Five Reasons to Read It #2: THE FALSE PRINCE

I just finished:
Scholastic Press, 2012
Here are five reasons to read it:
1. It’s FUN.  Fun, fun, fun, fun, FUN.  Fun is underrated.  Sometimes I want to read beautiful things, or sad things, or haunting things, or thought-provoking things, but often I want to have a good time.  This book is a GOOD TIME. I ripped through it in a matter of hours. (And by the way, entertainment and emotional satisfaction aren’t mutually exclusive.  This book delivers both.)
2. Sage (the male protagonist) is a smart-mouthed survivor with great internal snark and external wit. He reminds me of some of my sassiest 8th-graders whom I utterly adore but want to strangle. His disdain for authority is truly delightful.
3. The plot!  This is a tightly plotted story with an ever-present sense of tension that keeps the the pages turning.  I like a story that pays off in the end, and this one surely does. 
4. The action!  If you like swordplay, danger, ruthlessness, secrecy, tunnels, wild horses, and emerald-encrusted boxes, then this is your book.
5. The characters and their relationships.  Here we have a cast of characters each with his or her own unique objective, each with a specific worldview.  Nielsen does not compromise her characters; they are who they are from start to finish,and often they are not nice.  They grow, and they change, but within the scope of what’s natural for their characters.
Oh – and there’s a sixth reason.  But I’m not telling…
 

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