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The Map That Breathed
A mysterious map of another world plunges two friends into the adventure of a lifetime
"Suddenly the map darkened as if someone had dimmed the light.
'Did you see that?' whispered Billy.
A fetid wind came barreling out of the window and sand whipped around in the hole. The two of them watched in astonishment as the map trembled and inhaled.
'It's breathing,' gasped Nora. 'The map is breathing!'"
Nora Sweetkale has a strong feeling that her life is about to change. It starts when she receives a mysterious blank book in the mail. Then she meets Billy, who can make windows that look into other worlds. Through one of these windows they glimpse the lovely island of Sanasaera, where the colorful cats are as big as ponies and the cheerful people love nothing better than a good ear-pulling to clear their heads. Yet in this beautiful place lurks something terrible.
When Nora disappears into this other world, Billy is left to face the evil that has escaped into their own. But he can't do it alone. He must find a way to get Nora back, and quickly, or it may be too late.
"Suddenly the map darkened as if someone had dimmed the light.
'Did you see that?' whispered Billy.
A fetid wind came barreling out of the window and sand whipped around in the hole. The two of them watched in astonishment as the map trembled and inhaled.
'It's breathing,' gasped Nora. 'The map is breathing!'"
Nora Sweetkale has a strong feeling that her life is about to change. It starts when she receives a mysterious blank book in the mail. Then she meets Billy, who can make windows that look into other worlds. Through one of these windows they glimpse the lovely island of Sanasaera, where the colorful cats are as big as ponies and the cheerful people love nothing better than a good ear-pulling to clear their heads. Yet in this beautiful place lurks something terrible.
When Nora disappears into this other world, Billy is left to face the evil that has escaped into their own. But he can't do it alone. He must find a way to get Nora back, and quickly, or it may be too late.
- GenresFantasyYoung Adult
256 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2003
2 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
About the author
Melanie Gideon
9 books487 followersMelanie Gideon is the NYT bestselling author of the memoir, The Slippery Year: A Meditation on Happily Ever After, as well as the novels Wife 22, Valley of the Moon and Did I Say You Could Go. Her books have been translated into thirty languages. She lives in the Bay Area.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 27, 2011
The Map That Breathed explores our world and a fantasy world, all without the use of anything called magic. People have skills different from what people in our world have, but they are just that, different skills. All the personality types - the socialites, the recluses, the scholars - are presented as valuable, each having his own weaknesses and strengths. Refreshingly, those characters who value facts over emotion or solitude over companionship, the kinds of characters who are often considered to be snobs or plain weird, these characters are shown to normal, necessary, and highly compassionate.
The underlining themes of forgiveness, love, and being true to oneself despite hardships are presented so gently through the story that they might not be named at first reading, but the ideas are there, imbuing these worlds with all the responsibilities and rewards that come from their practice.
The underlining themes of forgiveness, love, and being true to oneself despite hardships are presented so gently through the story that they might not be named at first reading, but the ideas are there, imbuing these worlds with all the responsibilities and rewards that come from their practice.
December 25, 2015
I am always pleased when I discover a fantasy story that is different, and this one is.
I'm a sucker for stories where children travel to other worlds, so that was the hook for me. But it's also a bit of a mystery, which parallels between our world and the other world, and involves people from each. As they face mystery, and danger, I found the characters believable and likeable. I really like the way the children truly did have fear and reluctance at times, while forcing themselves to do what was right but hard.
The other world created was an interesting place, and I grew fond of the characters. I am wondering why there isn't a sequel yet!
I'm a sucker for stories where children travel to other worlds, so that was the hook for me. But it's also a bit of a mystery, which parallels between our world and the other world, and involves people from each. As they face mystery, and danger, I found the characters believable and likeable. I really like the way the children truly did have fear and reluctance at times, while forcing themselves to do what was right but hard.
The other world created was an interesting place, and I grew fond of the characters. I am wondering why there isn't a sequel yet!
November 19, 2021
I found this book to be riveting - 4.5 stars! I was impressed that the entire story fit into one novel. Three-forths of the way into it, I suddenly panicked. Was I in the middle of a series, and had I started with the wrong book? No, the author squeezes the tale into one mesmerizing work. It started out rather tame, with little hints of excitement. It ended with a new, engaging world that sucked me in. I loved it. Once I passed the halfway point, I couldn't put it down. It makes me want to believe in magic.
May 24, 2009
Picked this up off the library shelf on a whim, based on the cover and the title (I didn't even have time to read the book flaps because I had to go chase my kids!) After chapter 1, I was thinking that maybe it wasn't such a good pick, but a few chapters later I was hooked. Yes, much was predictable, and I've seen many of the story elements used before, but they were twisted into a new plot in an engaging way. If I find a moment, I'll look for some more books by this author.
July 23, 2016
Billy is a young boy who can create gates between worlds. Nora is a young girl who can travel between worlds. When Billy sends Nora to Sanasarea the Provisioner, a monster who feeds on children, is released into our world. Only Nora and Billy together can defeat the Provisioner, but Nora has lost her memory and Billy can't travel to Sanasarea to find her. A great tale for boys and girls.
March 6, 2015
Sure, this is a book for kids, but one that's going to stay on my shelf for a re-read! Rarely do I find a book that I can't figure out the correlation between characters! Most so called adult books get tedious that way, but not this one! Yes, it has the moral messages for the young, but we all need these reminders! Just a damn good read!
June 16, 2010
Trying trying trying to get into this. . . but the writing feels way too stiff and stilted for me to get lost in. SIGH.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews