They hear the guards and decide to split up. Before long, Ace and Chester are caught but Ace covers for Red and tells them she’s too far ahead for them to ever catch up to. Red now doesn’t know what to do. Should she go to the Vorpal Mountain like Ace and Chester want her to? Should she go live in Bramble Bay? She realizes a part of her will always be tied to Wonderland and that she does care about it.
Red heads back home on a horse that she got by threatening some men. Guards are surrounding the hedge maze and going in and out. She notices one with a silver helmet, wrestles with him, discovers a heart shaped hole, unlocks it with a pin, and discovers it’s the boy who stole the tarts from the party. He’s dazed and confused. She sets him free, tells him she’ll handle this, puts on his helmet, picks up his staff, and heads toward the castle ready for a fight.
Immediately in the hall, Red runs into her mother who wants to know if she’s been found. She says that its just frustrating they won’t tell. She sends her on her way after saying she’s going to take a nap. Red finds Chester and Ace looking bad and tries to break them out but she’s stopped by the guards and her mother who says “Nice try”. She tells Red because she’s weak, she knew she’d come back for her “friends” and throws her into a cell with them. Ace, Chester, and Red wonder if she’ll execute them at the Tea Ceremony or just leave them there to starve. Ace and Chester confess it was always there plan to distract the soldiers so she could go free. Red then falls in and out of a nightmarish sleep.
When they’re awakened, the soldiers take them to the Great Hall. Red, Chester, and Ace are seperated and dragged away. Ladies attack Red and make her over to look like her mother. She’s then pushed through the door and the Tea Ceremony is about to begin. Red pleads with her mother not to hurt her friends. Then they’re brought out on the stage.
The Queen transforms Ace into one of the Guards and takes him away to the others. She then turns Chester into a cat with nothing left behind but a smile. He then fades out. The Queen makes Red give the decree. Its about limiting people’s gathering without an approved reason. She does but swears one day she’s going to set Wonderland up in flames and that from now on she’ll be indifferent and not give her mother a reason to take advantage of her weakness of caring.
My Thoughts:
While I commend Red for wanting to stand up to her mother, I think she was just a little confused about what it means to have a a “rebellion”. You have to COMMIT to a rebellion. You have to be READY and not run from the consequences. Even if that means you *are* taken in by authority.
For example, there’s a protest that’s been going on here. Typical story. Cop shoots an unarmed (black) kid. The parents want the full footage. There’s a “delay” showing the full footage. Then the family is only shown an edited version. Now, the supporters and protestors have posted themselves around the city where the cop was from. Some of these protestors were arrested. Some were tazed. What they didn’t do was run off in fear into the woods. Nor did they try to protest in secret. Now THAT’S what I call a rebellion. Even tho they possibly knew there would be a risk to them they had COURAGE to take the risk.
The end had me wanting to read another follow up book where Run really does burn Wonderland to the ground. This would definitely be interesting to read about. Red was interesting character. I think off all the Descendants books I liked this one the most. I just had a different *feel* to it for some reason. Maybe it was that this wasn’t Auradon or the Isle of the Los. And this was a Wonderland I hadn’t read about before. Even tho the Queen’s rules were absurd I thought about how it must be just to be able to make a rule on the spur like that and just have it be law. I would *love* to do that especially with a certain thing where I’m from.
I also thought about what it feels like to have an influencal nother that everyone listens to and how it can often make you feel like you’re in their shadow. And what it feels like to have a parent force something on you that *they* may feel strongly about but you don’t. While I’ve never felt the pressure to be like my mother (from her)there was something that I felt like she’d practically make me do that meant a WHOLE lot to her but just didn’t hold the same weight with me. Yet, she’d become extremely angered (just like the Queen) if I voiced that I just didn’t want to do it. And sometimes (like Red at the book were she just gives the proclamation) I just did it just to keep the peace. I think I’ve said in a SVK review that it’s not ok to pressure or push your beliefs on anybody. Especially not a parent on a child. And I want to see Red use her power to make changes to Wonderland and not just end up like the Queen. So, I hope that there *is* another book because I’m very interested in this character and storyline
Rating: 7
Red is bored out of her mind at an un-garden party. It sounds like the most boring party you can imagine. No one opens the presents and they get thrown away at the end of the event. There are tables heaped with pies, cakes, and tarts, but no ones eating for fear of being poisoned. Games consist of standing in one place for a long time and sleeping until someone rudely woke you up. Red is the guest of honor and amusing herself with stacking tea cups on top of each other.
