Enough Juvenile Focus on Number Two, Please
356603
I am not sure what this generation's fascination with bodily functions is.  You lost me right there.
352754
No, Ms Lorenz is not in the same league as CS Lewis. But, this young writer has talent and with time could develop her series into an update on the theme in the Narnia series. She obviously has two important traits to make this happen -- courage and imagination.

This volume is short. I suspect it is more about setting the stage for more elaborate stories. We meet the two prime characters who will carry the series -- Constance and Prince Drinian. We get a good level of character development and relationship development in the journey from his cabin to the way home for Constance. The tension of the story is subtle. It involves Prince Drinian securing the throne, Constance getting home, and their budding relationship which will draw her back for more. This is not a typical fantasy novel with lots of action, though it does have some but not of the pure swords and sorcery type. This is the first of a promising series. I would look forward to future volumes.

As others have noted, there are grammatical errors. I am continually amazed at the failure of writers to use spell check and grammar check on their documents. Maybe, that is a publisher flaw. Either way it is disappointing.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
3981084
I think what it boils down to is, I am definitely not the target audience for this book. Young girls (around 12 years old) should enjoy it (I'm pretty sure they'll love it). Being far older than that (in my very late 20s) and having read too much YA (why is there so much YA?) I found it predictable and only mildly entertaining. I'm pretty sure that if I'd come across the book 15 years ago, I would have been much more likely to view it more favorably. As it is, this is a book I would give to my young daughter, if I had one.
1735292
The first book was free/freebie day, but evidently if you luv writers' books as much as they do sometimes they send you freebie follow up book as a thank you for reviewing so fast.  This can be bad {too many at one time} or good {not on kindle unlimited}. Well, the writer{s} didn't make part 2 for Secret of Kite Hill, but they do already have second book out, Secret of Markree Castle {and others below} which I was just sent. So, for reviewing the first one so fast, they sent me another one; that's parent logic for ya.

My ratings for kids' books are based on a few things, but still pretty much what the other ratings are; cute without being cutesy, reasonably good writing, and helps if freebie or on ku but that's personal preference of a binge reader. Rarely bother with reading anyone else's reviews, but noticed one that said girls would not like it {definitely don't agree, we know boys are stinky and weird, proves that and gives us a reason to laugh about them} and another that said there should be a second part to this {agree}. There are more stories, just not more of the very first one.

Li & Lu series: The Secret of Kite Hill 1 The Secret of Markree Castle 2 The Key to Markree Castle 3 The Gift of Markree Castle 4
794192
I think this is worth the read. Just should have read the first one. My fault.
2485381
I received this from Net Galley for review. This is a cute book. I haven't read the first one, and I'm not sure I will. Mainly because this one gives me a pretty good idea of what happens in the first. That being said, this is a good book even without reading the first one. It says alot for an author and a series when you can pick up the book up and enjoy regardless of what happened in earlier books. Many of the contemporary YA books I've read lately are light and easy to read. This one does not disappoint.

What I like: Allison did a fantastic job with the development of all the characters. There was a wide range from Amy-the attention getter- to Viv and Sharese-the ones that are okay with not dating because they are picky. Even though the primary theme in the book is dating I think there were some good lessons for everyone to learn regardless of age.

What I loved: The growth of Kayla. At sixteen she's pretty well rounded for a teen in love. There is a constant tension between her and Jared, and yet there isn't a love triangle. It's quiet refreshing for YA novels. Many people may not agree with me on this, but I loved that everyone who had a bad relationship-Kayla included- didn't get a happy ending, they had a realistic ending. The part that I loved was that they dealt with it, and came out on the good end.

What I'd change: There were multiple times where the story jumped and I had to reread what was going on. For example, Kayla would be talking to a friend at night one minute and the next sentence she was at lunch the next day. I read this in ebook format, so I'm not sure whether or not that had something to do with. This is a nit pick though, and didn't take away from the book.

Would I recommend? Yes. One of the great things about this book is that it would appeal to younger teens as well as older. I'm not sure it would appeal to most adults, but hey if you like Contemporary YA then this is a good one to read.
3051074
I was impressed by Paolini's first book, "Eragon." It wasn't the greatest book ever and was little more than fantasy (instead of sci-fi) "Star Wars," but for a kid writing, it was well done. When "Eldest" came out, I was excited to see how Paolini had grown as a writer. Although the book was an OK follow-up to the first, I wrote it off as just suffering from the usual middle book syndrome that one often sees in a series. Therefore, I remained hopeful that "Brisingr" would prove to be a solid book. Alas, Paolini is still writing like a teenager rather than maturing as an author. The only difference was a tremendous amount of purple prose and a ridiculous amount of whining from the main character. As a result, I made it only half way through this book before being so disgusted that I set it aside.

