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The Fog Diver #2
The Lost Compass
In the high-stakes sequel to The Fog Diver, thirteen-year-old Chess and his crew must stop the deadly and mysterious Fog from enveloping the city of Port Oro and destroying their world.
Chess and his crew—Hazel, Swedish, and Bea—may have escaped the slums, but they cannot escape the Fog that threatens to swallow the entire mountaintop city of Port Oro.
Only one thing can stop the fog: an ancient machine known as the Compass. Only one person can find it: Chess. With the help of his crew, Chess faces dangerous encounters, brutal battles, and deadly driftsharks to unearth the hidden instrument. It’s a race against time to save this high-altitude sanctuary.
With adventure at every turn, peril behind every corner, and a few determined slum kids who are up to the task, Joel Ross presents a fantastic world in this fast-paced follow-up to The Fog Diver.
Chess and his crew—Hazel, Swedish, and Bea—may have escaped the slums, but they cannot escape the Fog that threatens to swallow the entire mountaintop city of Port Oro.
Only one thing can stop the fog: an ancient machine known as the Compass. Only one person can find it: Chess. With the help of his crew, Chess faces dangerous encounters, brutal battles, and deadly driftsharks to unearth the hidden instrument. It’s a race against time to save this high-altitude sanctuary.
With adventure at every turn, peril behind every corner, and a few determined slum kids who are up to the task, Joel Ross presents a fantastic world in this fast-paced follow-up to The Fog Diver.
344 pages, Hardcover
First published May 24, 2016
40 people are currently reading
1100 people want to read
About the author
Joel N. Ross
13 books55 followersJoel Ross is the author of two World War II thrillers for adults (Double Cross Blind and White Flag Down). The Fog Diver is his tween debut. He lives in Santa Barbara, California, with his wife, Lee Naftali, who is also a full-time writer, and his son, Ben, who is a full-time kid.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
January 21, 2021
One of the very few sequels that are better than the first book. SO GOOD. I am literally obsessed with everything. AND I'M SORRY BUT CHESS AND HAZEL AND SWEDISH AND LORETTA AND BEAAA!?! I'M OBSESSED. A MUST READ FOR SURE. (But read the first book first.)
All ages recommended.
All ages recommended.
September 4, 2016
Too busy to review this at the moment, but I enjoyed it quite alot! It didn't have second book syndrome at least.
August 30, 2024
Really liked this and it was a great continuation of first one. I enjoyed each of the characters and the story was still solid. The mixing up of words thing is just great. Solid conclusion and makes me want to read more by this author.
October 17, 2016
The Lost Compass is the sequel to The Fog Diver, which won the Cybils Middle-Grade Speculative Fiction award. I recall really enjoy the fast paced action and the technological aspects that went into the nanites and creation of the fog. The Lost Compass takes place after the crew of "slumkids" have escaped to Port Oro where they finally find someone who can help cure their beloved Mrs. E of her fogsickness. Every good deed seems to have its price, and now the people of Port Oro want Chess to locate a Compass that can stop the fog. With Lord Kodoc hot on his trail and driftsharks still waiting for Chess within the fog, things are more dangerous than they've ever been. Packed with lots of action, air battles and of course Chess plunging into the fog, this was definitely a perfect book to read on my vacation.
January 4, 2023
4.5 stars!
i would be proud to call captain hazel my captain
in all seriousness these characters are so endearing and i love them all. also this went hard. i just wish the ending had been a bit less abrupt
2022 popsugar reading challenge: A book about a found family
i would be proud to call captain hazel my captain
in all seriousness these characters are so endearing and i love them all. also this went hard. i just wish the ending had been a bit less abrupt
2022 popsugar reading challenge: A book about a found family
September 16, 2024
It felt slow, and didn't really pick up until the end. I liked that Ross incorporated Hazel's POV this time, but it was the same as the first book in the way that it was unnecessarily violent; these are still little kids he's putting in all these situations.
Character-wise: I hated that Hazel "couldn't fight " for no apparent reason, and got her butt handed to her when she was needed most. A strong female character should be able to hold her own, and have more to her qualities than "insanely pretty" and "knowledgeable". The new additions to the crew, Jada and Mochi, had absolutely no place in the story. Jada was there to be another Hazel—the serious one, and Mochi was there to be another Bea—the happy-go-lucky little kid on the team. Loretta was just annoying.
The ending wasn't that satisfying, either. It was never even explained who created the Compass, when, and how exactly it worked. And who's to say it can't release the Fog back into the air?
Character-wise: I hated that Hazel "couldn't fight " for no apparent reason, and got her butt handed to her when she was needed most. A strong female character should be able to hold her own, and have more to her qualities than "insanely pretty" and "knowledgeable". The new additions to the crew, Jada and Mochi, had absolutely no place in the story. Jada was there to be another Hazel—the serious one, and Mochi was there to be another Bea—the happy-go-lucky little kid on the team. Loretta was just annoying.
The ending wasn't that satisfying, either. It was never even explained who created the Compass, when, and how exactly it worked. And who's to say it can't release the Fog back into the air?
January 26, 2017
Pretty review here https://thebookrook.blogspot.com/2017...
Full confession I picked this book up to give my poor brain a rest after reading the Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson. That book is like eight hundred pages guys! I needed a breather.
In all honesty, the world is rather like the world of Mistborn. The world has been covered in a man-made fog that kills anyone who steps into it. The last dregs of humanity have moved to the highest mountains they can find in hopes of outlasting the fog. So of course, there’s a booming market for the brave few who will dive into the fog and salvage supplies from the covered land.
Our heroes of course are the brave few (spelled S-T-U-P-I-D) who pilot a steampunk air ship (more like an air dingy) over the expanse of fog looking for places to dive. Basically these books are unique, interesting, and rather sweet which makes them the most interesting middle grade books I’ve read in a while.
Yes I said ‘books’ as in plural. Lost Compass is a sequel and I’ve got a bit of the sequel blues. Fog Diver, the first book, was surprisingly adorable and unique! not to mention the cover was beautiful. look at it.
The second one on the other hand didn’t have much to add in character development, worldbuilding, or anything aside from plot resolution. Which isn’t bad, in fact it’s pretty good for a kid’s book! But I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wasn’t a bit sad.
Characters
Chess: oh, you are so cute! I love reluctant little heroes who would be ‘quite alright with a square meal occasionally, please’. Sure, there was a bit of a chosen one vibe around Chess but this was different! It was a Science Chosen One! Chess’s mother was arrested when she was pregnant and placed into a cage that was lowered into the fog. (yep that was pretty dark I have to say). When Chess was born he was then part of the fog. As in the fog has taken up residence in his eye (affectionately referred to as his freak eye). As such he can see much farther, jump much higher, and generally function better in the fog than any other human being. See Science Chosen One!
Hazel: The most adorable captain to ever captain. She’s a teeny tiny African girl (who rocks the braid game by the way) who will give orders to men twice her size without flinching. All while wearing flouncy preferably pink skirts. Life goals my friends, life goals.
Bea: Basically, take Kaylee from firefly (good with ships, mention them talking with her, can fix anything . . .) and make her a heck of a lot younger. So of course, I liked Bea. Everybody liked Bea. Even the bad guys would have liked Bea if they’d had the chance to meet her.
Swedish: okay so he’s kind of a cliché ‘big guy who’s a lot nicer than he seem’ kind of thing. But he was still adorable.
Loretta: I love characters who start out bad then switch sides. Oh, spoilers for the first book I guess. But it’s not like you can’t see it coming from a mile away. Loretta was a very stabtastic (to quote Cate Grace from Paperfury) character and I liked her.
Likes
Let me explain you a thing: you know that thing in chosen one stories where the chosen one is all ‘let’s go save the world!’ while the adults stand around worriedly saying ‘but they haven’t even eaten yet!’ and it’s basically the most boring thing ever.
Well it was kind of in reverse for this books. The adults were all ‘save the world right now!’ while the kids really just wanted to understand what exactly they were getting into and to eat three square meals a day, please and thank you. It was hilarious.
They were so adorably distrustful: I don’t think I’ll ever get over characters who can’t understand when somebody is being nice to them. They were adorably confused by people just saying hi on the street.
Dislikes
Okay so after some of the more intense books I’ve read lately it seemed a little . . . tame? But that’s totally a me not you thing. I mean it is a kidlet book for a reason guys.
Ultimately, I would say that I liked the first book better. But that’s because (for once) I read the book because of the world. The second book added a little too said world but nothing to drastic. Still it was a cutesy little story that I probably would have adored if I’d read it sooner.
Full confession I picked this book up to give my poor brain a rest after reading the Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson. That book is like eight hundred pages guys! I needed a breather.
In all honesty, the world is rather like the world of Mistborn. The world has been covered in a man-made fog that kills anyone who steps into it. The last dregs of humanity have moved to the highest mountains they can find in hopes of outlasting the fog. So of course, there’s a booming market for the brave few who will dive into the fog and salvage supplies from the covered land.
Our heroes of course are the brave few (spelled S-T-U-P-I-D) who pilot a steampunk air ship (more like an air dingy) over the expanse of fog looking for places to dive. Basically these books are unique, interesting, and rather sweet which makes them the most interesting middle grade books I’ve read in a while.
Yes I said ‘books’ as in plural. Lost Compass is a sequel and I’ve got a bit of the sequel blues. Fog Diver, the first book, was surprisingly adorable and unique! not to mention the cover was beautiful. look at it.
The second one on the other hand didn’t have much to add in character development, worldbuilding, or anything aside from plot resolution. Which isn’t bad, in fact it’s pretty good for a kid’s book! But I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wasn’t a bit sad.
Characters
Chess: oh, you are so cute! I love reluctant little heroes who would be ‘quite alright with a square meal occasionally, please’. Sure, there was a bit of a chosen one vibe around Chess but this was different! It was a Science Chosen One! Chess’s mother was arrested when she was pregnant and placed into a cage that was lowered into the fog. (yep that was pretty dark I have to say). When Chess was born he was then part of the fog. As in the fog has taken up residence in his eye (affectionately referred to as his freak eye). As such he can see much farther, jump much higher, and generally function better in the fog than any other human being. See Science Chosen One!
Hazel: The most adorable captain to ever captain. She’s a teeny tiny African girl (who rocks the braid game by the way) who will give orders to men twice her size without flinching. All while wearing flouncy preferably pink skirts. Life goals my friends, life goals.
Bea: Basically, take Kaylee from firefly (good with ships, mention them talking with her, can fix anything . . .) and make her a heck of a lot younger. So of course, I liked Bea. Everybody liked Bea. Even the bad guys would have liked Bea if they’d had the chance to meet her.
Swedish: okay so he’s kind of a cliché ‘big guy who’s a lot nicer than he seem’ kind of thing. But he was still adorable.
