Journal of Curious Letters

The 13th Reality #1

by James Dashner

"How lucky that you’ve found my message!

Reality is in danger of splitting at the seams and I hope you have the courage of heart to help. You will soon receive twelve clues: solve them and face an important destiny; don’t and many lives will be at risk.

The decision is yours.

M.G."

From the author of The Maze Runner, James Dashner's The 13th Reality series is an exciting adventure that crosses the boundaries of realities. Young readers will find this an enticing introduction to the fantasy genre.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Adventure, Mystery

405 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 3, 2008

About the author

James is the author of THE MAZE RUNNER trilogy and THE 13TH REALITY series. He also published a series (beginning with A DOOR IN THE WOODS) with a small publisher several years ago. He lives and writes in the Rocky Mountains.

Reviews

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something I really liked about this book, besides the fact that it was very fun and adventurous, was that the main character (who was really smart, not perfect, and completely likable) told his dad about things that were going on when he started getting letters from "Master George." His dad was not handsome, overweight, and nothing remarkable except he really loved and trusted his young son. And his son really loved him too. And I just loved that! In Harry Potter and other children's books, there are always times you're screaming for the main characters to trust the adults who could help them. And they never do. Kids aren't trustworthy in those books, and neither are adults. This was completely refreshing that way. And the story was unique and fun. It has a lot of riddles and science, which I enjoyed.

[Kirsten · Rating 1 out of 5]

My initial reaction to this book -- that some of the ideas were original but that the writing was decidedly sub-par -- was unfortunately accurate. Tick and the other characters never quite ring true as people; Tick is a stereotype of a geeky kid, and the other characters come off as flat. The dialog often struck me as stilted. This is particularly the case with Paul, whose "chill" manner of speaking and awkward slang seems to be Dashner's effort to remind the reader that Paul is from California. Throughout the book, the author either tries distractingly hard to make his metaphors original, or falls back on cliches. Frankly, the whole thing read embarrassingly like something I would have come up with during my teens. To top it off, I found the climax disappointing, and the whole 400 page novel seems to mostly be the set-up for a series.

It really seems that Dashner would have been better off paring the novel way down and publishing it as the first book in a middle-grade series, alongside Animorphs and the like.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything is boring to my 11 year old daughter. "Why don't you read a book?" I say to her. "Reading is boring." So when I picked up The 13th Reality, I was hoping she'd like it. Well, I found myself reading it with her, just as anxious to find out what happened next in the book. The characters are vibrant and endearing. Names like Atticus Higgenbottom, Norbert, Mistress Jane, Mr. Chu, still stand out in my mind. Strange letters, complex riddles, and the new reality were all captivating.

Author James Dashner has a fabulous imagination and a very enjoyable writing style. It's only a matter of time before it hits the bestseller lists. My 13 year old son recently snatched it. Looks like we'll need more than one copy because my 8 year old is dying to read it too. It's a hit at my house. For adults and children alike, The 13th Reality is worth every minute.

From Kirkus Reviews:
THE JOURNAL OF CURIOUS LETTERS A boy . . . a mysterious letter . . . twelve clues . . . a girl . . . a dad . . . two very strange strangers. These are just the basic ingredients in this adventure served up by Dashner in what is the start of a series that will capture the imagination of young and old alike. Atticus Higginbottom (Tick to all who know him) is smart, well-adjusted and something of a loner at school, preferring his family, the library and the Internet to his classmates. So he s surprised to receive a letter postmarked in Macadamia, Alaska, from someone he s never even heard of. But he s intrigued and makes a commitment to join with his correspondent to save many lives. Though there are chunks of text that are overwritten, the telling is generally laced with a strong sense of humor and a sure hand at plot; the author is plainly in tune with today s fan base. Let the adventure begin! (Science fiction. 10-12)

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by Voracious Reader for TeensReadToo.com

Can you solve the mystery?

James Dashner's first story in his new THE 13TH REALITY series, THE JOURNAL OF CURIOUS LETTERS, revolves mainly around a young boy named Atticus (or "Tick" as he likes to be called).

Tick's adventure begins when he arrives home to find a cryptic letter giving him riddles on something that is supposedly going to save the lives of people around him. Intrigued, he begins his investigation, and, gaining a few friends along the way, tries to dismantle the riddles given to him in a series of thirteen letters.

With quirky characters and an engaging, humorous plot, Mr. Dashner also manages to include a little about Quantum physics that will hopefully cause the reader to question further.

The best thing about the book is that although it is magic, it incorporates reality effectively, which makes it more believable. Which, in turn, makes it easier to lose yourself within the story.

[Cheyenne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointing read. It had some good ideas and a lot of potential, but the writing style was distractingly juvenile. I was reminded of my writing style from middle school! I would not have finished this book if a friend hadn't loaned it to me--I felt obligated to finish it, and finally did today, but it felt like a chore! I rarely dislike books this much and maybe it's just because I have recently finished some excellently written books (I just discovered Ursula K. Le Guin!). This book really did have some good stuff in it, but it just needs major polishing on the writing style.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

My sister bought this on a whim and then asked if I wanted to borrow it because she knows I have nothing better to do than stay up late at night reading books. Well, I'm so glad she did. I loved this book.

Most of all I appreciated that Tick comes from a normal, functioning family. So many books portray families as messed up or as single parents. When Tick has a problem he actually TALKS to his dad. Hallelujah!!! I loved the relationship with his family and his father. It was very refreshing.

Tick himself lacks confidence and doesn't have any friends. It was nice to see him learn his own strengths and to overcome that awkwardness. He learned to trust himself and made friends by being who he is instead of changing to impress others.

This book was also a lot of fun with many riddles to solve. I enjoyed seeing if I could solve them faster than the other characters. There's also a lot of action and drama and humor.

The characters felt very real. They spoke like a real family would with lots of love and teasing. They spoke like friends would - real friends, not like the plastic ones that out-of-touch authors think exist. You get a good feel for the author as well. He seems like the kind of guy you'd want to hang out with - one who would keep you laughing but could have serious conversations too.

I love strong boy books - books I can give to my boys without them reading that boys are bad and dumb and unnecessary. There is also a female character equally strong and smart so I'm sure that most girls would enjoy this as well. This is a book I would gladly have my kids read and one which will live on my shelves. Strong morals, a real family, a kid with a great relationship with his father, action, adventure, danger, mystery, and so on and so forth.

Highly recommended to any tween or teen, and almost any adult as well.

[Jayda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished it last night (after all of my family beat me to it and I started before all of them...) and it was a great book! I feel like it got the best towards the last few chapters, and I can't wait for the next one to come out!

I love the fact that they're short chapters (usually 5-6 pages long) and it makes it seem like I'm reading a whole lot quicker than I actually am. Along with that, I love all of the twists and turns that the book brings in each chapter. Each character is original in its own way (my favorite being between Sofia and Mothball) and the fact that the main character is a nerd definitely makes the book funnier, more interesting, and I find very original.

Tick Higginbottom, to me, is the geeky version of Harry Potter. I feel that this series will only get better.

[Jessi ❤️ H. Vojsk [if villain, why hot?] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tick, real name Atticus Higginbottom (reminds me of Longbottom from Harry Potter), is a thirteen year old really smart boy, that one day gets a strange letter. After he doesn't burn the letter he receives 12 clues and gets to see, meet and do crazy things.
It was quiet entertaining and I felt that it was a story I could read with my kids, because this is a story where the parents aren't dead or just ignored, they help and I think to work as a team is so important in a family. So I really liked that.