My recommendation is to read and enjoy "Eragon" and then avoid Paolini's subsequent work.
4272130
Best for teeny boppers who want some light reading and don't mind typos or boy crazy main characters. Hoping Book 2 has a bit more depth
701240
Like the other reviewer implied "Two" is a bit on the wordy side. From a purely educational standpoint, it's trying to draw the differences between even and odd numbers without actually explaining why some numbers are even and some are odd. Which is fine in that this isn't a text book. But if you're going to "go there" don't stop halfway. The problem is, kids at the age where the book's content would appropriate, are just learning to count and cannot grasp the concept of odds and evens, especially if it's not explained.

Then there's the story line. It's all over the place. 1 & 2 are friends then 3 jumps in and takes 1 away from 2. Is this a lesson in friendship jealousy, learning to expand your social circle? Could be... But then it goes into this odd direction about the odds and evens fighting. So is it now a lesson in liking those who are different? Then 2 suddenly learns about being a better 'person' if you will, and brings everyone back together. Then they all start dancing or something.

Then there's just the sheer wordiness of it. My 3.5 year old loves to be read to but he can't read himself of course. I let him pick out his books each night but I absolutely dread when he picks this one. Even his eyes glaze over after a few pages. It's just far too wordy; so I just take short cuts, leaving out a sentence or two on each page - he's none the wiser. Just so we can get to sleep before midnight. It's like Tolstoy.

I hope once Otoshi gets to writing about the other numbers, those books are more in line with "One" and "Zero" which we love.
3766361
When I first started reading, I thought I had inadvertently downloaded a book meant for middle school. The writing seemed to be aimed at a fifth or sixth grade level. It became a little more sophisticated toward the end, but the simplicity of the plot and wording still felt as if it were aimed at a young audience. That being said, I am sure said audience would enjoy the book. It just needs a lot more development for anyone over thirteen.
1451439
While the writing in this mystery is engaging, there are topics in it which may not be appropriate for younger readers.  This book made the Sunshine State Reader list in Florida, which causes it to practically be a 'must-read' at my child's elementary school (grades 3-5), but I do not wish for him to read it.  By page two, the 12-year-old main character has already expressed a suicidal thought, and has told us enough to determine that her mother is a chain-smoking, emotionally disturbed person.  The cover design shows that the book is a mystery, and the synopsis on the back lets the reader know it follows the drowning death of the main character's father.  But I was a bit shocked to see that, given its SSR status, the book contained comic-book pages which showed blindfolded children with hands bound by ropes, being led off the end of a dock and attacked by rats.  This may be acceptable for some older readers, but is not likely suitable for many third and fourth graders who wish to read all the Sunshine State Reader award titles (and have the reading skills to do so).
1306333
I received this title through a GoodReads FirstReads drawing and did so not for my own amusement but for rather for that of my youngest daughter. Her "discriminating" opinions about any foodstuff which does not end with the paired syllables "ber-ger" makes her a perfect target for such a tome.

It's also worth noting that I write this review from the standpoint of one who has perused the novel briefly and passed it along to the eventual reader but hasn't consumed every single word. While I generally take the time to read books before I hand them out I found that the cartoon-style of this one especially was just a bit too much for my addled and aged mind to wade through. Nevertheless what I did see seemed wholesome and endearing and seemed likely to amuse the target age group.

My youngest, upon merely seeing the cover descended into fits of giddiness and is anxious to consume it and provide her "book report" to me. When once this happens I will report dutifully back to this review with the results. Preliminary reports, however, are all to the positive.
3273444
I think this is a good fit for a Jr high or middle school reader. The plot wasn't too complicated, yet kept my attention. The content was appropriate for readers 11+ I'd say. If you enjoy Karen Kingsbury or Francine Rivers, this is a great book for readers too young for those books.
Christianity was a central theme and was weaved throughout the story.
Other reviews mentioned the lack of consistency in reflecting the main character's age (some things she said were much too immature, etc.) I too noticed and agree. However I hope that will resolve as the series continues.
4076873
I enjoyed this book. It was entertaining enough to keep the pages turning. I have 2 young kids (and I'm probably a little older than the intended demographic) so having an easy read is a must...you never know when you'll get distracted.
I'm going to go ahead and buy the second book.
4452274
I read the first in the series and was intrigued enough to try the second.  Enough action for my teenage son, enough description for my artistic daughter, and enough culture and history for me.  There's enough backtracking to get the story, but if you haven't read the first one you definitely should.
3136347
I guess a young boy of 10 can not do much in the way of vengeance. I will get ready for it hopefully in the second book.
2890720
Very good idea, but based on the writing style and grammar the author strikes me as very juvenile. If this is thir first book then it's understandable. I would have loved this if it was maybe broken into two+ books and more details written in.