In THE ISLE OF THE LOST, the descendants of the most wicked Disney villains make plans to escape the island their families have been banished to.
What intrigued me: I've watched a bit of the movie and found it pretty cute. I had no idea this was the prequel so obviously I had to read it first before tackling the movie again.
Fan Fiction Feel
THE ISLE OF THE LOST proposes a topic that I've been longing to see for a while: A continuation of the classic Disney movies. This is essentially fan fiction, which I don't really mind because de la Cruz absolutely manages to create an exciting world. I struggled a little bit with the writing, which reads more like Middle Grade than actual YA and uses very simplistic, yet colorful language.
THE ISLE OF THE LOST does read a little like fan fiction, too, involving tropes you probably remember from all our 2009 AO3 escapades. Unnaturally colored hair, protagonists describing themselves while looking in a mirror, stuff like that.
The target audience confuses me a little. Like I said, the language is very simple and feels Middle Grade, yet we have 16 year-old protagonists. If you take a look at the awards it earned, it's always shelves in the MG category. To me, it's somewhere in between. THE ISLE OF THE LOST doesn't really feel like YA or MG, maybe like something in between, mainly due to the fairy tale language and feel. It could definitely serve as a nice transitional novel if you're mainly a MG or YA reader and would like to try out something different.
Massive, colorful world
We learn about the world through the eyes of out four protagonists, children of the Evil Queen, Maleficent, Jafar, and Cruella de Vil respectively. Usually I'm not a fan of multiple POVs but de la Cruz uses omniscient perspective and is very subtle about it all so that you hardly notice you're dealing with some many POVs.
Even though there are four protagonists, the spotlight is absolutely on the world that de la Cruz created. I grew very attached to it, longing for more of the vivid explanations and finding out more about how everything works over there. But at the end of the day THE ISLE OF THE LOST has a very simple concept and it absolutely works if you want to read something light and cute. Don't expect too much, don't expect highbrow language and thrilling plot twists, and you'll be good to go.
Even though there are four protagonists, the spotlight is absolutely on the world that de la Cruz created. I grew very attached to it, longing for more of the vivid explanations and finding out more about how everything works over there. But at the end of the day THE ISLE OF THE LOST has a very simple concept and it absolutely works if you want to read something light and cute. Don't expect too much, don't expect highbrow language and thrilling plot twists, and you'll be good to go.
Rating:
★★★☆☆
Overall: Do I Recommend?
ISLE OF THE LOST is a really adorable little book that you shouldn't pass up if you like Disney! It does read a little on the younger side and I think it definitely would've benefited from being marketed as Middle Grade and aging the protagonists down a little.Additional Info
Published: May 5th 2015Pages: 320
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Genre: YA / High Fantasy
ISBN: 9781484720974
Synopsis:
Synopsis:
"Twenty years ago, all the evil villains were banished from the kingdom of Auradon and made to live in virtual imprisonment on the Isle of the Lost. The island is surrounded by a magical force field that keeps the villains and their descendants safely locked up and away from the mainland. Life on the island is dark and dreary. It is a dirty, decrepit place that's been left to rot and forgotten by the world.
But hidden in the mysterious Forbidden Fortress is a dragon's eye: the key to true darkness and the villains' only hope of escape. Only the cleverest, evilest, nastiest little villain can find it...who will it be?
Maleficent, Mistress of the Dark: As the self-proclaimed ruler of the isle, Maleficent has no tolerance for anything less than pure evil. She has little time for her subjects, who have still not mastered life without magic. Her only concern is getting off the Isle of the Lost.
Mal: At sixteen, Maleficent's daughter is the most talented student at Dragon Hall, best known for her evil schemes. And when she hears about the dragon's eye, Mal thinks this could be her chance to prove herself as the cruelest of them all.
Evie: Having been castle-schooled for years, Evil Queen's daughter, Evie, doesn't know the ins and outs of Dragon Hall. But she's a quick study, especially after she falls for one too many of Mal's little tricks.
Jay: As the son of Jafar, Jay is a boy of many talents: stealing and lying to name a few. Jay and Mal have been frenemies forever and he's not about to miss out on the hunt for the dragon's eye.
Carlos: Cruella de Vil's son may not be bravest, but he's certainly clever. Carlos's inventions may be the missing piece in locating the dragon's eye and ending the banishment for good.
Mal soon learns from her mother that the dragon's eye is cursed and whoever retrieves it will be knocked into a deep sleep for a thousand years. But Mal has a plan to capture it. She'll just need a little help from her "friends." In their quest for the dragon's eye, these kids begin to realize that just because you come from an evil family tree, being good ain't so bad."(Source: Goodreads)
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