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Descendants #1
The Isle of the Lost
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Middle Grade & Children's (2015)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.
Praise for The Isle of the Lost"Disney lovers and fairy-tale fans alike will need to get their hands on this book." -School Library Journal
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.
Praise for The Isle of the Lost"Disney lovers and fairy-tale fans alike will need to get their hands on this book." -School Library Journal
336 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 2015
About the author
Melissa de la Cruz
146 books15.5k followersMelissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh off the Boat.
Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.
She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.
Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).
She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.
Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.
She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.
Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).
She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,036 reviews
February 15, 2022
3.5 Stars :) We Evils Live…
Let’s meet the son and the daughters of our beloved villains.. Do you excited for these wicked lovely?
Tell you lovely, this book is the prequel of Disney TV show ‘The Descendants’ The story is nothing like the show, guys. So reading this will introduce you how the story begin. The characters and so on.
Mal, our heroine and Maleficent's daughter. This girl is wicked ( the Most wicked of them all ) I just love her!! She just loves to ruin other people! Haha and a person who is ruined by her is Evie, Evil Queen's daughter who I think is a nice pretty girl.
Help Mal doing thing at her side is Jay, the son of Jafar. The thief boy!! Mal’s frenemies and just awesome! And lastly, Carlos, Cruella de Vil's son who is so intelligent ( because he can invent things )
Once upon a time.. at The Isle of the Lost where all the evil villains were exiled from the Kingdom of Auradon ( the mainland ) They live under the imprisonment without magic to use. That’s why the story begins.. Maleficent want her daughter to retrieve the Dragon's Eye so her magic can return. Well.. Mal want her mom to be proud so she does the journey ( with the help of her 3 friends ) to find the Dragon's Eye and give it to her vicious mother.
WHAT THIS BOOK IS ABOUT?
How Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos become friends. Their relationship grow from enemies ( at least to Mal ) to best friends. It even has the school that teaches about the evil things. How to be bad! LOL! I just so much laugh at all the freakin’ courses this school has! How can I attend one? I think I might get straights As from this academy. lol!
Their Adventure for their Quest to find the Dragon's Eye
How Ben and Mal first met. Who is this Ben? Aww.. he is the son of King Beast and Queen Bell. The Crown Prince of Auradon. I love him!! But there are very few pages times for him in this one. ): Whatever, read this and you will understand Ben and Mal romance in the show.
LASTLY, THAY DON’T GO TO AURADON, YET GUYS!!!
Overall, this is a nice read about friendship ( Don’t expect about romance ). Though I prefer the show so much more, but I just love the concept of this story and lovely evils. :)
Let’s meet the son and the daughters of our beloved villains.. Do you excited for these wicked lovely?
Tell you lovely, this book is the prequel of Disney TV show ‘The Descendants’ The story is nothing like the show, guys. So reading this will introduce you how the story begin. The characters and so on.
Mal, our heroine and Maleficent's daughter. This girl is wicked ( the Most wicked of them all ) I just love her!! She just loves to ruin other people! Haha and a person who is ruined by her is Evie, Evil Queen's daughter who I think is a nice pretty girl.
Help Mal doing thing at her side is Jay, the son of Jafar. The thief boy!! Mal’s frenemies and just awesome! And lastly, Carlos, Cruella de Vil's son who is so intelligent ( because he can invent things )
Once upon a time.. at The Isle of the Lost where all the evil villains were exiled from the Kingdom of Auradon ( the mainland ) They live under the imprisonment without magic to use. That’s why the story begins.. Maleficent want her daughter to retrieve the Dragon's Eye so her magic can return. Well.. Mal want her mom to be proud so she does the journey ( with the help of her 3 friends ) to find the Dragon's Eye and give it to her vicious mother.
WHAT THIS BOOK IS ABOUT?
How Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos become friends. Their relationship grow from enemies ( at least to Mal ) to best friends. It even has the school that teaches about the evil things. How to be bad! LOL! I just so much laugh at all the freakin’ courses this school has! How can I attend one? I think I might get straights As from this academy. lol!
Their Adventure for their Quest to find the Dragon's Eye
How Ben and Mal first met. Who is this Ben? Aww.. he is the son of King Beast and Queen Bell. The Crown Prince of Auradon. I love him!! But there are very few pages times for him in this one. ): Whatever, read this and you will understand Ben and Mal romance in the show.
