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misdawnty's review against another edition
4.0
Note: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
My rating is an average of my review and my 12 yr old sons review.
He said he loved it and it deserved 4.9 stars because the only 5 star books are Harry Potter and Brandon Mull books. Lol
I say 3 stars because I feel like she doesn't give the reader enough credit to he able to understand. It almost felt like a really long picture book. Too straightforward and too obvious. I say that as a mom of 3 kids who are in or past the middle age reading level and their favorite books are definitely deeper and make them think more. I would have liked to see a little more personality from the characters and more allusion and set ups for the reader rather than just spelling everything out as it happened.
That said, I like the premise and obviously, since my son read it twice before I finished it once, it appeals to the age it's written for. I would actually recommend it more for young, advanced readers (Like first/second grade) because its a chapter book with very easy comprehension.
My rating is an average of my review and my 12 yr old sons review.
He said he loved it and it deserved 4.9 stars because the only 5 star books are Harry Potter and Brandon Mull books. Lol
I say 3 stars because I feel like she doesn't give the reader enough credit to he able to understand. It almost felt like a really long picture book. Too straightforward and too obvious. I say that as a mom of 3 kids who are in or past the middle age reading level and their favorite books are definitely deeper and make them think more. I would have liked to see a little more personality from the characters and more allusion and set ups for the reader rather than just spelling everything out as it happened.
That said, I like the premise and obviously, since my son read it twice before I finished it once, it appeals to the age it's written for. I would actually recommend it more for young, advanced readers (Like first/second grade) because its a chapter book with very easy comprehension.
babyleo's review against another edition
3.0
This is the story about Andy, a ten year old kid who is trying to live a normal life, however when he is drawn towards a trunk in the attic everything changes. Dragged from his home he is transported to the mysterious Land of Oomaldee where he is told he is the one who will break a curse, find a dragon, and rescue a kingdom.
I enjoyed reading this book, I think the idea behind the narrative is very clever, and certainly leaves room to be developed further through a series. We are introduced to this curse but we are not given the exact nature aside from snippets of information. This makes you very curious about what is happening and certainly makes you eager to find more about the curse. This is a good tactic, and one Lee does well, while we are not privy to everything going on, we learn with Andy about the land, the curse, and what his role is to save the King and the kingdom.
Lee gives us a great idea of the world Andy finds himself in, the descriptions are just right, without being too bogged down with detail, and there is enough the create a great image in your mind of the land and the people. Like a true fantasy novel, a map of the land if given at the start of the book showing the regions of the Oomaldee land as well as the surrounding lands. Through the novel a lot of regions are mentioned, and as Andy begins his quest it is a good focal point to understand where he is and where he needs to be, but Lee uses words well and as Andy travels around the land the pace and detail used is enough to make sure a clear image is created in your mind. With more books in the series no doubt we will get to explore more of the land, as well as those surrounding it, but what Lee has already provided is an enticing teaser.
The characters in Andy Smithson are unique, and have their own quirks and characteristics. There is the King of Oomaldee who is tired of the curse and wishes to free his kingdom, and by his side is Mermin, Mermin apparently being the brother of the great Merlin, and who has a speech impediment. Another character is Alden, a servant boy in the castle who becomes friends with Andy. Alden is a good character, he is bright and helps Andy find his way around the land.
Certain characters of course get more padding, but there is still plenty to gain an understanding of their character, especially through other character's eyes and in their actions. This reduces the need for complicated histories and analysis of minor characters. This is almost true for the main characters as well, there is not a lot of intentional describing or catch up histories, instead, as Lee focuses on them a lot more, we see who they are, the life they lead, as well as the person they are through the narrative. This works well as a book for this age bracket because it is woven into the story, and the character of a person is developed through the story and readers can see it for themselves rather than be told how a character is as a person.
The only thing that caught my eye was the strong moral messages that were throughout. I can see that a reading it as a child these may not be as noticeable, one of the disadvantages of reading as an adult I suppose, but they could have been less obvious I felt. They come and go quite quickly but they stood out. Even if a moral message was intended, perhaps weaving it into the story a bit better would be better rather than having Andy experience inner conflict and resolve it almost within the same page. Perhaps this is connected to the fact we see so much of this world through Andy's perspective, as a child we are shown things through the eyes of a child and therefore we are exposed to the feelings and emotions that come along with this perspective.
I think that these lessons are good, they show kids a range of issues such as keeping secrets, controlling jealousy, and dealing with other issues that arise in a kid's life, but whether they were too deliberate may be a disadvantage. There are some excellent moments where you can read between the lines with relationships and gain a lot of insight into characters and relationships, especially what is said and not said, those moments can speak volumes compared to what is spelled out. These were the moments I thought Lee did very well, a great example was Alden and Andy towards the end of the book; a lot could be said by what Alden did and especially did not say and lessons are shown as well as an insight into his character.
We learn alongside Andy, we uncover things as he does, and while we may have theories or figure things out before him, it doesn't always mean we necessarily know things he doesn't. There is drama and friendship, and the fairytale notion of the child hero that is trying to save the world. As I say, the premise is quite good, an adventure story with secrets, mysteries, and curses to keep you engaged. This story goes back to the long adventure stories where there are dragons to fight, kingdoms to save, and travellers wandered the lands with bags on their back with everything in it, seeking help from people they meet or in villages. It is ideal for a kid to read about this kind of adventure and imagine the world Andy fell into.
