Category: Children’s Fiction
Physik by Angie Sage
(Cover picture courtesy of HarperCollins Children’s Books.)
When Silas Heap unSeals a forgotten room in the Palace, he releases the ghost of a Queen who lived five hundred years earlier. Queen Etheldredda is as awful in death as she was in life, and she’s still up to no good. Her diabolical plan to give herself everlasting life requires Jenna’s compliance, Septimus’s disappearance, and the talents of her son, Marcellus Pye, a famous Alchemist and Physician. And if Queen Etheldredda’s plot involves Jenna and Septimus, then it will surely involve Nicko, Alther Mella, Marcia Overstrand, Beetle, Stanley, Sarah, Silas, Spit Fyre, Aunt Zelda, and all of the other wacky, wonderful characters that made magyk and flyte so memorable.
(Summary courtesy of Amazon.)
With heart-stopping action and a dash of humor, Angie Sage continues the fantastical journey of Septimus Heap.
Physik is probably my favourite book in the entire Septimus Heap series so far and I’ve read the first five of them. Why is it my favourite? Well, the characters are much better developed, Angie Sage is a bit more descriptive so we get a better idea of what the world looks like and we get to see the Castle at the height of its glory.
Jenna has matured more in this book and is more of a princess than she was in Magyk or Flyte. Septimus is also moving right along in his Apprenticeship when it gets rudely interrupted by Marcellus Pye and the horrible Queen Etheldredda. I don’t want to give too much away, but Queen Etheldredda isn’t just any ordinary ghost, which causes even more trouble for Septimus and Jenna. We also get introduced to a new character, Snorri, who is my personal favourite because of her backstory, her cat and her special Spirit Seeing abilities.
The world of Septimus Heap is also much more developed and we get to see a lot of origins of the traditions we find in the first two books. Along the way, we learn about Physik, which is this world’s version of science. In a weird reversal of our world, Magyk is looked upon as more reliable than Physik and Marcia even goes so far as to laugh at Septimus when he wants to learn more about it. There isn’t much laugh-out-loud humour in Angie Sage’s books, but they’re not completely dark and serious either, which is what makes them great for ages 9-12. The illustrations at the beginnings of every chapter also do so much to enhance the reading experience.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Small Medium At Large by Joanne Levy
Image Courtesy of Goodreads
Synopsis: Lilah is your average Seventh Grader…until she is struck by lightning at her mother’s wedding. While Lilah is thankful to be alive, she’s in for a surprise; she can hear ghosts. Specifically Bubby Dora is always in Lilah’s ears, enlisting her help to find Martin (Lilah’s dad) a new girlfriend.
How on earth is a Seventh Grader supposed to help her dad get back into the dating world, crush on Andrew Finkel and talk to dead people? Lilah is about to find out…
Flyte by Angie Sage
(Cover picture courtesy of Free eBooks.)
It’s been a year since Septimus Heap discovered his real family and true calling to be a wizard. As Apprentice to Extra Ordinary Wizard Marcia Overstrand, he is learning the fine arts of Conjurations, Charms, and other Magyk, while Jenna is adapting to life as the Princess and enjoying the freedom of the Castle.
But there is something sinister at work. Marcia is constantly trailed by a menacing Darke Shadow, and Septimus’s brother Simon seems bent on a revenge no one understands. Why is the Darke Magyk still lingering?
Bringing fantasy to new heights, Angie Sage continues the journey of Septimus Heap with her trademark humor and all of the clever details readers have come to love.
Although I gave Magyk, the first book in the Septimus Heap series, a mediocre review, I still continued on with the series as it had potential. As it turned out, that was the right decision.
Now that Septimus has been found and reunited with his family and Jenna has finally been claimed as the lost princess (something that was obvious from the beginning), Angie Sage begins to focus more on their character development. They are able to grow beyond their archetypes and readers will be much more sympathetic to them, especially when there’s an unexpected betrayal in the family from Simon. Simon himself is kind of your stereotypical tortured Judas: he’s angry at being passed over for an Apprenticeship in favour of a much younger person he doesn’t believe is really his brother. Unfortunately, he doesn’t really grow beyond this stereotype, but for a book meant for ages 9-12 he’s a decent enough villain.
