The Truth

Lionboy Trilogy #3

by Zizou Corder

At the end of LIONBOY: THE CHASE Charlie Ashanti has restored the lions to their home in the wilds of Morocco and been reunited in the port town of Essaouira with his parents, Magdalen and Aneba. But just as Charlie is beginning to think that his adventures might be over, who should reappear but the nasty lion-tamer Maccomo and the raffish Rafi. Before he knows it, Charlie has been kidnapped once again and is in the hold of a ship bound he knows not where. All is not lost, however. Eventually the entire cast of the LIONBOY trilogy find themselves on a Caribbean island, the home of the sinister Corporacy. Can Charlie bring the story to a triumphant conclusion by vanquishing the Corporacy and ridding the world of its nefarious schemes?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Adventure, Fiction, Animals, Childrens, Middle Grade

273 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Zizou Corder is Louisa Young and Isabel Adomakoh Young, whose names are too long to fit on the front of a book.

Louisa is a grown-up and has written five grown-up books; Isabel is a kid and has written mostly schoolwork.

The original Zizou is Isabel's lizard, only he spells it Zizu. They Have written five books together: the highly acclaimed Lionboy trilogy, Lee Raven Boy Thief and Halo.

They live in London. Only one goes to school.

Reviews

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to start off with a Harry Potter comparison: remember that very first line of The Philosopher's Stone? The voice jumped out at you; it was the voice of a narrator who knew what an epic tale she was spinning. Same goes for Lion Boy. With the most perfect chapter one possible, the author has got our protag, his parents, his background and his problem established. The very last line is the jewel in the crown. No seriously.

We slip easily into Charlie's viewpoint. His delight over being treated as a grown-up make him real; his sense of justice and views on ethnicity (especially considering his "brown" skin colour) make him someone to cheer for. Though his multilingualism is a little difficult to believe (Charlie speaks English, French and Twi fluently, along with Latin and Italian), you can't help admiring the loyalty and stubborness he maintains even when fearing for his life.

Action is aplenty, which makes this perfect for reluctant readers. After all, who's never dreamed of joining the circus, or uncovering a company conspiracy? And don't forget the lions, who're exciting enough even if you didn't dream of joining the circus or uncovering a conspiracy. Their contrasting personalities -- at once cheery friends and powerful predators -- establish them as real characters, and the countless chases keeps the storyline on its toes.

An intriguing look at a futuristic world is presented: there are very few cars, and asthma seems to be the main sickness. There are hints of a Corporacy capitalizing on this, and a few science-y aspects are thrown in for good measure. The world development has definite potential, and hopefully future installments will provide a more in-depth look.

WIth unique characters, a speed-of-sound plot and cat-speaking, Lion Boy can be enjoyed by anyone. Oh! And it's middle-grade. Enjoyable by anyone + middle-grade = a win combo. :D

[Angy · Rating 1 out of 5]

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
Al final he terminado la trilogia, a este libro le he dado 1,5 estrellas. La verdad es que de la trilogia es el que me ha parecido mas flojo, tanto que creo que hasta sobraría el libro. Para ser un libro que supuestamente trataba sobre los leones y el niño, hemos tenido leones en las ultimas 5 paginas. La historia no me ha atraído nada porque ha girado en el secuestro nuevamente de Charlie. Muchos personajes innecesarios solo para decir que existían muchos humanos y muchos animales involucrados en la Corporación pero en si tampoco es que si desaparecieran de la historia lo notaríamos en absoluto.
El personaje de Charlie esta vez me ha parecido que parecía mas mayor que en el resto de libros, que si que puede ser que fuera madurando un poco en toda las historia, pero es en el que menos niño me ha parecido. Rafi y su historia ha sido un poco metida con calzador. Tampoco me ha gustado mucho que parecía que en esta historia debían pasar cosas malas, como por ejemplo, la muerte de Ninu o Elsina. Encima al final como que le disparan a la leona y en la misma pagina vuelve a girar en plan no no no ha pasado nada...como si estuviera alargando la historia pegando ideas y de repente se diera cuenta de que tiene que ir acabando porque el final del libro esta cerca. No sé, la saga no me ha gustado como ha terminado. Aunque en general no ha estado mal, no volvería a leerla pero ha estado correcta...fácil de leer y entretenidilla.

[Keely · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally read this book after it had been sitting on my to read list for almost 8 years. I purchased a copy after looking for years in charity shops and not finding one. Now I know how the story ends. I enjoyed the story, mostly because there was cats and we got to hear their thoughts. The triology was definitely an adventure and I'm glad I read it.

[Isabelle M · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love these books every kid should read these books!

[Caitlinjoyful · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

I started this series because a friend recommended it to me. And I’m so glad she did. I absolutely loved it, the first book was a good set up, book two was a really good story and book three brought it all together in ways I never saw coming. I loved the ending. It was so fun.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this final book in the Lionboy Trilogy! Charlie is finally reunited with his parents, only to be snatched away again, kidnapped and taken to a secret Corporacy base. The lions are tracking him down, along with Charlie's parents. All his friends are coming to the rescue, but will they find Charlie before it's too late? And what about the evil Rafi, who has been a thorn in Charlie's side since the beginning? Is Rafi really as evil and corrupt as he seems, or is he just a lost soul who doesn't know any better? Charlie's friendship with the cats and lions will help in his fight against the Corporacy, but will it be enough?

I really appreciated that all the characters in this book have two sides to them. No one is entirely good or entirely evil. The good guys make mistakes, and they act selfishly at times, but they always recognize their errors and make up for it. The bad guys are certainly evil, but they also have strangely good qualities. Maybe they are horrible to humans, but treat animals well. They connive and deceive, but at the end of the day, they just want a cup of tea. Sometimes it's an odd mixture, but it keeps things interesting!

I was laughing at all the ridiculous and wild plot twists and strange animals and weird people! Sometimes the coincidences are entirely unbelievable, but in a world where a boy can speak cat-language, it somehow works.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This last book was an amazing wrap up of the entire Lionboy Trilogy. Like before, I loved the adventures we got to go on; however, this time, Charlie is the one who has been kidnapped. By the Corporacy, and none other.

Like I've mentioned before -at least I think I have- I'm in love with this series. No matter how very unrealistic this is with animals speaking English or boys speaking cat, I love it! Now keep in mind, if you want to try it, you most likely will think some of it is cheesy, as little boys can't go after their parents because of a dangerous Corporacy community, or stop bad guys, and most certainly can't talk to animals and understand everything they "say." But it's so charming, that I couldn't help but love.

And listening to the narrator was so fun!!

Here are some of my favorite characters: Charlie (duh), Magdalen and Aneba (duh), Sergei the bald bottomed cat (duhhh), all the lions (duhhhhhh)...really, all of them besides the bad guys. But even the bad guys were interesting and funny in their own ways.

Also, I love how the jaguar is just like, "Hi, I'm George," in English. That made me laugh a lot for some reason.

Content: Mild language (dam*s and dar*s and a little more possibly), name calling (though it didn't seem as bad this time), mild violence (kidnapping, stuff lions do, etc.)

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the beginning of the book called Lion Boy, this boy named Charlie, had two parents who where professors. And they where a happy family. There was something special about Charlie that he soon discovers. One day he comes home, to find out that his parent have been kidnapped . He ventures out to rescue them. When he does this he hears this strange voice talking to him. He finds out that it was a cat that was talking to him. The cat was telling him that his parents had been kidnapped. His mom had left him a note that didn't seem at all like the way she usually wrote. charlie goes off with Rafi, a strange character he doesn't really trust, so he manages to run away in the night. Charlie goes to the dock, and jumps on a police launch. He then transfers to another bigger boat. Amazingly enough, this turns out to be a circus boat. There are lions on the boat, and he is able to understand what they are talking about. Charlie realizes that it's not only cats he can understand, but also lions, and probably other animals too. This circus boat is going to France, where the first show will be. The head of the circus, Mr Tib, sees how good Charlie is with the lions, and makes him the lion boy, which is the title of the book. Suddenly a young lion tells Charlie an amazing secret, that his parents are being held prisoner on a submarine, heading for Paris. There are exciting adventures that follow, I don't want to say how the book ends.

I liked this book a lot. First of all, I would really love to ba able to talk to animals myself, especially my two kitty cats at home. I'm sure they would have a lot to say. Right now, I just have to guess what they're thinking. Second, it's an exciting adventure, and you can;t wait to find out what happens next. Finally, the book has a lot of compassion. The lions are very kind to Charlie, and try to help him to find his parents. And Charlie listens to their problems, and is very understanding. Charlie could have been very lonely without his mother and father, but the cats and the lions are good company. The book has a dramatic conclusion, and I was sorry when it it ended.

