O Segundo Para Sempre

How to Live Forever Trilogy #2

by Colin Thompson

Quando Pedro e sua amiga Festa destruíram o livro Como Viver Para Sempre, quebrando o seu feitiço, eles não imaginaram que isso teria consequências. Agora, o mundo de Pedro está na pior seca já vivida – e o mundo de Festa, dentro do museu, está inundado. A única solução é recriar o livro. Eles conseguirão reverter o fluxo da água? E, se eles recriarem o livro maligno, conseguirão escondê-lo para que nunca mais possa ser lido novamente?

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens

244 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2012

About the author

Since he started writing and illustrating children's books in 1990, Colin Thompson has had more than 50 books published. He has received several awards, including an Aurealis Award for the novel HOW TO LIVE FOREVER and the CBC Picture Book of the Year in 2006 for THE SHORT AND INCREDIBLY HAPPY LIFE OF RILEY. He has been shortlisted for many other awards, including the Astrid Lindgren Award - the most prestigious children's literature prize in the world.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Colin lives in Bellingen, Australia. His books with Random House Australia include HOW TO LIVE FOREVER, numerous picture books, THE FLOODS series, THE DRAGONS series, THE BIG LITTLE BOOK OF HAPPY SADNESS picture book, which has been shortlisted for the 2009 Children’s Book Council Award for Best Picture Book, and FREE TO A GOOD HOME.

Reviews

[GuS · Rating 1 out of 5]

Despite having aged out of the target audience a long time ago, rereading How To Live Forver recently I was surprised by how well it holds up. There are rough patches, but there is also an overwhelming warmth and sense of fairytale-like magic provided by its setting and Thompson’s capable prose. There are some genuine laughs scattered throughout as well as some scenes that turn frighteningly dark. It really was brisk, enjoyable read.

So here I am and I hate to say it, but this book is kind of, well, bad. It is dull, with little humour and even less imagination. It really feels like it has no reason to exist. It rehashes characters and locations while introducing little that is new. The one exception is the room of hourglasses, but those sections feel too brief and underdeveloped. The whole book feels lacklustre – a cynical attempt to stretch an enjoyable standalone book into a trilogy, the third entry still not having been written now 7 years later. I liked the setup for the story with Peter’s world having been devastated by drought and Festival’s by flood. However, I was baffled by the lack of development of any interesting plot points, or encounters, or anything at all. I hate to be so negative, but this was a super disappointing read. But who am I kidding, I will probably still read the third one if it is ever released. Hopefully Thompson can remember what made the original so enjoyable.

[Tehani · Rating 3 out of 5]

An odd short novel, that I think will struggle to find an age-appropriate audience. Apparently the second of a series (first released some years ago) that I felt could have done with more editing for clarity. An interesting premise, and quite engaging, but strange, with concepts beyond the apparent audience.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this in the hope that the promise of "How To Live Forever"'s illustrations would finally have a story worthy of them. Sadly I was let down again where the story is contradictory in places and obscure in others.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

We enjoyed catching up with Peter and Festival again and discovering what was happening in their worlds.
They are a wonderful duo. Look forward to more possible adventures.

[Carielyn Mills · Rating 1 out of 5]

i kept falling asleep. terrible plot and terrible grammar.