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cleah's review against another edition
5.0
Teodora is certain about two things in her life: the first that she is adopted, and the second that she belongs in Venice. Hanging out at the old bookstore all day is the perfect life for Teo. That is, until a mysterious book falls onto her head and knocks her unconscious. The book is titled The Key to the Secret City, and suddenly Teo's life will never be the same again. There is more to Venice than meets the eye, and Teo and her friend Renzo are about to see it all firsthand. Plus, something evil lurks beneath the murky waters of the great floating city, and it has plans to destroy everything in its way.
I have to start off mentioning how totally awesome Teo's paranormal power is in this book. Being able to see speech written in script above the speaker's head is the best power EVER. it made me wonder what font my voice would be? It was a totally cool idea. I am also a long time fan of Michelle Lovric. She writes beautiful books about Venice, yes, but she also tends to writes stories that involve powerful books. Books about books. And mermaids. Seriously, does it get any better than this? The mermaids in this story were so awesome. Their dialect was funny and smart and entirely unique. And that's another thing that keeps me coming back to Lovric's books. Her writing style is gorgeous. She can create atmosphere with ease and every single word on the page seems to serve a very specific purpose in her dialog and description. The last thing I will mention is that I think the UK cover for this book is much more inviting and pretty than the US cover. This US cover looks almost frightening. Regardless, I am looking forward to diving into the sequel, called The Mourning Emporium!
I have to start off mentioning how totally awesome Teo's paranormal power is in this book. Being able to see speech written in script above the speaker's head is the best power EVER. it made me wonder what font my voice would be? It was a totally cool idea. I am also a long time fan of Michelle Lovric. She writes beautiful books about Venice, yes, but she also tends to writes stories that involve powerful books. Books about books. And mermaids. Seriously, does it get any better than this? The mermaids in this story were so awesome. Their dialect was funny and smart and entirely unique. And that's another thing that keeps me coming back to Lovric's books. Her writing style is gorgeous. She can create atmosphere with ease and every single word on the page seems to serve a very specific purpose in her dialog and description. The last thing I will mention is that I think the UK cover for this book is much more inviting and pretty than the US cover. This US cover looks almost frightening. Regardless, I am looking forward to diving into the sequel, called The Mourning Emporium!
libertyskies's review against another edition
1.0
couldn't finish this...I couldn't get into it, I'll try to read it again later.
carwo's review
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
nanu_nanu_narnett's review against another edition
5.0
I have always had the biggest weakness for old fashioned stories and mythology being twisted and adapted into it's own original story, and this one definitely does it's own thing in a story that is both compelling, suspenseful, and way too dark and creepy to be for kids.
13delathauwere's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
mithrilreads's review against another edition
4.0
I got this book for my precocious 8 year old reader. I thoroughly enjoyed the creative humor as the author navigates terrifying situations. Its an enjoyable read even for a mom :)
squishies's review against another edition
3.0
While it's nice that the protagonists aren't perfect and prone to mistakes and being stupid... I couldn't but be very frustrated when they were really stupid. *sighs*
Nice concept and the setting remind me of [b:The Water Mirror|929373|The Water Mirror (Dark Reflections,#1)|Kai Meyer|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179540970s/929373.jpg|925083], what with the mermaids and winged lions. Very amused with the mermaids speech - nice touch.
Nice concept and the setting remind me of [b:The Water Mirror|929373|The Water Mirror (Dark Reflections,#1)|Kai Meyer|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179540970s/929373.jpg|925083], what with the mermaids and winged lions. Very amused with the mermaids speech - nice touch.
bonniebloy's review against another edition
3.0
This is one frightening children's book! Would definitely recommend it to older, more experienced readers.
kashvm's review against another edition
3.0
This book was like eating one of those never ending gobstoppers that keeps changing flavours. It was so jam packed with history and adventure, and quite an enjoyable read. I remember reading this as a kid and loving it, but by the time i acquired the sequel many years later, i'd forgotten everything. So this was indeed a reread, though it did not feel like it. Also, i did love that Teo had the same birthday as me ♡