Characters ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The characters in this story make you like or dislike them immediately. The main character, Tick, is just a really funny boy with an awesome loving family. Just a few examples:
Kayla had been caught several times at the living room fireplace, laughing with glee as she destroyed important objects in the flames." 🔥 Kayla is Ticks little sister.
And his dad is pretty cool, too: "Lets just say if something runs out at me, I'm going to scream like a little girl and run to your mum."
And Tick is not like some of these "hero" kids. He has a real sense of reality saying things like: "Im either really, really brave or really, really stupid."

World ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In this world there are 13 realities and there are people who can change between them. Every reality is different and that makes this whole concept so interesting.

Relationship ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The most important relationship is the one between Tick and his absolute cute father, who makes me wish I had a father and a family like this.

Writing style ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The writing style is so ridiculous and funny, that I had so much fun reading the book.

[Kendra Player · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upfront, I have to say that fantasy is not my genre of choice. However, overall, I quite enjoyed this book. The storyline kept my interest and I thought the characters were quite memorable. I especially loved Mothball. As I read, I kept thinking this could be made into an exciting movie. Even though, as a parent, I appreciated Tick's relationship with his dad, I'm not sure it is all that true to life for most 12-13 year old boys. I'm thinking that maybe a lot of middle-schoolers might not identify too strongly with that, but I can't fault the author for wanting to have an uplifting theme.

For the most part, I found James's descriptions to be well-written, but there were times when I felt that he over-used similes which often seemed a little "bulky". His descriptive battle scene at the end was particularly captivating and really drew me in.

Ok, one more "constructive criticism" for my dear nephew, James Dashner, I live in Deer Park, Washington, and I kept wanting to read about the "real" Deer Park. I wanted Tick to run through a town that matched the description of "our" Deer Park. That would have been so great. However, most people will never know the "real" Deer Park, so it only matters to a few of us!

[Nathaniel Hardman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up the other day and read it in just a day or two. I thought it was pretty fun, and there were a couple of things I did really like about it. Specifically, I liked it that the kid having this exciting secret adventure decided that he needed to talk to his dad about it. I think too often kids' books portray parents as dull people who squelch fun. So I was happy as the kid's secret adventure turned into the kid's adventure with his dad. That said, the author used too many silly similes ("I'm as confused as the Easter bunny on Christmas!" is fine for one goofy character to say, but not every single person in the book!), and sometimes he used the wrong verb when trying too hard to make a point about a character (the villain drops her cup of tea while talking to someone, continues a normal conversation, notices her shattered cup of tea later, and "shrieks" absentmindedly at her servant to clean it up. Can you shriek absentmindedly?). All in all, it was not bad, but the writing could take some polishing.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fun! I don't really understand how Quantum Physics works, but the author seemed to do a good job of explaining it and integrating a challenging scientific topic into the basis of the story. This book introduces the main character, "Tick" Atticus Higginbottom, and his journey to become a "Realitant" who travels to different realities. I was pleasantly surprised by Tick's close relationship with his father. In many other children's novels, I am frustrated when the main characters do not communicate with the adults. In The Journal of Curious Letters, Tick actually confides in his dad, and dad listens and supports him. Okay, so maybe it's a bit too sweet and nice, but it's a kid's book! The ending is satisfying yet leaves many adventures waiting for future books.

[Loralee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books for young people I've read in a very long time. I love how Tick is proactive, and gets done what he needs to get done. He's not a perfect kid, but he does his best, and that's what makes him so endearing. And another thing, I absolutely adore that he gets along with his dad. So many young adult books portray grown ups, and especially parents as incompetent foolish nincompoops who would sooner grate their fingers off with a cheese grater than help their children through the angsty parts of the stories. Not Tick's Dad! He's helpful, but not overbearing, and when it comes time for Tick to do what he needs to do on his own, his dad's supportive there, too. This is an excellent book!

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon · Rating 2 out of 5]

As abvious from the rating, I didn't like this one that much. As I said in one of my status updates, if I were the sort to abandon books I probably would've abandoned this one.

It's not a terrible book. It's got a decent enough story and some cool ideas that can be played around with - though none which are particularly original, as this is hardly the first book to deal with alternate realities.

I think my biggest problem was just with the writing - maybe it was just a little too juvenile. I mean, I know that this is middle-grade fiction, but there seems to be two ways to write for kids: the first way is to write normally, but with simpler words and a straight-forward style, the second is to have to sort of tone some people use who treat kids like kids instead of like people. This book had a little bit of the latter - though it's certainly not the worst example of this I've seen in a kids book.

Also, the characters didn't seem all that real to me. I've commented on other kids books where the parents are horrible, and I don't just mean the ones that are meant to be horrible, but the ones that are just casually neglectful and not around.

This book had the opposite. This book had the most unrealistically perfect family I think I've ever seen. I guess it was a nice change of pace, in a way, but it was also sort of annoyingly saccharine.

Not to mention that the general premise of them having to be kids was pretty ridiculous - but, then, that happens in a lot of these books.

Also, Master George, who seemed pretty cool from the letters, is kind of a dick when you finally meet him. Not in a mean way, just in a annoyingl superior kind of way.

Anyway, all-in-all not a great time. I mostly just didn't care about what happened, and even started skimming a little in places.

I can see some kids definitely liking it, but I don't recommend it for adults at all.

[thewordlover · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

I absolutely loved this book. After reading The Maze Runner, I was expecting something just as well-written but not quite as interesting (since I absolutely adore the Maze Runner series, and I never expected something could be even half as good), but my expectations were luckily not met at all.

Being a very committed fan of quantum physics myself, I couldn’t help but absolutely love the world-building, since the idea of multiple realities that make up the “multiverse” really draws me in.

But most of all, I couldn’t help but admire the character development of the MC. Tick felt like an actual, real person (probably because I find some traits of his personality very similar to mine). Plus, there were many little comments, lines that were meant to pass off as mere thoughtful comments made in Tick’s mind that made the character and the overall story a lot more realistic.

Even though the other characters' development felt a bit lacking, it all looks very promising (and I'm sure all will be further developed in the sequels).

Can’t wait to read the next one.

[Janeen-san · Rating 5 out of 5]

Atticus Higginbottom, age 13, has lived a relatively calm life in Deer Park, Washington--that is, until he receives a very odd letter all the way from Alaska, asking for his help with a very special task.
And so Tick's bravery, endurance, trust and logic skills are put to the ultimate test, as he tries to solve 12 clues that the writer of the first letter, M.G, has sent to him in a variety of ways, and by a variety of people.
Will Tick solve the 12 clues in time? Can he even survive, as numerous strange and otherworldly monsters pursue him, trying to steal his life?

My brother recommended this book to me, and I'm momentously glad he did so! This book kept me gripping the edge of my chair, and guessing the entire time! This book has the perfect blend of action, humor and mystery! My favorite characters were Tick and Mothball. Sofia reminded me of Toph from "Avatar: the Last Airbender", accept Sofia seemed a bit too mean at times.
So Kendall I know you'd like this book, and Evelyn, you would too. Lots of mystery and suspense! This book was great! I can't wait to read book 2!

[Jeff Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this after my teenage son became absolutely hooked on this series. I gave it a try based on his enthusiasm. The tone was similar to Fablehaven except with a sci-fi twist based on quantum physics instead of magic. The main character Tick was well developed. I loved his dad and how he supported his son instead of disbelieved him. The other side characters were good. The Italian girl Sophia was a hoot. It also reminded me a little of the Mysterious Benedict Society. Pacing and tension were good. We bought the rest of the series for my son so I will start on the others soon.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I loved The Maze Runner series and couldn't wait to start on this one. I am so glad I did. I loved this book! The letters with the riddles tripped me up at first because they were way confusing and I had to read them several times. By the 3rd letter, I was getting the idea and actually figured out the clue by myself right away. The characters themselves were great. Sophia might actually be my favorite. I love how sassy and tough she is. The plot idea of parallel worlds was interesting and I can't wait to read more. Overall, this is a fun book and a great start to a new series.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

More like 2.5 stars. The writing seemed dumbed down, maybe younger readers would like it better. I couldn't stand Sofia, by the end of the book I literally wanted to hurt her, spoiled little girl. The story didn't really take off until the last 100 pages. I hear the next one is better, I'll give it a try. It just seemed like the author tried too hard.

