Book Synopsis: Evil tree. Bad Apple? Twenty years ago, all the evil villains were banished from the kingdom of Auradon to the Isle of the Lost–a dark and dreary place protected by a force field that makes it impossible for them to leave. Stripped of their magical powers, the villains now live in total isolation, forgotten by the world. Mal learns from her mother, Maleficent, that the key to true darkness, the Dragon’s Eye, is located inside her scepter in the forbidden fortress on the far side of the island. The 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 four kids begin to realize that just because you come from an evil family tree, being good ain’t so bad. Isle of the Lost is the spell-binding prequel to Disney Descendants, A Disney Channel Original Movie Event this summer!
Book Review: For all you Disney fans out there, this book is perfect for you. I have grown up watching so many Disney movies and have always wondered what happens to the villains after the the happily ever after. The Isle of the Lost written by Melissa de la Cruz brings you on that journey to discover what happens to those iconic villains.
The book starts off strong and immediately exposes you to the hierarchy in the land. Mal, who is Maleficent’s child, is excluded from Evie’s birthday party. This puts Evie, and her mother, the Evil Queen, into exclusion from the rest of the villains. You never want to be caught on the wrong side of Maleficent and Evie and her mother learned the hard way. Though all who are banished from the kingdom of Auradon are evil villains, fear still plays a huge presence, even more so after Evie’s birthday party. Maleficent acts as the sort of ruler of these parts and all who roam the land fear her and her daughter too.
Though I was not sure how the author chose the rankings of who was in charge of the Isle of the Lost and who was in charge the kingdom of Auradon, I was certainly not complaining. Maleficent, I personally believe, is the toughest Disney villain in the fairy tales. Moreover, Queen Belle is my favorite so finding out her and King Beast ruled the kingdom was perfection. King Beast can not only rule with a kind heart, but you definitely do not want to cross him; while Queen Belle is elegant and soothes him. The way that Melissa played on each of the characters strengths and overall characteristics made this such a fun read.
Melissa was spot on when describing each character. Though each character had villain like characters such as their parents, the book did not merge with their particular movie too much. It had enough Disney magic to satisfy the kid in all of us, while the plot gravitates to all young readers. Melissa grew up being exposed to all the fairy tales. Hansel and Gretel in particular gave her the scare as a child. So as you read the book, you can see how the fairy tales she read as a child played a significant role when putting the book together. Take note that evil may sometimes be good and vice verse. Just because you are the child of the big, bad villain does not mean your life is limited to following the same path and choices. This takeaway makes her characters universally relatable as one would sometimes feel pressured to be and live a certain way because of that is how their parents are and you do not want to disappoint them.
Overall, the Isle of the Lost takes an interesting twist on our favorite Disney stories. I always enjoyed stories which gives us different perspectives, such as the contrast between The Wizard of Oz and Wicked. So for all you fairy tale lovers, Disney fanatics, and young adult readers- this book encompasses it all. This book definitely brought the evil sass. It had a wicked sense of humor with a spice of Disney magic. Once you devour Isle of the Lost (because I know you will), tune in to watch the Disney Channel Original movie coming soon! You can watch the trailer here for Disney Descendants!
Prize Pack Giveaway:
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MEET THE DESCENDANTS prize pack
One (1) winner will receive:
- copy of The Isle of the Lost;
- branded tank top, water bottle and temporary tattoos;
- and a GadgetGrip smartphone home button sticker.
Giveaway open to US addresses only. Prizing and samples provided by Disney Publishing.
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To enter, simply tell us who your favorite Disney villain is and why you are excited to read The Isle of the Lost in the comment section below. You have until Monday, May 18 11:59pm EST to enter. Good luck!
About the Author: Melissa de la Cruz is the author of many best-selling novels, including all the books in the Blue Bloods series: Blue Bloods, Masquerade, Revelations, The Van Alen Legacy, Keys to the Repository, Misguided Angel, Bloody Valentine, Lost in Time, and Gates of Paradise. She lives in Los Angeles, California with her husband and daughter.
Read an Excerpt: http://movies.disney.com/descendants/the-isle-of-the-lost
Official Links:
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To learn more go to DisneyDescendants.com
Visit Melissa de La Cruz at her Official Site
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THE ISLE OF THE LOST: A DESCENDANTS NOVEL by Melissa de la Cruz is in stores now!
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