[Beth Bonini · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used this book with one of the 10 year old boys that I privately tutor; in some ways, it wasn't the ideal reading experience for me because it got read chapter by slow chapter. He enjoyed it enough, though, that he wanted to read the second in what is a trilogy. Unusually for trilogies -- which seem to be almost compulsory in YA lit these days -- this is not a stand-alone book. Indeed, if I have any criticism it is that the book ends on a cliff-hanger, with absolutely none of its issues or mysteries solved. The train, literally, has not made it into the station. In many ways, I think this breaks a sort of rule of fiction. Even with trilogies or series there should be some sense of an ending for each individual book.

But this gripe aside, this is an inventive fantasy about a determined and resourceful boy who runs away in order to find his parents . . . who have gone missing under mysterious and worrying circumstances. Charlie Ashanti, the book's protagonist, can speak "cat" (including the tongue of lion, biggest of the cats) and one of his (many) adventures is liberating a group of lions from a circus. There are various sub-plots, lots of colourful goodies and baddies, and even a good big-business conspiracy. Fairly high vocabulary demands, I think. I would recommend it for imaginative children who love fantasy. It should appeal to both boys and girls.

[Sarina M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this children's trilogy. One of my favorite things about this book is that the Charlie character is really smart and resilient without being annoying. Plus I loved that the cats talked like cats would really talk instead of taking on entirely human personalities.

[Petta Rosetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

selalu suka buku cerita petualangan kayak gini. meski banyak yg misterius sekaligus ga masuk di akal, overall bukunya menghibur ^^ menantikan edisi selanjutnya

[Rylan Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Beyond the strong smell of dusty sacking, there was something familiar about it. Familiar but strange. Dust, wood - could he be in a shed? No, there was the movement. A Wagon? No, there was no fresh air. A covered wagon, a coach? No, the movement was wrong... An industrial kind of smell, with a salty, oily thing in it... A boat."

The Truth. The truth is, I'm absolutely gutted this trilogy is not going to become a series. I mean, this has been an amazing trilogy! Zizou Corder has managed to keep all three books brilliant, none of them deviating from the main plot at all. But, let's get down to it:

(1) The Plot:

Now, I have put this as a spoiler, because I cant say anything without spoiling the other two books. So if you would like to read these, stop reading this review. Maccomo, the evil-liontrainer, has escaped from the lions captivity and is now seeking revenge. Maccomo kidnaps Charlie, after being reunited with his parents. He takes him to The Corporacy's main headquarters on San Antonio, a mysteriously happy island in the middle of the carribean, where everybody breathes the Sweet-Air. But everything is not as good as it seems. Behind all of this, is a dangerous company, and if Charlie's not careful, he could become one of them.......
I mean, I hope it's not only me who got goosebumps from reading that. This book is completely and utterly amazing. I could not recommend it more.

(2) The Characters:

Amazing, fabulous characters. There's Charlie, a partly annoying boy, who all he really wants is his parents and a normal life without all the kidnapping etc. I mean, who wouldn't? The Lions are the most delightful big cats ever written about (except Aslan). They are sooooo good. Claudio and King Boris? Brilliant characters. Hilarious as well. Maccomo? He is a great character. I mean, who's more evil - a kidnapper or a guy who wants to kidnap a boy and hand him over to an evil organization, all whilst trying to re-capture "his" lions? Ninu is also the most adorable character ever. But I'll let you find out about him ;)

(3) The Ratings:

Finally, the ratings -
Stars? 40,026.
Would I recommend it? YES. 2,000,000%

P.S. Apologies for my spelling and grammar in advance :)

[Eduardo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I maybe hyped myself up too much for this one. It had been years since I read the trilogy, and it took me so long to track down the second book, that I was so happy to finally be done again I was expecting a tour-de-force of awesomeness and, okay, there is a lot of awesomeness here, but there's also a lot of ridiculous contrivance.

And a heroic side character implied to be Fidel Castro? I certainly don’t remember THAT from when I first read it…

Charlie and his parents are caught up again by the forces of the Corporacy, and so all of Charlie’s allies, old and new, come to the rescue to help him not only escape, but also ruin their plans. We see the Corporacy’s headquarters, and what’s essentially a brainwashing/prison camp where they collect people and animals they think are useful, or those they want out of the way to be enslaved.

It’s pretty messed up.

The journey to the headquarters feels a bit rushed-through, as if Corder didn’t want to deal with it. And once there, there are some things that seem a little TOO convenient and quick so that Charlie can bring the entire place down. There’s also a surprise about one of the secondary characters that feels a little tacked on, basically to explain why we might care about this guy. I don’t know; it didn’t work for me.

And FIDEL CASTRO?! Look, I *get* that the man would probably be against an evil corporation, but he’s still a Communist dictator, and seeing him as a helpful fellow with a friendly armed force to help the heroes, shortly after reading “The Red Umbrella,” which talks about Castro’s soldiers arresting and lynching dissidents in the street and shipping out teenagers to be educators for his regime into the Cuban countryside… nah, fam, I’m taking off points for that.

Obviously, it’s good to get the conclusion to the series, but this book feels a little rushed in getting to it. Maybe it needed more time to stew? And less Fidel Castro.

The polyglot chameleon was cool, though.

[Sophia Barsuhn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is difficult to write a wholly critical review of this series, because these are children's books, and it feels a bit unfair for me to hold children's books to the same standard as YA or adult fiction. But I stand by my motto that a truly good book should be able to be read by anyone at any age, and I think the first Lionboy book stands the test of time. I was nine years old when it came out, and I read it over and over again growing up. For some reason, I never got the other two books as a child, so here I am, reading them at twenty-five. And I can safely say that the first installment wins.

This final book in the trilogy takes all the cleverness and suspense, enjoyable moments and fun characters, and throws it out the window. There are no stakes in this book because there is never even the slightest possibility of anyone ever dying or even getting hurt (that fake out with Ninu doesn't count). Everyone in this book has moments of stupidity because The Plot Says So. Case in point: the lions letting Maccomo get away. Not only is it incredibly stupid that Charlie thought his plan would work indefinitely (the lions couldn't go against their nature forever), but you're telling me that nobody even thought to assign a guard to him? Even if they thought he was drugged and stupid, you're telling me that they just forgot about how cunning he was? It was out of character to what we'd seen them be up to that point.

I noticed how all the women in this book, despite being set up to be incredibly smart (i.e., Magdalen) spent most of their time dithering around or crying and being very stereotypical, leaving the men to do everything and save the day. This doesn't make me angry, but it does stick in my craw a little.

The first book in the trilogy is absolutely fantastic. It's such a shame that the other two books don't live up to it.

[Collin Batson]

The author of Lionboy is Zizou Corder. The book Lionboy The Truth is the third book in the series. It is about a young boy named Charlie who can talk to cats, because him and a leopard cub switched blood when he was a infant. Charlie is kidnapped by two guys ones name is Maccomo and the other Is Rafi, Charlie’s cousin. Maccomo turns on Rafi and takes him too and turns them both into the corporacy. Charlie’s parents, three lions, and a chameleon go out in search of Charlie.

After Charlie found his parents after them being taken by the same people that take him, they leave him alone he goes against their word when they tell him to stay in there hotel. He goes outside and meets up with a local shop keeper named Claudio. After he meets with Claudio he goes down to the beach where he is taken and thrown on a boat when they start the journey to the corporacy headquarters. Charlie, due to the blood that also allows him to talk to cats, he is also immune to the air on the island of the corporacy headquarters he is able to go to the island and save all of the prisoners and brainwashed workers that the corporacy recruited over its time.

This book is one of my favorite books because there is a lot of suspense and it keeps you thinking a lot. There are a lot of things that happen that you wouldn’t expect to happen in the book. At the beginning he is just walking around the town and all of the sudden is taking and we have no idea by who. When Maccomo was kept prisoner by the lions he escaped and was able to find where Charlie and his family was and he took Charlie as revenge because he had saved his parents from the corporacy before. These are just some of the reasons why Lionboy The Truth is a good book.

[Karen GoatKeeper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlie is captured by Maccomo and delivered to the Corporacy on an island in the Caribbean. His parents, the King of Bulgaria, two lions and friends are pursuing. He has Sergei, the cat, and Ninu, the chameleon, with him as he seeks to uncover the truth behind the Corporacy.
All three books of this trilogy have been fun, easy reads. This third volume is the most humorous. The ending does get a bit over the top. Ninu is a bit of a deus ex machina, but lovable anyway.
This trilogy is in the tradition of a quest but is much more and Charlie is fun to keep up with. The books are aimed for middle grade readers who will enjoy them, but older readers willing to enter Charlie's fantasy world, suspending their disbelief, will find them a fun romp.