[F.J. Ismarianto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Icip-icip Journal of Curious Letters
Tahukah kamu, terkadang setiap pilihan penting yang kita tentukan menciptakan Realitas (dunia lain yang isinya berbeda dengan dunia kita) baru. Bayangkan Realitas itu ada banyak. Bayangkan Realitas yang banyak itu sekarang dalam bahaya–dilenyapkan dari keberadaannya. Dan apa yang akan kamu lakukan seandainya kamu terpilih sebagai salah satu yang bertugas menyelamatkan Realitas yang banyak itu?

Atticus Higginbottom, atau yang lebih suka dipanggil Tick, tentu saja, cuma anak laki-laki biasa yang menjalani kehidupan yang juga biasa (apa definisi biasa? Yak, tafsirkan sendiri :mrgreen: ). Suatu hari dia mendapatkan surat aneh dari seseorang berinisial “M.G.” yang berstempel pos Alaska. Di dalam surat itu M.G. Memberitahu Tick akan terjadi kejadian-kejadian yang berbahaya–kemungkinan besar mematikan dan bisa membuat nyawa Tick melayang– tengah berlangsung dan dapat menghancurkan Realitas-Realitas.

M.G. berjanji akan mengirimi Tick 12 teka-teki, baik berbentuk surat maupun bentuk lain, yang akan menunjukkan hari, waktu, dan tempat dimana sesuatu yang luar biasa akan terjadi.

Apakah Tick punya keberanian dengan membahayakan keselamatannya sendiri untuk mengikuti 12 petunjuk yang dikirimkan M.G.? Dapatkah dia menyelesaikan teka-tekinya tepat waktu? Temukan semua jawabannya hanya di (the) Journal of Curios Letters ;)


Citarasa The Journal of Curios Letters
Surprised. Itulah yang pertama aku rasakan ketika mendapati email dari goodreads bahwa aku dinyatakan sebagai pemenang giveaway buku terbitan Noura Books (dulu namanya Hikmah) ini. Giveway ini diadakan oleh sang editor (versi terjemahan) The Journal of Curios Letters: Rahmadiyanti Rusdi. Untuk goodreads dan kak Rahma, terima kasih atas kesempatannya sehingga aku bisa melahap buku pertama serial The 13th Reality :D

Karena aku ada masalah dengan covernya, maka aku mulai dulu dari citarasa kisahnya.

Bila kalian beranggapan judulnya terkesan membosankan… Ya, aku setuju. Judulnya, entahlah, menurutku kurang membangkitkan rasa lapar kita akan cerita. Tapi meski begitu, jangan salah paham, kisah di dalam Journal of Curios Letters sangat jauh dari membosankan. Malahan sangat menakjubkan! Aku heran, kenapa buku ini hingga kini belum dijadikan film.

Apa yang kalian pikirkan pertama kali saat mendengar dua kata ini, Fisika Quantum? Cabang ilmu yang sulit dipelajari? Bacaan berat yang bikin kepala pusing? Bacaan yang menjanjikan rasa kantuk setelah beberapa baris membacanya? Bila ya, maka kalian harus membaca The Journal of Curious Letters. Kalian akan merubah persepsi kalian. Salah satu kehebatan James Dashner yang patut diacungi jempol, menyulap fisika kuantum yang terkenal rumit itu jadi fun dan menyenangkan untuk dibaca. Bahkan mungkin kalian akan dibikin jatuh cinta pada fisika kuantum! #lebay