Loretta: I love characters who start out bad then switch sides. Oh, spoilers for the first book I guess. But it’s not like you can’t see it coming from a mile away. Loretta was a very stabtastic (to quote Cate Grace from Paperfury) character and I liked her.
Likes
Let me explain you a thing: you know that thing in chosen one stories where the chosen one is all ‘let’s go save the world!’ while the adults stand around worriedly saying ‘but they haven’t even eaten yet!’ and it’s basically the most boring thing ever.
Well it was kind of in reverse for this books. The adults were all ‘save the world right now!’ while the kids really just wanted to understand what exactly they were getting into and to eat three square meals a day, please and thank you. It was hilarious.
They were so adorably distrustful: I don’t think I’ll ever get over characters who can’t understand when somebody is being nice to them. They were adorably confused by people just saying hi on the street.
Dislikes
Okay so after some of the more intense books I’ve read lately it seemed a little . . . tame? But that’s totally a me not you thing. I mean it is a kidlet book for a reason guys.
Ultimately, I would say that I liked the first book better. But that’s because (for once) I read the book because of the world. The second book added a little too said world but nothing to drastic. Still it was a cutesy little story that I probably would have adored if I’d read it sooner.
July 11, 2016
"The Lost Compass" the exciting and imaginative sequel to "the Fog Diver" begins with Chess and his crew's new start in Port Oro where they believe they will be safe and free from Lord Kodoc's machinations, but the SubAssembly is determined to have them find an ancient machine known as the Compass which will vanquish the fog. In a race against time with Lord Kodoc and his armada breathing down their necks, threatening to destroy Port Oro the slum kids set out to find the map to its whereabouts hidden in a subway tunnel deep underground where deadly driftsharks prowl.
Set in the future engineers created a fog with airborne nanites to purify the earth from the pollution eroding it. What they didn't expect is for the nanites to self-replicate and to begin cleansing the earth of human contamination forcing people to build societies high in the mountains above the fog. The only hope for humanity lies in the Compass, an ancient machine that once activated can scrub the earth of the fog. Cleverly Joel Ross builds a world fraught with danger, food shortages and slums where life is cheap. Into the nightmare Chess is born, a thirteen year old with a fog-clouded eye who's fast and strong and will dare to challenge the fog to find the Compass and change his world.
Fast-paced and action-packed Chess often with the help of the other slum orphans encounter brutal battles, face off with Lord Kodoc, driftsharks and even confrontations with a new predator; the tictocks with their serrated blades, rusted shells and coils of fog. Intriguing as the mystery of the Compass unfolds, the intensity and suspense accelerates as Chess searches for the map in an old subway deep underground while Lord Kodoc closes in to recover his creation. Joel Ross's writing style is fluid and intense, broken only by glimpses of humor as he draws the reader into an adventure you can't put down until finished.
Yet for all the tension and intrigue it's the characters who add to the passion, high-energy and drama of the story with their complex and realistic personalities. Chess the tetherboy is quiet and funny, recounting stories of the past to Bea and other children he encounters. Although referred to as the fog monster, insecure because of his cloudy eye swirling with nanites, he's brave, determined and resourceful in his hunt for the Compass. Hazel, the leader of the slum kids has a sharp mind, can be bossy, but his daring and protective of the friends she loves while sixteen year old Swedish her amazing pilot can be gloomy, paranoid and grumpy. Young Bea the brilliant gearslinger is cheerful and optimistic while Loretta the ganggirl is strong-willed, a fighter who sings when nervous. Yet it's the cruel ruthlessness and power-hungry mania of Lord Kodoc that adds a terrifying chill to the adventure.
I loved" The Lost Compass" and will ensure the kids in my library get to go on the adventure with Chess and his friends.
Set in the future engineers created a fog with airborne nanites to purify the earth from the pollution eroding it. What they didn't expect is for the nanites to self-replicate and to begin cleansing the earth of human contamination forcing people to build societies high in the mountains above the fog. The only hope for humanity lies in the Compass, an ancient machine that once activated can scrub the earth of the fog. Cleverly Joel Ross builds a world fraught with danger, food shortages and slums where life is cheap. Into the nightmare Chess is born, a thirteen year old with a fog-clouded eye who's fast and strong and will dare to challenge the fog to find the Compass and change his world.
Fast-paced and action-packed Chess often with the help of the other slum orphans encounter brutal battles, face off with Lord Kodoc, driftsharks and even confrontations with a new predator; the tictocks with their serrated blades, rusted shells and coils of fog. Intriguing as the mystery of the Compass unfolds, the intensity and suspense accelerates as Chess searches for the map in an old subway deep underground while Lord Kodoc closes in to recover his creation. Joel Ross's writing style is fluid and intense, broken only by glimpses of humor as he draws the reader into an adventure you can't put down until finished.
Yet for all the tension and intrigue it's the characters who add to the passion, high-energy and drama of the story with their complex and realistic personalities. Chess the tetherboy is quiet and funny, recounting stories of the past to Bea and other children he encounters. Although referred to as the fog monster, insecure because of his cloudy eye swirling with nanites, he's brave, determined and resourceful in his hunt for the Compass. Hazel, the leader of the slum kids has a sharp mind, can be bossy, but his daring and protective of the friends she loves while sixteen year old Swedish her amazing pilot can be gloomy, paranoid and grumpy. Young Bea the brilliant gearslinger is cheerful and optimistic while Loretta the ganggirl is strong-willed, a fighter who sings when nervous. Yet it's the cruel ruthlessness and power-hungry mania of Lord Kodoc that adds a terrifying chill to the adventure.
I loved" The Lost Compass" and will ensure the kids in my library get to go on the adventure with Chess and his friends.
August 30, 2016
Same fog time, Same fog channel!
Seriously, this isn't so much the sequel to Fog Diver as Part 2: the Next Day. As such, I'm just going to say that I enjoyed it almost as much as the first book, but since there was less world development going on and more plot twists in this one, I thought the first one was marginally better, but again, they're really more of a single book that got cut in two and together they tell a fun and interesting science fiction story which is more or less complete in and of itself (though Mr. Ross left some room for sequels if he feels like it, and there's obviously much more that he could do with the world he's imagined). Other than that, check out my review of the first book for more details on the who, what, when, where, etc. (just insert "Saving their New Home Port Oro" in place of "Saving their Guardian Mrs. E" in the plot summary)
Seriously, this isn't so much the sequel to Fog Diver as Part 2: the Next Day. As such, I'm just going to say that I enjoyed it almost as much as the first book, but since there was less world development going on and more plot twists in this one, I thought the first one was marginally better, but again, they're really more of a single book that got cut in two and together they tell a fun and interesting science fiction story which is more or less complete in and of itself (though Mr. Ross left some room for sequels if he feels like it, and there's obviously much more that he could do with the world he's imagined). Other than that, check out my review of the first book for more details on the who, what, when, where, etc. (just insert "Saving their New Home Port Oro" in place of "Saving their Guardian Mrs. E" in the plot summary)
November 1, 2016
This is a high energy action novel and should appeal to 4th and 5th grade readers. You really need to read the first book of the series The Fog Diver to really understand the background for this story...think of the two books as a single two-part story. The characters are well developed and likable and the dialog is good. As an adult, I found the jumbling of old references (such as 'parking greeters' instead of parking meters) to be a bit overused, but young readers will probably like it.
February 2, 2017
A fun conclusion to the lightly steampunk, very amusingly dystopian story started with The Fog Diver.
Read
December 13, 2017Solid assortment of hilarious "culture as heard though a game of telephone" world building, plausibly nasty Big Bads, and excellent friend bonds. I'm not gonna give it a star rating cause I forgot to eat lunch, and so I was reading in a (in retrospect) haze.
September 23, 2023
I personally think this book is great. I love a book with mystery and parent losses. I would definitely recommend this book
February 13, 2017
Action from beginning to end. For a while, I was afraid that I'd get to the end and it would be a cliffhanger and I didn't really think that was required. Instead, he kept it high intensity until the end and I loved it. Flew through the final chapters. Loved that it is completely clean.
November 11, 2016
Ross, Joel The Lost Compass (Fog Diver #2), 343 pages. Harper, 2016. $17. Content: G.
Chess and his family have escaped Kodoc’s clutches and found safety in Port Oro. Short-lived safety, because Kodoc and an armada are hot on their tails. Chess learns more about Kodoc’s reasons and about his mission – if he should accept it. Every move invites more danger, including being willing to put his whole family in peril.
Full of action, battles, and laughter, share this pair of books with any student who loves action-packed reading.
EL, MS - ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library Teacher
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2016/...
Chess and his family have escaped Kodoc’s clutches and found safety in Port Oro. Short-lived safety, because Kodoc and an armada are hot on their tails. Chess learns more about Kodoc’s reasons and about his mission – if he should accept it. Every move invites more danger, including being willing to put his whole family in peril.
Full of action, battles, and laughter, share this pair of books with any student who loves action-packed reading.
EL, MS - ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library Teacher
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2016/...
February 15, 2016
At first I was a little bothered by the exposition as we were "reacquainted" with the crew and their general story line, but once things got rolling I was hooked.
If you are not familiar - it's a steam punk firefly meets the matrix mashup - of some kids who escape life in the the slums to finally reach the safety of port oro. Except things aren't what they seem and The evil captain Kodoc is still after them. Chess is forced to dive into the fog and what he discovers shocks everyone.
If you are not familiar - it's a steam punk firefly meets the matrix mashup - of some kids who escape life in the the slums to finally reach the safety of port oro. Except things aren't what they seem and The evil captain Kodoc is still after them. Chess is forced to dive into the fog and what he discovers shocks everyone.
January 15, 2017
Read aloud to my girls 8 and 11. Great story, with good child characters, although a lot more battles and hand to hand fighting, which made this book more intense than Fog Diver, sometimes we had to stop and talk about it. It took us so long to read the two books aloud, the characters have been part of our lives and we quote them. What would Hazel do? What would Bea say? Soooo Purple!!!
June 24, 2016
Best book ever
Awesome. Just totally awesome. I love the way everything is totally mixed-up. One of the best books I've ever read. The way Chess controls the tick-stocks and driftsharks is awesome. Like the whole book.
Awesome. Just totally awesome. I love the way everything is totally mixed-up. One of the best books I've ever read. The way Chess controls the tick-stocks and driftsharks is awesome. Like the whole book.
January 8, 2017
An amazing end to this dramatic dystopian story.
January 14, 2017
Honestly, I didn't think greatly of the first for diver novel, so I was a little nervous about the sequel. However, for the most part, it was actually a little better than the first novel. Does that mean it was great? No. Why?
Well, let's get into the story. Chess and his crew(now including Loretta) have reached Port Oro to finally cure Mrs. E. Her life is saved (despite the sickness not fully going away) but the mutineers of Port Oro want something in return. They want Chess to dive into a subway station below the fog, to find a map that will lead them to the compass. The compass supposedly ohs supposed to life the fog so humanity won't have to hide on the mountains above the fog. Once he finds the map, he has to recognize it, and lead Port Oro to freedom.