[Elaine Ker · Rating 4 out of 5]

La 1e fois que je l'avais lue, j'avais été déçue de la fin de cette trilogie, que je trouvais trop simple et trop rapide... mais à la relecture, ça me plait, on se rend compte que le voyage est plus important que la destination ;)

Je trouve que ce tome, comme les autres, transmet une multitude de bons messages et réflexions : sur la recherche de profit des entreprises, sur les communautés de riches, sur les employeurs qui veulent nous rendre heureux, sur la maltraitance animale, etc.
Le seul point que j'ai trouvé maladroit est la question de l'adoption, qui est montrée comme un abandon du parent 'initial', présenté comme le plus important.

[Katie Merkel · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Truth" does a good job of wrapping up Charlie's adventure. The reader is not left with any questions. As an adult, I found some of the characters' behaviors and some of the ways problems were solved to be too unbelievable. However, I think members of the target audience will enjoy "The Truth".

The things I appreciated most about the Lionboy Trilogy were the intelligent characters and the loyalty Charlie and his friends and family demonstrated for each other. I recommend this trilogy for 8-12 year olds.

[Isabelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third part of the trilogy. I have yet to read part two. What a shame that his trilogy is not in every public library. A really good book for young readers. With humour, difficulties, animals, adults and children, good and bad and resolving well..
I will definitely read book two and recommend it to my young readers....
In this third part, Charlie, the boy who can speak Cat, gets to the bottom of the Corporacy, uncovers the central intelligence behind them, and manages to save the animals and people.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great conclusion to the trilogy. I really enjoyed getting to know all of the characters better. The ending is wrapped up really well. I was very satisfied with the ending and the post ending wrap-up. I loved this trilogy so much, that I wish there was more to it. I would love to read/hear more about the main characters, especially Charlie, Sergei, and the lions. I have read this book several times before and I will most definitely read it again in the future.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This seris was absolutely incredible! I am so sad its over, I would honestly love to read another book just to get more and more! The ending was so chaotic that you were just had to be laughing and smiling. I loved this seris with my whole heart, truly. Somehow, even though it's all about a boy who can talk to cats I believed this story was real and could happen....its hard to believe there was some magical elements added.

[L Y N N · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the ultimate "happily ever after" totally unrealistic ending to this trilogy! Lots of moral judgments and decisions to make regarding saving everyone or just yourself. I also appreciated the fact that adults were the perpetrators of evil! And it took a child and some talking animals to overcome their evil! I believe kids (uhm...and adults!) who love adventure stories would enjoy this trilogy!

[_lilis_books_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75⭐️/5
Je me suis lancée dans cette lecture sur un coup de tête, parce qu’il fallait que je vide ma pal !
J’avais pas du tout d’attente pour ce livre, et je suis ni déçue, ni surprise par cette lecture.
Bon, j’ai pas compris grand chose au début, mais c’était parce que c’était un tome 3, et que j’ai pas lu les 2 et premiers😭😭
Après, c’était très sympa, j’aimerais bien découvrir le début de la trilogie du coup !!

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably my favorite of the Lionboy Trilogy. I like finding out exactly what the Corporacy is doing, and how Charlie stops them. It can be fairly silly in places, like with the chameleon and his whale girlfriend, but even that is not too silly. It is a kids’ book, after all. My favorite part is when all the Corporacy people kneel down so that their communication chips can be taken out.

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, along with the other two before it. It was very exciting to read and I think that it was ended beautifully. I strongly recommend that you read this book. The Chiddix library has the trilogy if you don't know where to go to find them. :)

[Finn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fitting conclusion to a thrilling adventure.

The third installment of Lionboy starts off a bit slower but it picks up towards the halfway point and ends with a fitting climax.

I have really enjoyed these book series.

[Marina Pont Garriga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una tornada al passat. Per fi acabo una trilogia de la infància. El llibre està bé, tot i que el final és totalment i completa precipitat.
Hi ha escenes molt divertides i algunes que són simplement absurdes.
En general correcte sense més.

[*✧･ﾟAlaina✧･ﾟ · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a while since I read this book, but it is definitely my favorite book of the Lion Boy series! Everything comes to a serious climax at the end and this is just such a fun read. Would definitely recommend for anyone looking for a super fun and suspenseful book :)

[Book Lover · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a very satisfying ending. I love animals and this is a great book for someone who does too.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I abosulutely LOVED both this book & the entire series!!! Full of action, adventure, and unexpected twists, this book, and series are hard to put down!