The book tells us this about Red. (Red’s birthright was to rule next to her mother. She knew what was expected of her, but that wasn’t what she wanted for herself. What she wanted was to be a little naughty—to have a little bit of fun—and so she’d been sneaking out at night, taking things, she wasn’t supposed to touch—all to defy her mother and, if she was being super honest, get her attention. The Queen arrives, greets Red, asks if she’s enjoying the party, critizes her attire (too much leather) and then starts to give out a new set of rules (which include birthdays being banned. Treats discouraged. Especially cupcakes. Jokes are also limited to every other Saturday.
After sending a boy away for eating some of the tarts, the Queen talks about the “War of Roses” where Wonderland refused to unite with the rest of Auradon. Then Queen announces that this year’s Wonderland Tea Ceremony will be special because Red will be giving the royal decree (a collection of rules, regulations, and goals for the upcoming year.) Leaving the party, Red goes to her favorite spot (an old Tum Tum tree that overlooks Wonderland). She thinks about how she’s never been outside Wonderland and a place called the Isle of the Lost where the kids of Villains are said to have freedom and live their lives. She thinks about what happened to the boy and decides she won’t make any more silly decress. She’s going to find a way instead to lighten up Wonderland.
We learn that Maddox teaches science at Wonderland High and science is Red’s favorite subject because it’s predictable-unlike her mother-. There’s a new student in class named Chester. He’s from Caterpillar Bush. He and Red are assigned to be lab partners. He admits that he never found his role. Red looks to talk to him more at the end of class but he’s already gone. She looks around for him the rest of the day, but doesn’t see him. After school, she sees him again by her locker and he admits he cut. Sitting in hard desks all day he says isn’t his thing. Red tells him the punishment if he’s caught is writing her mother’s decree a 100 x’s but he seems unfazed. He questions why Red hasn’t tried to talk to her mother but she basically says that’s not how it works. Red and Chester work on a potion that turns him large and her small.
When they’re back to normal, Chester and Red discuss the similarities of science and magic. They again talk about roles. Chester advises Red that roles can always be broken out of and he offers to help her out in that department, which she accepts. Red is informed by her mother when she gets home that they’ll start her training soon. They start with “The Look” which Red nails when she thinks about not caring about the Tea Ceremony. That night, Chester and his friend (Ace) break Red out of her room. They talk about how they aren’t rule followers like the other Wonderland kids. Ace suggests they throw a party to get the other kids to rebel. Red and Chester agree and they decide to have it in a clearing where no one will hear the loud music.
The Queen excuses Red from classes to have lessons with new trainers (recent graduates of Wonderland High) Twee, daughter of Tweedledee and Dora, daughter of Dormouse. They’ll be teaching her manners and etiquette. During the lesson, Red is asked if she wants to be leader (when she makes mistake after mistake)and she lets it be none she doesn’t. They tell her she has no choice and that Royals are always watched. Red doesn’t want to be Queen but doesn’t want to be an embarrassment to her mother either. Chester, suggest she skip the whole event. Red is conflicted but decides to continue her rebellion.
Chester show them the spot he picked and they agree on pizza and pickleball for entertainment. As they leave, Red hears Twee and Dora in the maze upset over her standing them up. They say that there’s something off about her. She’s not as disciplined as the other Wonderland kids and she doesn’t even want to be Queen.
