Reviewed by Olivia
Rating: High Three
Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of the MAGIC THIEF, 13 TREASURES, and THE LAND OF STORIES.
Synopsis (from Amazon):
In a magic kingdom where your name is your destiny, 12-year-old Rump is the butt of everyone's joke. But when he finds an old spinning wheel, his luck seems to change. Rump discovers he has a gift for spinning straw into gold. His best friend, Red Riding Hood, warns him that magic is dangerous, and she’s right. With each thread he spins, he weaves himself deeper into a curse.
To break the spell, Rump must go on a perilous quest, fighting off pixies, trolls, poison apples, and a wickedly foolish queen. The odds are against him, but with courage and friendship—and a cheeky sense of humor—he just might triumph in the end.
Rating: High Three
Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of the MAGIC THIEF, 13 TREASURES, and THE LAND OF STORIES.
Synopsis (from Amazon):
In a magic kingdom where your name is your destiny, 12-year-old Rump is the butt of everyone's joke. But when he finds an old spinning wheel, his luck seems to change. Rump discovers he has a gift for spinning straw into gold. His best friend, Red Riding Hood, warns him that magic is dangerous, and she’s right. With each thread he spins, he weaves himself deeper into a curse.
To break the spell, Rump must go on a perilous quest, fighting off pixies, trolls, poison apples, and a wickedly foolish queen. The odds are against him, but with courage and friendship—and a cheeky sense of humor—he just might triumph in the end.
Thoughts: I really wanted to like this book. It seemed right up my alley and from the high number of good reviews I expected something more sophisticated, captivating, and fun... like the Land of Stories, for example. I'm sorry to say I was disappointed - a lot. Unfortunately, though I have no doubt that this author is talented, she writes too simply, almost like she feels she has to "dumb it down" for younger readers. In fact, I'm going to take a stab in the dark and say there is nothing a kid dislikes more in literature than reading a book written in a condescending way. This just bugged me a little bit and I felt like the story would have been more interesting and grabbing if it were written in a more sophisticated way. Again, I'm not saying that I don't think the author has the ability to write sophisticated stories.
Rump's character was a little weak, although I did enjoy his wit and how he seemed to always put others before himself. Red was actually my favorite character, and I felt like she could have been a bigger character in the story (maybe a companion on Rump's journey?) Other than that, the miller was awesome, Opal was awesome, King Barf was awesome, and every other characters I failed to mention were also great. I loved the setting of this story and thought the idea of "your name is your destiny" was very interesting. There were also some great twists that kept the reader on their toes. I felt myself skipping over some parts (like when Rump was mindlessly wandering around) but overall, although a bit disappointing in some aspects, a good (just good) read.
[one thing I have to mention: the writing did bug me here. But this doesn't mean it will for every young reader - I know it would for my brother, but honestly we're both kinda critical of dumbed down writing. This book wasn't particularly for me, but I can see a lot of people liking it.]
Rump's character was a little weak, although I did enjoy his wit and how he seemed to always put others before himself. Red was actually my favorite character, and I felt like she could have been a bigger character in the story (maybe a companion on Rump's journey?) Other than that, the miller was awesome, Opal was awesome, King Barf was awesome, and every other characters I failed to mention were also great. I loved the setting of this story and thought the idea of "your name is your destiny" was very interesting. There were also some great twists that kept the reader on their toes. I felt myself skipping over some parts (like when Rump was mindlessly wandering around) but overall, although a bit disappointing in some aspects, a good (just good) read.
[one thing I have to mention: the writing did bug me here. But this doesn't mean it will for every young reader - I know it would for my brother, but honestly we're both kinda critical of dumbed down writing. This book wasn't particularly for me, but I can see a lot of people liking it.]