Just by the plot alone, this isn't a pointless sequel, it's an actual part 2 in the series. So, let's get to the good stuff first. First, the settings are unique. In the first book, it was generally 3 locations, the forest in the fog, the airships, and the rooftop slums. That was it. Here, they actually add more locations to make the story interesting. A subway filled with driftsharks, a new-york-ian styled city...A SKYSCRAPER ABOVE THE CLOUDS! And the descriptions are just fantastic. You literally fell like you're there, as if it were a cinematic experience. The villain, Lord Kodoc is improved as well. When he first appeared, I thought he was like a whiny little rich kid who got anything he wanted just because he ruled everything. Here, he's developed as a manipulator, a sly man with spies, the kind of person who just walks in a room and you'd be intimidated. And I love villains like that! I wish we could've got more of that instead of killing him off at the last minute. (I know I say #NoSpoilers, but this is a review, okay?) The action is also more fast-paced, and you feel like you're in a more theater, watching the action in front of your eyes. And I don't know what it is with sequels being darker than the first release, but this is one of the sequels. This tones up the darkness by 45%! Such as descriptions of being eaten alive, and what it's like to feel like you're dying. There's a chapter where Chess is kidnapped by one of Kodoc's minions and brought to Lord Kodoc. After Kodoc saying Chess can be kept alone, and the minion kicks him anyway, Kodoc just sends him of the ship, into the fog, 100's of feet up in the air! It's incredible!
But, there are bad sides to every story. Let's get to the smallest problem though...the product placement. Now, to Ross's credit, he does tone down the product placement a little bit in this book, but when it happens, i's really distracting to the actual story. the second biggest problem is probably the fact that my favorite character, Bea, is toned down a bit and almost barely gets to do anything. AND SHE'S NOT COMPLAINING! That was my favorite thing about her, but Ross just drops it out like it never happened. The biggest sin of all though, are the plot twists. I think there's like 10 in this book! But, let me say that the fact that the tick-tock creatures actually breathe in fog and exhale fresh air, that was unique and clever. But there's another plot twist about Kodoc lying to Chess, Chess being the compass, and Chess being able to control the tick-tocks. The last one though, really bugs me because it's ripping off one of my favorite book series of all time, "Mrs. Peregrine's Peculiar Children." If the plot twist with the tick-tocks was the only plot twist in the book, that would've been fine! But no, because more twists equals more excitement apparently! (Also more plot holes)
Overall though, I though this was slightly better than the first book, and entertaining, but in a good way, and not a "laugh at mistakes and awkwardness" way. I'd definitely recommend this book to people who don't mind product placement, twists on pop culture, and lots of plot twists. For everyone else though, this might not be the book you'd want to dive into.
Well, let's get into the story. Chess and his crew(now including Loretta) have reached Port Oro to finally cure Mrs. E. Her life is saved (despite the sickness not fully going away) but the mutineers of Port Oro want something in return. They want Chess to dive into a subway station below the fog, to find a map that will lead them to the compass. The compass supposedly ohs supposed to life the fog so humanity won't have to hide on the mountains above the fog. Once he finds the map, he has to recognize it, and lead Port Oro to freedom.
Just by the plot alone, this isn't a pointless sequel, it's an actual part 2 in the series. So, let's get to the good stuff first. First, the settings are unique. In the first book, it was generally 3 locations, the forest in the fog, the airships, and the rooftop slums. That was it. Here, they actually add more locations to make the story interesting. A subway filled with driftsharks, a new-york-ian styled city...A SKYSCRAPER ABOVE THE CLOUDS! And the descriptions are just fantastic. You literally fell like you're there, as if it were a cinematic experience. The villain, Lord Kodoc is improved as well. When he first appeared, I thought he was like a whiny little rich kid who got anything he wanted just because he ruled everything. Here, he's developed as a manipulator, a sly man with spies, the kind of person who just walks in a room and you'd be intimidated. And I love villains like that! I wish we could've got more of that instead of killing him off at the last minute. (I know I say #NoSpoilers, but this is a review, okay?) The action is also more fast-paced, and you feel like you're in a more theater, watching the action in front of your eyes. And I don't know what it is with sequels being darker than the first release, but this is one of the sequels. This tones up the darkness by 45%! Such as descriptions of being eaten alive, and what it's like to feel like you're dying. There's a chapter where Chess is kidnapped by one of Kodoc's minions and brought to Lord Kodoc. After Kodoc saying Chess can be kept alone, and the minion kicks him anyway, Kodoc just sends him of the ship, into the fog, 100's of feet up in the air! It's incredible!
But, there are bad sides to every story. Let's get to the smallest problem though...the product placement. Now, to Ross's credit, he does tone down the product placement a little bit in this book, but when it happens, i's really distracting to the actual story. the second biggest problem is probably the fact that my favorite character, Bea, is toned down a bit and almost barely gets to do anything. AND SHE'S NOT COMPLAINING! That was my favorite thing about her, but Ross just drops it out like it never happened. The biggest sin of all though, are the plot twists. I think there's like 10 in this book! But, let me say that the fact that the tick-tock creatures actually breathe in fog and exhale fresh air, that was unique and clever. But there's another plot twist about Kodoc lying to Chess, Chess being the compass, and Chess being able to control the tick-tocks. The last one though, really bugs me because it's ripping off one of my favorite book series of all time, "Mrs. Peregrine's Peculiar Children." If the plot twist with the tick-tocks was the only plot twist in the book, that would've been fine! But no, because more twists equals more excitement apparently! (Also more plot holes)
Overall though, I though this was slightly better than the first book, and entertaining, but in a good way, and not a "laugh at mistakes and awkwardness" way. I'd definitely recommend this book to people who don't mind product placement, twists on pop culture, and lots of plot twists. For everyone else though, this might not be the book you'd want to dive into.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2020
This was a great follow-up to The Fog Diver! I loved getting a closer look at the relationships between the crew, particularly getting to see Chess through Hazel's eyes in the excerpts from her captain's log. And the way those entries were labeled, though... X'D Oh, my word, ALL the mixed-up references! Things got pretty intense in this installment, but I loved how they kept each other going and supported each other and didn't give up, no matter how hopeless it seemed. <3 Oh, and watching Loretta find her place in the crew was pretty fun, too. ;)
I think the best part of the book (and the last one) for me is how utterly normal the kids' interactions are. Okay, not all of them...being prepared to stab new acquaintances isn't really that normal...but so many of them! The goofiness, the banter, the finding something new and playing around with it until it's totally unrecognizable--it's all just so perfectly kid! And yet it never comes off as forced or unnatural in any way. Just beautifully done!
I really liked meeting the people of Port Oro, although there were some I was skeptical of at first. And I loved how our crew was just instinctively willing to help, even when they didn't think they were. <3 And the worldbuilding was so good and consistent--even to conditions that would horrify a modern reader being a source of envy and awe for kids coming from worse surroundings. Very, very nicely done.
Again, it's the relationships that absolutely make this book for me, and thankfully, there was no repetition of the bits that bothered me most in the first one. Another winner!
4.5 stars
Content--a number of uses of "butt"; arguments and insults; a few substituted expressions (e.g. "thank fog"); violence, including murder (not graphic, but stark); mention of blood and wounds (not graphic); people threatened by various machines; a few bathroom references
I think the best part of the book (and the last one) for me is how utterly normal the kids' interactions are. Okay, not all of them...being prepared to stab new acquaintances isn't really that normal...but so many of them! The goofiness, the banter, the finding something new and playing around with it until it's totally unrecognizable--it's all just so perfectly kid! And yet it never comes off as forced or unnatural in any way. Just beautifully done!
I really liked meeting the people of Port Oro, although there were some I was skeptical of at first. And I loved how our crew was just instinctively willing to help, even when they didn't think they were. <3 And the worldbuilding was so good and consistent--even to conditions that would horrify a modern reader being a source of envy and awe for kids coming from worse surroundings. Very, very nicely done.
Again, it's the relationships that absolutely make this book for me, and thankfully, there was no repetition of the bits that bothered me most in the first one. Another winner!
4.5 stars
Content--a number of uses of "butt"; arguments and insults; a few substituted expressions (e.g. "thank fog"); violence, including murder (not graphic, but stark); mention of blood and wounds (not graphic); people threatened by various machines; a few bathroom references
July 13, 2022
Reader's Log Start-8 173.2
The Lost Compass picks up right where The Fog Diver left off. Immediately. The kids have made it to Port Oro, Mrs. E. is being helped by the doctors, and the cogs want Chess to dive for them; he just needs to find the map that leads to the Compass, find the Compass, and trigger it to start all before Kodoc starts attacking Port Oro. So, no big deal, really.
This book was just as much fun as The Fog Diver, or perhaps even more so because of the hope the kids were beginning to feel as they explored Port Oro, very cautious at first, and learn that life here was very different from life on Rooftop.
Throughout this story, we got to see more of each of the characters, learning about what makes them ... them, and while most of that time was spent on developing the characters of the crew, we also learned more about Vidious, Nisha, and other adults around the crew, Of course, now that the crew is on Port Oro, there is a whole new city of people to introduce, but it was done in a way that didn't feel overwhelming.
Just like in The Fog Diver, there are lots of pop culture references that sound like they've been through several rounds of the telephone game, and I think reading those was actually my favorite part of the book. Kudos to the author for thinking about how knowledge would change after several hundred years of people living above the Fog, with no way to access electronic databases - only paper ones - and how misunderstandings of information would happen over time.
So, long story short, if you read The Fog Diver, then you NEED to read The Lost Compass. If you haven't read The Fog Diver, then you REALLY NEED to read it so you can read The Lost Compass afterward. You will not be disappointed. Though, the stars-tangled pandas may confuse you. Anyway, as Bea would say - don't be a chuzzlewit! Go get a copy to read right now!
The Lost Compass picks up right where The Fog Diver left off. Immediately. The kids have made it to Port Oro, Mrs. E. is being helped by the doctors, and the cogs want Chess to dive for them; he just needs to find the map that leads to the Compass, find the Compass, and trigger it to start all before Kodoc starts attacking Port Oro. So, no big deal, really.
This book was just as much fun as The Fog Diver, or perhaps even more so because of the hope the kids were beginning to feel as they explored Port Oro, very cautious at first, and learn that life here was very different from life on Rooftop.
Throughout this story, we got to see more of each of the characters, learning about what makes them ... them, and while most of that time was spent on developing the characters of the crew, we also learned more about Vidious, Nisha, and other adults around the crew, Of course, now that the crew is on Port Oro, there is a whole new city of people to introduce, but it was done in a way that didn't feel overwhelming.
