The second book in the Colors of Madeleine series, Cracks in the Kingdom is a delightful read. Jaclyn Moriarty never fails to make me smile. I thoroughly enjoyed this quirky, hilarious, clever read! Especially Elliot and Madeleine. OMG I totally ship them!
Cracks in the Kingdom picks up where we left off. Princess Ko’s trying to keep the disappearance of her family a secret while hiring an eclectic group of teens to help with the situation. Elliot is desperately trying to find his father while he helps Princess Ko and communicates with Madeleine. Madeleine is trying to help Princess Ko and Elliot, but how is that possible as she, you know, lives her life? Add in quite a few mishaps involving Elliot and Madeleine trying to meet and you’ve got a crazily well-written sequel. Not to mention the kisses (not gonna mention who’s involved though…)
Let’s talk about Elliot now. I genuinely want an Elliot of my own. He’s caring, kind, smart, good-looking and perfectly sweet! How do we get any better? While at times his narrative does get boring, for the most part Elliot is my golden boy charming, cute and positively perfect. Watch out boys, Elliot is coming and he’s serious competition!
As for Madeleine, she’s wicked smart. Honestly, I’ve read countless YA books, but Madeleine is definitely the smartest protagonist yet. That’s saying a lot. Jaclyn Moriarty isn’t afraid to have Madeleine think about Newton, electromagnetism (or something like that), and other very smart topics. Major props to Jaclyn and Madeleine!
What I love most about Jaclyn’s books is how the plot ties up all the spare knots, aka how everything clicks. She doesn’t keep you confused. As crazy as the plot gets during some parts, Jaclyn makes sure that everything still makes sense. To be honest though, I love these outrageous plots centered in Cello. Honestly, they make my day.
The only drawback is the unnecessary length of the novel. Cracks in the Kingdom is a good fifty percent longer than most YA books, and that length is mostly due to unnecessary thoughts. While I do love Madeleine and Elliot, sometimes it gets super boring when you’re in their minds for so long. I admit, I did end up skimming quite a bit, but I didn’t get too annoyed from having to do so.
To recap, Cracks in the Kingdom is one of the greatest books I’ve read this year, but that’s not a huge compliment. However, definitely check this book out on the 25th, the release date in the US!
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Rating: 7 out of 10
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books (March 25th, 2014)
Length: 480 pages (Hardcover)
Series: The Colors of Madeleine #2
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