Kisah ini sendiri diawali dengan dua orang yang memasuki kantor pos tempat Norbert bekerja. Satu lelaki tua berwajah ramah yang mengaku sebagai Master George, dan satu lagi wanita berkepala plontos yang memakai pakaian serba kuning yang mau dipanggil sebagai Mistress Jane. (Jujur, awal aku membaca nama-namanya yang mampir pertama kali di otakku adalah kisah Tarzan :lol: ) sementara Master George datang untuk mengirim surat yang banyak (salah satunya ditujukan pada Tick), Mistress Jane tampaknya ingin menghalangi usaha Master George untuk mengeposkan surat. Norbert terpaksa berbohong, apalagi wanita kuning itu sangat tidak sopan dan terlihat sangat jahat sekali.

Aku juga suka karakter Tick. Sebagai tokoh utama, dia tidak digambarkan sebagai tokoh yang sok kuat. Malahan dia menceritakan mengenai isi surat yang diterimanya pada ayahnya, Edgar. Keunikan dari Tick adalah dia benci pada tanda lahir di lehernya makanya dia memakai syal bahkan saat udara panas sekalipun. Keunikan lainnya adalah dia tidak merasa marah pada teman-teman di sekolahnya yang sering mengerjainya. Malahan dia merasa bosan!

Sebenarnya novel ini cukup lucu juga, banyak humor bertebaran di dalamnya. Apalagi Mothball dan Rutger. Mereka berdua, hampir di setiap kemunculannya selalu mengundang lengkungan cekung pada bibirku.

Nah, sekarang saatnya ke cover. Aku suka warna biru tuanya yang mendominasi. Sekilas melihatnya (setelah membaca dua bab pertama), kita tahu tiga sosok yang mengisi cover bagian depan adalah gambar Tick, Master George dan Mistress Jane. Tak ada masalah dengan penampilan sang Master dan Mistress. Yang aku permasalahkan adalah penampilan Tick. Kenapa ciri khas utamanya, syal, tidak diikutsertakan? Aku sendiri punya jawabannya, karena Tick di suatu waktu kehilangan syalnya. Tapi ada dua pertanyaan lagi yang belum aku temukan jawabannya, kenapa warna rambut di cover dan di ilustrasi gambar di isi (ya, Journal of Curios Letters ini dilengkapi ilustrasi di dalamnya) berbeda? Dan siapa yang membuat ilustrasi-ilustrasi tersebut–James Dashner-kah atau pewajah sampul?

Terlepas dari pertanyaan yang timbul dari covernya itu, keseruan, konsep, ide kisah the 13th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters, dan terutama cara bertutur penulisnya (yang bisa ditangkap dengan baik oleh penerjemahnya: Tria Barmawi) tak segan-segan membuatku harus mengeluarkan lima mangkuk semur untuk Tick dan kawan-kawannya :D

original post: http://stew.blogdetik.com/2012/04/13/...

[Marmoladka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jak każda książka Dashnera. Jest napisana w fajny lekki sposób. Opowiada o Ticku niby zwykłym chłopaku ale gdy dostaje pewien list.
Ogólnie książka jest ciekawa pierwsza książka Dashnera która nie do końca mnie wciągla ale czynniki mogą być z zewnątrz. Ogólnie ciekawe. To ma potenciał. Niestety dalsze części nie są po polsku. Myślę że ta ocena jest git.

[Cagdas Akdemir · Rating 4 out of 5]

13 yaşında olsam 5 yıldız verirdim muhtemelen. 10-15 yaş aralığı için fazlasıyla eğlendirici.