Just like in The Fog Diver, there are lots of pop culture references that sound like they've been through several rounds of the telephone game, and I think reading those was actually my favorite part of the book. Kudos to the author for thinking about how knowledge would change after several hundred years of people living above the Fog, with no way to access electronic databases - only paper ones - and how misunderstandings of information would happen over time.
So, long story short, if you read The Fog Diver, then you NEED to read The Lost Compass. If you haven't read The Fog Diver, then you REALLY NEED to read it so you can read The Lost Compass afterward. You will not be disappointed. Though, the stars-tangled pandas may confuse you. Anyway, as Bea would say - don't be a chuzzlewit! Go get a copy to read right now!
December 21, 2024
2.2 stars
a middle grade dystopian sci-fi/steampunk with an interesting premise, but underwhelming execution. (this is a sequel, though i have not read the first and will be rating on its own accord)
worldbuilding wise, disappointing. though the idea of 'diving into fog to find abandoned civilizations' is fascinating, but i felt the book does nothing much with it. the "current English names are so weird to future people" thing got old fast, i wish there was more about how the current post-fog culture evolved. there are some words: gearslinger, slumkids, and purple, though that last one seems group specific; what metaphors, sayings, words, just language overall has changed since the world got covered in fog a few hundred years ago, there is no way it would be this similar. the culture overall is too similar; cramped living spaces, low quality of life, airships and the building have stilts, i guess?
the rest of the story is not much better. the writing quality is low, no descriptions and bad dialogue. somehow the pacing feels fast and slow at the same time? with a far too fast and unconclusive ending. all the characters have about one personality trait dialed up to eleven, which gets grating-fast. there are about three major twists, all near the end, and none of them fleshed out or explained at all. and the story altogether feels like it is going in circles. the cover art is pretty, though.
did i enjoy it? -no
would i read it again? -not happening
would i have read it knowing what i do after? -no way
a middle grade dystopian sci-fi/steampunk with an interesting premise, but underwhelming execution. (this is a sequel, though i have not read the first and will be rating on its own accord)
worldbuilding wise, disappointing. though the idea of 'diving into fog to find abandoned civilizations' is fascinating, but i felt the book does nothing much with it. the "current English names are so weird to future people" thing got old fast, i wish there was more about how the current post-fog culture evolved. there are some words: gearslinger, slumkids, and purple, though that last one seems group specific; what metaphors, sayings, words, just language overall has changed since the world got covered in fog a few hundred years ago, there is no way it would be this similar. the culture overall is too similar; cramped living spaces, low quality of life, airships and the building have stilts, i guess?
the rest of the story is not much better. the writing quality is low, no descriptions and bad dialogue. somehow the pacing feels fast and slow at the same time? with a far too fast and unconclusive ending. all the characters have about one personality trait dialed up to eleven, which gets grating-fast. there are about three major twists, all near the end, and none of them fleshed out or explained at all. and the story altogether feels like it is going in circles. the cover art is pretty, though.
did i enjoy it? -no
would i read it again? -not happening
would i have read it knowing what i do after? -no way
July 13, 2017
Chess and his crew have escaped the slums, but that doesn't mean that they are out of danger in Port Oro. The fog is threatening to consume the rest of their small world, and Lord Kodoc is determined to use Chess for his own purposes. In Port Oro, Chess is recruited to help search for the one thing that can stop the fog's progression: an ancient machine called the Compass that only Chess with his fog eye can find. As Chess fights off Lord Kodoc, driftsharks, ticktocks, and does everything he can to keep his friends save, he discovers a surprising answer to how to claim the world back from the fog and to start a new world not consumed by the fog.
This exciting sequel has plenty of science, air battles, and fog dives to continue captivating the audience. With the world developed in the first book, this book has more room for action and suspense as Chess races against time to find the Compass before Kodoc does. Readers will continue to enjoy the subtle references to our world that Chess finds in his history books or while he is diving through the fog. The exposition in the beginning is a little too much for people who have just read the first book, but once the book gets going readers will enjoy this smart science fiction story with an ending that leave the readers both thrilled and satisfied with how Ross handled the story and characters.
This exciting sequel has plenty of science, air battles, and fog dives to continue captivating the audience. With the world developed in the first book, this book has more room for action and suspense as Chess races against time to find the Compass before Kodoc does. Readers will continue to enjoy the subtle references to our world that Chess finds in his history books or while he is diving through the fog. The exposition in the beginning is a little too much for people who have just read the first book, but once the book gets going readers will enjoy this smart science fiction story with an ending that leave the readers both thrilled and satisfied with how Ross handled the story and characters.
February 1, 2019
Book #1 of 2019!!! The Lost Compass by Joel Ross. Sequel to The Fog Diver. It was AWESOME! Better than the first book because there was more description and depth. The main character is still the boy chess but the captain of their airship crew is Hazel, a super badass teen who you love from the get go. She's in the first book but is way more detailed and involved in this one. I love stories that point out the disparity between the sexes but I also genuinely love when a story builds a world where women and girls really are equal. This is the later. I just loved Mr. Ross' world building and the premise for these books. Sad there isn't another but still loved these. The premise is that some time in the future, our world was so polluted that engineers developed nano robots like a mist or fog to clean it but it backfired and saw humans as a threat. So people get "fog sick" if they go into the fog. The world as these kids know it is lived out on airships and mountaintops above the fog. Chess is a fog diver, who dives into the fog to get scrap to sell or trade so the crew can get by in the slums. But it turns out he's quite special and the story gets pretty big and active when they set out to find the compass that controls the fog. I pictured the whole thing like a movie in my head. Definitely five stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2017
At first, I was hesitant to read this sequel. The first book was so good and I liked the way it ended, so I wasn't sure if a second was necessary. But I'm glad I picked up this one because it was a great read! All the characters and lines and setting I loved in the first book with another, tense and page turning adventure! Granted, a few spots in the ending were predictable, but since this is a Middle Grade book and the main target is 10-12, I didnt mind too much. Except there were a few things that didn't quite make sense a couple times when it came to Chess's character toward the early end, but it cleared up later by the way he ran things.
