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…