LASTLY, THAY DON’T GO TO AURADON, YET GUYS!!!
Overall, this is a nice read about friendship ( Don’t expect about romance ). Though I prefer the show so much more, but I just love the concept of this story and lovely evils. :)
June 23, 2015
At times reminding me of both Halloweentown and the potions classes in Harry Potter, The Isle of the Lost serves up some classic Disney Channel Monstober feels. Unfortunately, with the way that their original programming has been lately I doubt the actual movie will be as good as this prequel novel.
Can I just take a second to complain about continuity? Disney has its original classic animated fairytale movies, Once Upon a Time, and the new revised live action films such as Maleficent, so what is canon anymore? Further: how does it relate to this book and accompanying movie? It’s hard to know which versions of the heroes and villains to picture when Disney’s multiverse is so out of whack lately.
While I appreciated that most of the villains’ children basically shared the name of their parents, it was very simplistic and felt a little too childish. I liked seeing Dr. Facilier and Ursula, though I doubt they will be in the movie.
Readers will be left with the following questions:
-Who is Mal’s father? (Also, who are the other parents to most of the other kids??)
-Are Mal and Ben going to be an item?
-Wait, is Carlos like Mulan on OUAT?
-Why do all the costumes look terrible?!
-Seriously, you put Kathy Najimy in this and not Hocus Pocus 2? Get your priorities together, Disney.
May 29, 2016
This isn't the most riveting of stories, but it has charm. I love how it is focused on the classic villains and their children, but it still has that Disney feel to it. Even though these main characters are supposed to be "evil" the story ends on a heartwarming note and there are relatable themes with a moral to the story. It's overall very cute and fun to see all the Disney characters in one book.
September 5, 2019
In a magical universe that makes absolutely no sense…
The various kingdoms seen in Disney animated films are now a single entity, the United Kingdoms/States of Auradon (the book uses both). Many of these movies take place in the real world and some during specific eras, but never mind. Auradon also boasts modern technology and clothing.
The leader of Auradon is the Prince once known as the Beast (not to be confused with the Artist Formerly Known as Prince), who is referred to as “King Beast” by not only his subjects, but his wife and son.
The King banished all the villains and dangerous criminals to a penal colony, the Isle of the Lost. They include Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Jafar, Cruella de Vil, Captain Hook, Ursula, and Dr. Facillier…
Wait, you say, didn’t most of those characters die at the ends of their respective movies? Yes. But our “heroes” brought them back from the dead to incarcerate them. All this was twenty years ago.
On the Isle, where everything is grimy and foul, we meet Mal, Maleficent’s angst-ridden daughter who takes out her anger on her peers. She’s friends, in a self-serving way, with Jay, strapping son of the sorcerer Jafar and accomplished pickpocket. Their paths tangle with Carlos, Cruella de Vil’s geeky son, and Evie, the vain, sheltered daughter of the Queen who poisoned Snow White. Feeling threatened by bubbly Evie, and desperate for her mother’s approval, Mal goads her squad into helping her search for her mother’s missing Dragon’s Eye scepter. The thief who lays hands on this artifact will sleep for a thousand years…
Meanwhile, in the aggressively happy-go-lucky land of Auradon, Ben, the son of Belle and the King, is good-natured and handsome but not terribly bright. Ridiculous plot devices are converging to make the perfectly healthy King abdicate in favor of Ben, who fears that he won’t measure up. The lad has been having strange dreams, of a girl among the lost souls on the Isle, which give him an idea for a kingly gesture…
Content Advisory
Violence: Carlos and Jay are both severely neglected at home, and Maleficent verbally bullies Mal. Very little actual physical violence.
Sex: At a party, Mal lures Evie into a trap by telling her Jay is waiting to make out with her in a coat closet.
Language: Nada.
Substance Abuse: The book goes so far out of its way to avoid this that it becomes silly. Mal convinces Carlos to throw a party at his mom’s house while she’s away (where? They can’t leave the island, remember?). At this wild party, the kids imbibe root beer. Also, Cruella vapes these days rather than smoke.
Nightmare Fuel: The gargoyles at the bridge might frighten very young readers. Those who have a fear of tiny spaces or being buried alive might not do great with the scenes in Cruella’s secret passages or the treasure room.