And with the ending Lee gives us it is enough of a cliff hanger to make you want to get right into book two, yet still manages to feel like the book was finished right, a bit like the last chapter was more of a teaser into book two rather than an ending to book one, it is done quite well.
A version of this review was published on my blog http://lostinagoodbk.wordpress.com/2013/05/31/andy-smithson-blast-of-the-dragons-fury-1-by-l-r-w-lee/
I enjoyed reading this book, I think the idea behind the narrative is very clever, and certainly leaves room to be developed further through a series. We are introduced to this curse but we are not given the exact nature aside from snippets of information. This makes you very curious about what is happening and certainly makes you eager to find more about the curse. This is a good tactic, and one Lee does well, while we are not privy to everything going on, we learn with Andy about the land, the curse, and what his role is to save the King and the kingdom.
Lee gives us a great idea of the world Andy finds himself in, the descriptions are just right, without being too bogged down with detail, and there is enough the create a great image in your mind of the land and the people. Like a true fantasy novel, a map of the land if given at the start of the book showing the regions of the Oomaldee land as well as the surrounding lands. Through the novel a lot of regions are mentioned, and as Andy begins his quest it is a good focal point to understand where he is and where he needs to be, but Lee uses words well and as Andy travels around the land the pace and detail used is enough to make sure a clear image is created in your mind. With more books in the series no doubt we will get to explore more of the land, as well as those surrounding it, but what Lee has already provided is an enticing teaser.
The characters in Andy Smithson are unique, and have their own quirks and characteristics. There is the King of Oomaldee who is tired of the curse and wishes to free his kingdom, and by his side is Mermin, Mermin apparently being the brother of the great Merlin, and who has a speech impediment. Another character is Alden, a servant boy in the castle who becomes friends with Andy. Alden is a good character, he is bright and helps Andy find his way around the land.
Certain characters of course get more padding, but there is still plenty to gain an understanding of their character, especially through other character's eyes and in their actions. This reduces the need for complicated histories and analysis of minor characters. This is almost true for the main characters as well, there is not a lot of intentional describing or catch up histories, instead, as Lee focuses on them a lot more, we see who they are, the life they lead, as well as the person they are through the narrative. This works well as a book for this age bracket because it is woven into the story, and the character of a person is developed through the story and readers can see it for themselves rather than be told how a character is as a person.
The only thing that caught my eye was the strong moral messages that were throughout. I can see that a reading it as a child these may not be as noticeable, one of the disadvantages of reading as an adult I suppose, but they could have been less obvious I felt. They come and go quite quickly but they stood out. Even if a moral message was intended, perhaps weaving it into the story a bit better would be better rather than having Andy experience inner conflict and resolve it almost within the same page. Perhaps this is connected to the fact we see so much of this world through Andy's perspective, as a child we are shown things through the eyes of a child and therefore we are exposed to the feelings and emotions that come along with this perspective.
I think that these lessons are good, they show kids a range of issues such as keeping secrets, controlling jealousy, and dealing with other issues that arise in a kid's life, but whether they were too deliberate may be a disadvantage. There are some excellent moments where you can read between the lines with relationships and gain a lot of insight into characters and relationships, especially what is said and not said, those moments can speak volumes compared to what is spelled out. These were the moments I thought Lee did very well, a great example was Alden and Andy towards the end of the book; a lot could be said by what Alden did and especially did not say and lessons are shown as well as an insight into his character.
We learn alongside Andy, we uncover things as he does, and while we may have theories or figure things out before him, it doesn't always mean we necessarily know things he doesn't. There is drama and friendship, and the fairytale notion of the child hero that is trying to save the world. As I say, the premise is quite good, an adventure story with secrets, mysteries, and curses to keep you engaged. This story goes back to the long adventure stories where there are dragons to fight, kingdoms to save, and travellers wandered the lands with bags on their back with everything in it, seeking help from people they meet or in villages. It is ideal for a kid to read about this kind of adventure and imagine the world Andy fell into.
And with the ending Lee gives us it is enough of a cliff hanger to make you want to get right into book two, yet still manages to feel like the book was finished right, a bit like the last chapter was more of a teaser into book two rather than an ending to book one, it is done quite well.
A version of this review was published on my blog http://lostinagoodbk.wordpress.com/2013/05/31/andy-smithson-blast-of-the-dragons-fury-1-by-l-r-w-lee/
bibliocat4's review against another edition
3.0
This one is 3.5 stars for me. I actually liked the book a lot even though I don't read a lot of books younger than a teen level. I enjoyed the mystery/adventure/fantasy aspect and it had some humorous moments as well. I love new fantasy creatures so I am hoping to find out more about the herewolf. Plus there were dragons and knights and magical swords! Kids who read Redwall, Harry Potter or the Sisters Grimm might like this story as well. This is the first book of a series but there isn't a cliff hanger ending, it wraps up this part of the story nicely but leaves the reader wanting more!
Reviewed at request of author but received no compensation and review is my personal opinion.
Reviewed at request of author but received no compensation and review is my personal opinion.
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