I liked the new focus on Hazel in some scenes. I connected to her almost as much as I connected to Chess in the first book.
I don't know if there will be more books, but I'm happy with this ending. But I'd sure pick up a third if it came out next years, because the characters and their interactions are totally worth it!
I liked the new focus on Hazel in some scenes. I connected to her almost as much as I connected to Chess in the first book.
I don't know if there will be more books, but I'm happy with this ending. But I'd sure pick up a third if it came out next years, because the characters and their interactions are totally worth it!
May 5, 2018
After reading the first book in this series with my two eldest sons, they insisted that we MUST read this one, and one of them was generously given The Lost Compass for his birthday. We read The Lost Compass with the same enthusiasm with which we enjoyed The Fog Diver. The characters and their roles, friendships, and challenges within Ross' post-apocalyptic, deadly nano-tech fog-shrouded world are further developed in the second book in this series. My sons loved the book, and as a result we finished the book in short order, as they were content to sit and listed for essentially as long as I was willing to read. As my eldest noted, there is more violence in this book, but again Ross avoids gory details and leaves some of the battle scenes to the readers' imagination beyond a brief but engrossing description. Once again, I highly recommend this book and it's prequel to any young readers or parents who want to share a good story with their kids.
May 16, 2019
This is not a standalone book. It is a companion novel to "The Fog Diver," completing the story. It shares all of the same strengths and weaknesses as the first novel. However, the weaknesses didn't seem as disruptive in this novel. Maybe as a reader, I was just used to them. The characters in this book are the main selling point. It's so nice to see a group of friends act like... well... friends. There's no backstabbing, no suspicion, no needless drama. The 5 main characters, Chess, Hazel, Bea, Swedish, and Loretta, are a team, and they act like it. That's hard to capture in a book, but this one got it right.
I said it for the first book, and I'll say it again for this one. This is one of those series that deserves a movie adaptation. The movie version would be better. It could actually be an instant classic. The book version has some shortcomings, but when it comes down to the important things, this series just gets them all right.
I said it for the first book, and I'll say it again for this one. This is one of those series that deserves a movie adaptation. The movie version would be better. It could actually be an instant classic. The book version has some shortcomings, but when it comes down to the important things, this series just gets them all right.
July 11, 2019
Summary
Chess and his crew have finally escaped Lord Kodoc, and are safe on Port Oro. They live in a futuristic world in which a deadly fog covers the ground and only a strange thing called the Compass that self-assembled in the fog can control it. Unfortunately for Chess, and the rest of the world, Lord Kodoc is after the Compass so he can control the Fog. Chess is a Fog Diver, and the Fog swirling in his eye since birth has made him able to dive better than anybody else into the Fog. Chess has to face evil fog-creatures called Driftsharks, and the huge, ticking mechanical monsters called Ticktocks to stop Lord Kodoc from getting the Compass, and to maybe lower the Fog forever.
Opinion
This is sequel to The Fog Diver, but you don’t have to read The Fog Diver to understand this book. I would rate the book 5 stars for 4th and 5th graders who love adventure books. The dialogue is very fitting for the characters and the characters are well-written and relatable.
Chess and his crew have finally escaped Lord Kodoc, and are safe on Port Oro. They live in a futuristic world in which a deadly fog covers the ground and only a strange thing called the Compass that self-assembled in the fog can control it. Unfortunately for Chess, and the rest of the world, Lord Kodoc is after the Compass so he can control the Fog. Chess is a Fog Diver, and the Fog swirling in his eye since birth has made him able to dive better than anybody else into the Fog. Chess has to face evil fog-creatures called Driftsharks, and the huge, ticking mechanical monsters called Ticktocks to stop Lord Kodoc from getting the Compass, and to maybe lower the Fog forever.
Opinion
This is sequel to The Fog Diver, but you don’t have to read The Fog Diver to understand this book. I would rate the book 5 stars for 4th and 5th graders who love adventure books. The dialogue is very fitting for the characters and the characters are well-written and relatable.
November 6, 2021
A good follow-up to the first book. I think it did exactly what a good sequel should do. Everything feels happy and wrapped up. I love the group. They lived by their wits for so very long that when they finally reached the 'promised land' they'd dreamed of, they thought everything would be different. But they learned that the junkyard wasn't just a place, it was also a mentality.
So, of course I loved the scene where Chess realized he did care about more than his crew after all. It was funny watching him slowly adding in other people that he cared enough to save until he realized it was the whole town. That's when he realized he could get out of the junkyard mentally as well as physically. It was lovely growth.
If someone was polite, we were suspicious. If they offered friendship, we planned violence. We thought we'd left the junkyard behind, but instead we'd brought it with us. All the anger and lies, all the fighting and stealing was inside us.
So, of course I loved the scene where Chess realized he did care about more than his crew after all. It was funny watching him slowly adding in other people that he cared enough to save until he realized it was the whole town. That's when he realized he could get out of the junkyard mentally as well as physically. It was lovely growth.
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