Kirstin Pulioff

{My Thoughts} – Alex is a teenage girl that is going through a rough point in her life. Things at school seem to be picking up and turning into something more. She has a date to homecoming with one of the hottest guys in her class and she has one of the greatest friends a girl could ask for named Natalie.

Alex and her family are getting ready to move because her dad got a new job. Alex doesn’t want to move and for the past few months has made it very clear to her mother. She has made life difficult with her teenage angst. However, the date for moving has been moved closer then expected and while Alex is throwing a tantrum about the unfairness of it all her best friend Natalie is waiting downstairs outside the door to be let in. It appears that Natalie already knows they are moving and she decided to come over to help Alex pack and have one last sleep over.

While they are packing up Alex’s closet they run across a game called DreamScape that they use to play all the time when they were younger at their sleepovers. Apparently they’d played it hundreds of times and knew the game inside and out, which I must say is quite a feat. Anyways, they play the game they beat the game and Natalie goes to sleep. Alex has problems trying to fall asleep and she decides to play the game again. Only this time it isn’t like when she was playing with Natalie. This time everything is different.

I really enjoyed this book a lot. I am a gamer girl myself and I have often wondered what it would be like to be in the same kind of position or situation that Alex had found herself in. I also enjoyed the fact that there was so much more to take back from this book then just the initial adventure. It was more a book of a girl finding herself in a world where she was lost and unsure of what she really wanted or who she really was. I think that it was creatively and strategically written and that it is well worth the read. I look forward to reading more work by this author in the future.… (mehr)

{My Thoughts} – Alex is a teenage girl that is going through a rough point in her life. Things at school seem to be picking up and turning into something more. She has a date to homecoming with one of the hottest guys in her class and she has one of the greatest friends a girl could ask for named Natalie.

Alex and her family are getting ready to move because her dad got a new job. Alex doesn’t want to move and for the past few months has made it very clear to her mother. She has made life difficult with her teenage angst. However, the date for moving has been moved closer then expected and while Alex is throwing a tantrum about the unfairness of it all her best friend Natalie is waiting downstairs outside the door to be let in. It appears that Natalie already knows they are moving and she decided to come over to help Alex pack and have one last sleep over.

While they are packing up Alex’s closet they run across a game called DreamScape that they use to play all the time when they were younger at their sleepovers. Apparently they’d played it hundreds of times and knew the game inside and out, which I must say is quite a feat. Anyways, they play the game they beat the game and Natalie goes to sleep. Alex has problems trying to fall asleep and she decides to play the game again. Only this time it isn’t like when she was playing with Natalie. This time everything is different.

I really enjoyed this book a lot. I am a gamer girl myself and I have often wondered what it would be like to be in the same kind of position or situation that Alex had found herself in. I also enjoyed the fact that there was so much more to take back from this book then just the initial adventure. It was more a book of a girl finding herself in a world where she was lost and unsure of what she really wanted or who she really was. I think that it was creatively and strategically written and that it is well worth the read. I look forward to reading more work by this author in the future.… (mehr)

The Battle for Princess Madeline Continuing the story of Princess Madeline and her royal family, The Battle for Princess Madeline was a short and sweet read. I didn't have the opportunity to read Madeline's first story, but I can absolutely say that this reads as a standalone just fine! All the characters are introduced well, and we are even given a look into the past to catch us up a bit.
 
I enjoyed following Madeline on her adventures. She's a witty and vibrant heroine. One that readers will love! I especially loved how stubborn she was when it came to handling whatever needed to be done. I'm still not entirely sure whether this was written for Middle Grade or Young Adult readers, but I will say that the writing is simple enough to transcend both reading levels. I found it a little slow at times, but then again the descriptive writing here is important to the overall story.
 
I'd like to go back and read the first book to see how Madeline and her brother grow up. The one thing I really wished for, honestly, was more book! This is a very short read and it seems like a few things were rushed. I wanted more insight into the characters and their dilemmas. Truth be told, I'd happily read more pages if it meant seeing more into the world that Kirstin Pulioff builds. One of wizards, magic, and bravery.
 
If you are a fan of Fantasy reads, or have a young reader who loves brave heroines, this is a read you should absolutely check out.… (mehr)