The Queen comes down on Red about where she’s been when she gets back, but easily dismisses it when she says she was working on a project for Maddox. At school, Chester and Red pass on the invitations signed by the Party Commisson (a name given to them by Ace). One of the invitations is spotted by the Duchess but before she can look at it, Red distracts her with a perfect imitation of her mother and demanding to know why she hasn’t responded to the invite for the Tea Ceremony. Chester then steals the invite from her.
At her next training session Dora and Twee call Red out for her rudeness standing them out. They tell her they know she’s been hanging around with Chester and warn her that the Chesters have been known to manipulate weak individuals. Red proves just how much of her mother she can be when a Frog Butler brings her an oyster. Red (with egging on from the Queen) orders he take it away and bring her a souffle. When he tells her one isn’t ready, she tells she didn’t ask him that. When he tells her there might be a wait she flings a plate at him and then orders him to clean it up. Her mother couldn’t be more proud. The Queen says the next lesson she’ll present her decree and tells her to make it heartless.
On Friday, Red suspects Maddox knows about the party because he doesn’t give them any homework over the weekend (which he’s never done before). Red proves to be a disappointment to her mother again when she tells her (her) decress will be to uproot unsanctioned plants. The party is a success once Red convinces the kids its not a trap. One of the girls even admits she couldn’t take another garden party. Soon they start to run out of food. Before they can order more, they’re alerted to the presence of the card soldiers. Ace, Red, and Chester are captured.
The Queen is waiting for Red in the throne room. She says she’s sent “her friends” home. Then she warns her about how Royals shouldn’t have friends because it makes them look soft. Red tells her it was her party and the Queen just laughs at this (as in that was NOT a party). That night, Red thinks of Bramble Bay. Chester, Red, and Ace meet up after their bust of a party and Red says maybe the people in Bramble Bay can help them with their party as they don’t follow the Queen’s rules. *(Ace says it would be risky due to the borders being patrolled, Red remarks that she can get them through due to her status but Chester states it would be dangerous since the Queen would know where Red went).
Red finds a good enough map and Chester says he and his cousin can “borrow” the Duchess’s car. Using her non replay to the Tea Ceremony as an excuse, Red pays the Duchess a visit and gets her to sign a response that she’ll deliver to her mother. While Chester creates a distraction she steals some of her clothes. She then gives her mother a letter from the Duchess that says because of her late response she’d like to train Red herself. The Queen tells Red to use this offer to put her in her place. In Bramble Bay at a restaurant, a girl recognizes Red as the Princess and accuses them of spying, but then walks off
The next day while deciding the next part of their plan, they have a car accident with an oyster truck. Red gets out to help clean up the mess and the girl from the restaurant offers to help her. She apologizes for her attitude the day before and says when she saw her offer to help she realized the Queen would never do manual labor. Making her unlike her mother. It turns out she’s Dee the twin sister of her mentor Twee (which is why she seemed familiar earlier). Red tells her about the incident with the party and Dee says even in Bramble Bay they don’t have parties but she invites them to a shindig that night.
Red, Chester, and Ace meet Horace and Jace who got trapped there after the Rabbit Hole was sealed. But they say that they’re going to escape and take Dee with them. They find out Dee wanted to escape the dull life of the Capital but struggled because Twee wouldn’t come. Ace, Chester, and Red find out from Dee that they have to hold their events in secret so not to arouse suspicion. She presets Red with a bag of tapes that she says washed out on the shore as a “Tea Ceremony” gift. Red tells Dee that Twee is fine and now gives her lessons and she says that her sister only went for a job in the court to avoid being a card soldier.
Dee presses Red on what she’ll use her leadership for even tho she says its not what she wants. The party is then broken up by the arrival of approaching card guards. Red apologizes and says it wasn’t her intention to bring them there but Dee says she believes her. Chester notes that The Duchess' car could be reported if seen as the three go to leave as Chester quickly stops to go do something before returning as the three depart in the car. Red then drives the car back to Wonderland.