[Satsuma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would say four and a half stars, but since you can't do that, I'll settle with four.
(I can't wait for the sequel, if there is one, but it feels like there will, and should be.)
SPOILERS AHEAD!
For starters, something that made this book so good, is that I loved all the characters. (Yep, ALL the characters.) I loved Tick, how he was clever, he wondered, he wasn't perfect, but he was something. I really admire Tick. And I like how he told his dad straight away. Actually Edgar Higginbottom was one of my favourites. Edgar wasn't handsome. In fact, he was overweight. But he was, and is, the ideal dad. He is funny, loveable, and he believes his son. I also loved Mothball, Rutger, and Master George. (Who was very humourous, flared up easily, and had a strange relationship with his cat, Muffintops.)
I liked Gunn, and I even liked Mistress Jane. (Well, not really. But I loved her character, the idea of her, 'a bald banana lady'.) I loved Norbert, Frupey, Billy Cooper (the goat), Sato, Sophia Pacini and her strange words (Americanese boys). Actually Sophia was one of my favourite characters. Her, Tick and Edgar.
But I loved the whole journey, the letters, how crazy it all was, but yet, how believable.

The only thing I would improve was the slight randomness. This book was for a more younger audience than the Maze Runner, and more fantasy like, but I loved it all the more. I recommend this to anyone who needs a heart warming story to encourage them, or just wants a good read that will end up with them feeling satisfied, happy, and yet wanting more, which will come sooner or later...
Hopefully.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I look forward to reading the second book

[Sloane Deterding · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book so much as a kid and had thought about it on and off for years but couldn't remember the title. I finally figured it out from a tik tok and got it, but it was very mediocre :/

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a lot. It was one of my best read growing up, and I felt nostalgic reading this.

It tells about a usual boy who suddenly got a letter with clues and riddles that when solved, would opened a whole new reality (HA! Pun intended!!).

Writing style was easy and funny, the plot was unique and exciting, the main character's a nerdy, smart cinnamon roll with a supportive and loving family (which was wholesome!).

It got boring in the middle, but it did get better and I see many many great potential ahead. Definitely will continue read the sequels!

[Trudi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enjoyable children's fantasy adventure with all the makings to evolve into something marvelous

I was drawn to this story for several reasons:

1) The author - James Dashner. He recently blew me away with the first two books of his Maze Runner trilogy. While eagerly anticipating Book 3 from that series, I decided to try one of Dashner's earlier books.

2) It had me at "alternate realities" - I'm a sucker for those no matter what shape or form they take: whether it's a hardcore, sophisticated sci-fi way or a sparkling, suspend your disbelief Hollywood movie way (which is why two of my guiltiest pleasures are The Butterfly Effect and Sliding Doors). I know, I know, I'm one sick puppy.

It also explains why I'm gaga over The Dark Tower series and The Talisman and why the quote: "Go then. There are other worlds than these." never fails to send a shiver down my spine.

Dashner has written this story with a much younger audience in mind than the darkly themed, violent, post-apocalyptic, ultimately mysterious Maze Runner series. So while everything about The Journal of Curious Letters warned me that this would be so, I still couldn't help be a little bit disappointed by the overall "childishness" of the story. That's not to say this isn't a great story, because it is. It's filled to the brim with fun, mystery, adventure and riddles. Oh how I love me a good riddle.

Those alternate realities that I love so much only become part of the story at the very end though. Most of this book is introducing the characters, solving the riddles and the mystery, and finally setting up what's going to follow in Books 2 and 3.

Dashner's spin on alternate realities is delightful and charming. Our world is "Reality Prime" -- the trunk of the tree -- and all other realities represent the branches. Some are very strong and very different from ours - some are withering and dying. ALL are in danger (including our own) which makes me think this series has the potential to only get better and stronger. I could be wrong, I hope I'm not. I don't often read books intended for this age group, but this time I just couldn't resist.

[☼Bookish in Virginia☼ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Atticus 'Tick' Higginbottom is a 13 year-old boy who is athletic and extremely smart, and unfortunately the focus of the school bullies. He gets by though and his life seems fairly normal until he receives a letter from a mysterious stranger known as Master George.