What I like about Flyte is that we see a lot more of Septimus’ world and learn a lot more about it as well. Now that Septimus is Marcia’s Apprentice, we also learn a little more about Magyk, although we still don’t learn as much as I would like. However, the book is meant for people much younger than I am, so I don’t think it will bother many readers. Aside from the fact we never really learn what the source of Magyk is, Angie Sage has still created an interesting fantasy world that readers will love. It’s not completely unique and you will find a lot of fantasy tropes, but she does put her own spin on things so it doesn’t stray too far into the annoying cliché range.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl
(Cover picture courtesy of Tumblr.)
Now that he’s won the chocolate factory, what’s next for Charlie? Last seen flying through the sky in a giant elevator in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie Bucket’s back for another adventure. When the giant elevator picks up speed, Charlie, Willy Wonka, and the gang are sent hurtling through space and time. Visiting the world’s first space hotel, battling the dreaded Vermicious Knids, and saving the world are only a few stops along this remarkable, inter-galactic joyride.
Only Roald Dahl could write a book like this and pull it off so well. It’s hilarious and over-the-top, but also has some nice messages for kids at the end because Charlie Bucket is a great character. Willy Wonka himself is most definitely a memorable character; you can never forget the eccentric chocolate factory owner, even if you try.
My fourth grade teacher read this book aloud to my class and I never, ever forgot it. The Vermicious Knids, Miss Tibbs, Grandpa Joe, the Oompa-Loompas…how could anyone ever forget creatures and characters like that? Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator has an interesting plot and fantastic world-building on Roald Dahl’s part. I have no idea where he came up with half of this stuff, but I can say that everyone who reads his books will appreciate his creativity.
This is one of those books I re-read about once every year and I find something new to enjoy about it every single time! It’s a classic that will never really be outdated and because of that, it’s a great book to pass on to your kids. The writing style is simple enough for younger kids to understand, but it doesn’t feel as if Roald Dahl is talking down to you, even for older readers.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Ever by Gail Carson Levine
(Cover picture courtesy of Life Simplified.)
Falling in love is easy…
…for Kezi, a beautiful mortal, dancer, and rug weaver, and for Olus, Akkan god of the winds. Their love brings Kezi the strength to fight her fate, and it gives Olus the strength to confront his fears. Together—and apart—they encounter spiders with webs of iron, the cruel lord of the land of the dead, the mysterious god of destiny, and the tests of the Akkan gods. If they succeed, they will be together; but if they fail, Olus will have to endure the ultimate loss, and Kezi will have to make the supreme sacrifice.
Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine has created a stunning world of flawed gods, unbreakable vows, and ancient omens. Her story of love, fate, and belief is spellbinding.
Based on Mesopotamia, the world Gail Carson Levine has created in Ever is a nice chance after reading a lot of Euro-centric fantasy lately. It follows that familiar mythic structure you find all around the world while still remaining free of too much cliché. When you enter the world of Kezi and Olus, you realize just how much effort Gail Carson Levine put into world-building because of the social structure, religion and history we learn throughout the novel.
One of my main problems with the novel is that I couldn’t really connect with Kezi or Olus. I know I am far from the target age group of Ever, but even so, I should have been able to connect with them on some emotional level, but I couldn’t. As they struggled through their challenges, I really found myself not caring what happened to either of them. To me, they seemed like flat, one dimensional characters, even though common sense says they shouldn’t because of their believable motivations and backstories. Perhaps it is just me who couldn’t connect with the characters (it wouldn’t be the first time), but it’s something to keep in mind.
Ever is told from the points of view of both Kezi and Olus, which would be fine if it weren’t for the fact that Gail Carson Levine writes such short chapters. It doesn’t build suspense when it’s done this way; it’s simply annoying and more than a little bit confusing. Yes, I know it’s an ages 10 and up book, but give your readers some credit here! The shortest chapter I saw was one line and one paragraph long (chapter 53, by the way). Now that is getting ridiculous, don’t you think?
I give this book 2.5/5 stars.