The Queen isn’t interested at all about hearing about the Duchess’s lessons and instead is concerned about getting a special set of tea sets for the ceremony. She then tells Red she’ll be gone for a while due to business, she then orders her daughter to have her hair put up because its custom. When Red suggests what if she broke custom, her mother gets angry and tells her not today. Red calls an emergency Party Comission meeting and tells Ace and Chester; she wants to throw another party in her castle (inspired by what she saw at Bramble Bay). Katie (the Caterpillar’s granddaughter contributes a boom box) and Bill supplies them with food. Chester surprises Red with a homemade disco ball.
Red changes into a pale pink dress that her mother wouldn’t approve of (because she’d say it would clash) but Red finds that it doesn’t and looks good on her. People start to arrive at the dance, and its a lot of people. Still, they don’t really know how to act at a party. So, they’re kind of robotic and stiff. Red and Ace liven things up by dancing together and pretty soon the other kids pick up on it and join in. Then the Queen arrives, yells for them all to get out (including Red) and calls her guards. Ace, Red, and Chester escape through a secret passageway and end up in the moat. When they come out of the moat they end up in a forest with a waterfall where they decide to rest.
Red, Ace, and Chester decide to head for the Pool of Tears and if they can’t solve the riddle, they’ll just leave Wonderland for good. They don’t make it there tho. They hear the guards and decide to split up. Before long, Ace and Chester are caught but Ace covers for Red and tells them she’s too far ahead for them to ever catch up to. Red now doesn’t know what to do. Should she go to the Vorpal Mountain like Ace and Chester want her to? Should she go live in Bramble Bay? She realizes a part of her will always be tied to Wonderland and that she does care about it.
Red heads back home on a horse that she got by threatening some men. Guards are surrounding the hedge maze and going in and out. She notices one with a silver helmet, wrestles with him, discovers a heart shaped hole, unlocks it with a pin, and discovers it’s the boy who stole the tarts from the party. He’s dazed and confused. She sets him free, tells him she’ll handle this, puts on his helmet, picks up his staff, and heads toward the castle ready for a fight.
Immediately in the hall, Red runs into her mother who wants to know if she’s been found. She says that its just frustrating they won’t tell. She sends her on her way after saying she’s going to take a nap. Red finds Chester and Ace looking bad and tries to break them out but she’s stopped by the guards and her mother who says “Nice try”. She tells Red because she’s weak, she knew she’d come back for her “friends” and throws her into a cell with them. Ace, Chester, and Red wonder if she’ll execute them at the Tea Ceremony or just leave them there to starve. Ace and Chester confess it was always there plan to distract the soldiers so she could go free. Red then falls in and out of a nightmarish sleep.
When they’re awakened, the soldiers take them to the Great Hall. Red, Chester, and Ace are seperated and dragged away. Ladies attack Red and make her over to look like her mother. She’s then pushed through the door and the Tea Ceremony is about to begin. Red pleads with her mother not to hurt her friends. Then they’re brought out on the stage.
The Queen transforms Ace into one of the Guards and takes him away to the others. She then turns Chester into a cat with nothing left behind but a smile. He then fades out. The Queen makes Red give the decree. Its about limiting people’s gathering without an approved reason. She does but swears one day she’s going to set Wonderland up in flames and that from now on she’ll be indifferent and not give her mother a reason to take advantage of her weakness of caring.
My Thoughts:
While I commend Red for wanting to stand up to her mother, I think she was just a little confused about what it means to have a a “rebellion”. You have to COMMIT to a rebellion. You have to be READY and not run from the consequences. Even if that means you *are* taken in by authority.
For example, there’s a protest that’s been going on here. Typical story. Cop shoots an unarmed (black) kid. The parents want the full footage. There’s a “delay” showing the full footage. Then the family is only shown an edited version. Now, the supporters and protestors have posted themselves around the city where the cop was from. Some of these protestors were arrested. Some were tazed. What they didn’t do was run off in fear into the woods. Nor did they try to protest in secret. Now THAT’S what I call a rebellion. Even tho they possibly knew there would be a risk to them they had COURAGE to take the risk.
The end had me wanting to read another follow up book where Run really does burn Wonderland to the ground. This would definitely be interesting to read about. Red was interesting character. I think off all the Descendants books I liked this one the most. I just had a different *feel* to it for some reason. Maybe it was that this wasn’t Auradon or the Isle of the Los. And this was a Wonderland I hadn’t read about before. Even tho the Queen’s rules were absurd I thought about how it must be just to be able to make a rule on the spur like that and just have it be law. I would *love* to do that especially with a certain thing where I’m from.
I also thought about what it feels like to have an influencal nother that everyone listens to and how it can often make you feel like you’re in their shadow. And what it feels like to have a parent force something on you that *they* may feel strongly about but you don’t. While I’ve never felt the pressure to be like my mother (from her)there was something that I felt like she’d practically make me do that meant a WHOLE lot to her but just didn’t hold the same weight with me. Yet, she’d become extremely angered (just like the Queen) if I voiced that I just didn’t want to do it. And sometimes (like Red at the book were she just gives the proclamation) I just did it just to keep the peace. I think I’ve said in a SVK review that it’s not ok to pressure or push your beliefs on anybody. Especially not a parent on a child. And I want to see Red use her power to make changes to Wonderland and not just end up like the Queen. So, I hope that there *is* another book because I’m very interested in this character and storyline
Rating: 7
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2024
Nothing like reading a Disney book. I swear there’s something about these that I know I will always enjoy. Did not expect that ending with how everything was going previously. Just be waiting for the movie when it gets release in July to see how it all ends.
June 8, 2024
Can't wait for the movie!!
So apparently, the Queen of Hearts has gone crazy and demanded complete perfection to the point of insanity. Parties are horrid, food is unrecognizable, and the Queen creates laws for everything!! Red is just trying to survive and be a good daughter to a psycho. She meets friends and tries to rebel but it doesn't end well. Red is strong and fierce and just trying to have fun!!
So apparently, the Queen of Hearts has gone crazy and demanded complete perfection to the point of insanity. Parties are horrid, food is unrecognizable, and the Queen creates laws for everything!! Red is just trying to survive and be a good daughter to a psycho. She meets friends and tries to rebel but it doesn't end well. Red is strong and fierce and just trying to have fun!!
June 5, 2024
I’m a sucker for wonderland and Alice Retellings!! This was my favourite descendants book!!
I am really excited for Rise of Red! I thought this would get me more prepared for July!! I really liked Red’s character she is sassy and rebellious! I learned a lot of Queen of Hearts and how truly evil of a Villain she is!! Even to her own daughter! I really loved the side characters!!! But woah that ending!!!
No spoilers here!! But the audiobook was absolutely incredible!! The narrator was amazing!!!
I am really excited for Rise of Red! I thought this would get me more prepared for July!! I really liked Red’s character she is sassy and rebellious! I learned a lot of Queen of Hearts and how truly evil of a Villain she is!! Even to her own daughter! I really loved the side characters!!! But woah that ending!!!
No spoilers here!! But the audiobook was absolutely incredible!! The narrator was amazing!!!
June 7, 2024
I think I really outgrew this. I read the original series
But it’s interesting never the less
But it’s interesting never the less
May 13, 2024
It started out slow, but once it got into the groove it was such a fun wonderland story. I usually like a happy ending, but what was very refreshing is a true rebellion story, and even more, a true, cold villain, and who better to carry the mantle than the queen of hearts herself. She was cold blooded, chilling, and ironically heartless, and she was one of the scariest villains I've encountered in a novel, especially a Disney one, and I loved every second of it.
May 16, 2024
I totally love Red and I can't wait to see her in action in Auradon. Also love the extra part I got because I bought the exclusive B&N edition.
May 14, 2024
I was so excited to see this series wasn't ending.
I preordered so fast.
I really enjoyed this book and didnt want it to end. I can't wait to see what the movie has for us! ♥
I preordered so fast.
I really enjoyed this book and didnt want it to end. I can't wait to see what the movie has for us! ♥
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