M.G. tells him that the lives of many people are at risk and that he might be able to save them, but first he will have to come to grip with the danger that this will involve... AND he will have to solve a series of riddles to prove that he is up to the challenge.

Being a good person, Tick wants to help but the danger and secrecy begin to wear on him as he stresses out about facing this challenge alone. Should he look for others? Should he tell his folks? Is he crazy to trust some stranger?


THE SKINNY:::
I loved the relationship Tick had with his family. Dashner didn't bore me with a cliche 'kids versus parents' theme but presented a family that was more normal than you find in kidlit these days. And I also love the talk of Quantum Physics and parallel worlds.

The 13th Reality series is for Middle Graders - which is to say that there is no objectionable material: no excessive violence, bad language nor 'adult' situations.

Written at the entering 4th Grade level, "The Journal of Curious Letters" is a adventure book that most reviewers have said that they had a hard time putting it down. And certainly it is well written. I'm only giving the book 3.5 stars because I thought it was a little long and I would have liked more action which was more believable. (Note that no one else seems to have had the same concerns, so maybe it's just me.)

I'll know better whether this was worth the time after I read the second installment.

Pam T~
mom/blogger
booksforkids-reviews

[Cary Morton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gem! I picked up this book for my 12-year-old daughter and we ended up reading it together. I’m glad to say that I honestly found this to be a joy to read.

The book was exceptionally well written and full of colorful characters. There were funny, heartwarming, action-filled, and even creepy moments throughout the book as Tick worked to solve the mystery of the 13 clues he received from one very odd Master George and his companions, Rutger and Mothball (who was definitely one of our favorite characters).

One of my favorite aspects of the book as a parent, though, was the relationship Tick had with his father. Where most children’s books seem to either omit the parents, or fall into the trope of having the parents not believe their children, James Dashner crafted The Journal of Curious Letters in such a way that not only did Tick turn to his father with his worries, but Tick’s father believed his son—and helped him! It was a great moment to witness in a children’s book, and I and my daughter had a great talk about how important it was for kids to talk to their parents about their worries, and for parents to listen to them and take them seriously.

Overall, we found loved the book. It was exciting, funny, and full of interesting characters. It’s a bit of a long book, but I’m not complaining—we never wanted to put it down, and often read 5-10 chapters together a night until it was finished.

[Mitzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard not to compare every YA book with Harry Potter esp. since a lot of YA books read a lot like Harry Potter. This, too, is about a boy (Atticus, aka Tick) who is awkward and nerdy who finds he is chosen (along with a smart aleck girl and devil-may-care boy) to help save lives by mysterious means. There are flying motorcycles, and a wise English elder (Master George), a giant, an annoying dwarf, and Tingle Wraiths. I suspect that even his birthmark that he covers up with a striped scarf, marks him as the Most Special of the special youths (not unlike a certain scar, ahem). But we will have to continue to read the series to find that out.
If that all sounds hauntingly familiar, it is. But there are differences, subtle though they may be. Master George is quick to point out that the special "magic" that is exhibited is not magic at all, but science (Quantam Physics) that is behind it all. Perhaps one of the most welcome differences is Tick's home life is loving and caring. Tick's father in particular is supportive and compassionate.
It's an OK book, with a good message and the fight scene near the end was actually exciting. It's not Harry Potter but it's as good of a copy cat as I've read. (And I suspect that most YA, for whom it's written, won't even care.)

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read suggested by my niece Desiree' (Tamara's daughter). The author is LDS and the book is squeaky clean. It is uplifting and has a happy ending (I hope that isn't too much of a spoiler). The writting is witty and charmingly fun, and the main character is likeable and a good role model (all except the part of him not telling his mother about some important things, and his father colluding with him in the secrecy--I wished they would have included her in it). I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series, and glad to hear James Dashner writes a lot, because his work is certainly enjoyable.