Politics and Religion: As the kids scrounge for the answer to a riddle, Evie suggests the Golden Rule, which she dismisses as “Auradon greeting-card nonsense.” Jay distracts Dr. Facillier at a key moment with a stolen pack of tarot cards.
Overcrowded Crossovers and Accidental Allegories
As I said in a review of a different book, Disney might be the only corporation I know of that commissions and publishes their own fanfiction on such a grand scale. They now have three properties that are mega-crossovers featuring all their beloved animated characters:
- Kingdom Hearts, an anime-influenced video game. I know very little about it, but it seems well-loved online.
- Once Upon a Time, a gothic primetime soap. I really enjoyed the first half of Season 1 but after that, the cast grew far too big and the plotlines too convoluted for my taste. That said, plenty of people enjoyed it.
- Now there’s Descendants, an unholy combination of The Selection, Percy Jackson, High School Musical, and…The Great Divorce . One of these things is not like the others.
So how is Descendants similar to The Selection? They’re both silly stories with dystopian elements tacked on. Both feature a handsome prince who’s too pure for this world, who falls in love with a girl from the lower rungs of society who initially despises him and everything he stands for. I have no idea what Maxon saw in America, and I have no idea what Ben sees in Mal either. The romance is only hinted at here, but is the main plot of the first Descendants movie.
It’s like the Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus series in that everyone’s identity mostly comes from their parents. A big part of both franchises is the young heroes’ struggling to break free of their larger-than-life parents, but still—their parentage and the powers, virtues and vices that come with it are the main attribute of each character in both universes.
It’s like High School Musical since they’re both impossibly light-hearted, wholesome stories about high school, presented as Disney Channel musicals.
The Great Divorce is a C.S. Lewis novel about Heaven, Hell, and possibly Purgatory. A group of people from a miserable, hateful city are given a chance to stay in a beautiful kingdom for a while. They’ve done nothing to earn this; it was granted to them by the merciful Son of a great King. The travelers find that they’d rather stay than go back where they came from.
I doubt that any of the Disney execs who concocted this franchise have read The Great Divorce. (Sometimes it seems like Lewis has been haunting Disney since they dropped the ball on the Narnia series; a lot of his favorite themes have seeped into Mouse House IPs of late, especially the Star Wars sequels). The resemblance is all the more startling because it was clearly unintentional.
I’m pretty sure that the allegory is accidental because SO LITTLE THOUGHT WENT INTO THIS STORY. The glaring flaws are not the fault of Melissa de la Cruz, who makes the best of the material she was given. The blame lies squarely with the committee that dreamt this thing up. The world-building in this franchise is so sloppy, it makes the Star Wars universe look as airtight as Middle-earth by comparison...
Consistency? What’s That?
1). No explanation is even VENTURED for why all these characters, whose stories take place across several worlds and a millennium or two, now live in the same era and geographic location. You’d need some serious hocus pocus to pull it off, but at least try to give a reason.
2). And WHY is this kingdom of Auradon a modern place? Weren’t the timeless settings of Disney fairytale movies a big part of their appeal?
The franchise itself isn’t consistent on how much tech the characters have. In this book, Ben muses that there must be more to life than the shiniest new chariots (his parents originally lived in the 1700s and would have used carriages), yet Cruella has a run-down car that Carlos is often forced to repair. In the movie, the kids arrive at school in a spiffy black limo. And Mal uses a modern tablet for the visual aids while she narrates the opening.
3). The Beast is the LAST Disney Prince who should be dealing out punishments and refusing to consider others’ views. It’s like he’s learned nothing from his time as a monster, cursed precisely for his lack of compassion. If anything, he should be erring on the side of mercy. To quote King Edmund the Just, “Even a traitor may mend. I have known one who did.”
4). Not only did they get the poor guy’s character completely wrong, he is referred to throughout as “King Beast.” Would it have really hurt to give him a name? A lot of fans call him Adam, which doesn’t sound quite right for an 18th century French prince, but really suits him as an individual.
What would have been interesting is if the Islanders called him “King Beast” behind his back. As an insult.
5). Same thing with the Evil Queen (who is often unofficially named Grimhilde), the Fairy Godmother, the Genie…The characters actually refer to the Evil Queen as “Evil Queen” as if it’s her name. This would work in a full-blown satire like the Shrek movies, but the Descendants franchise seems like it’s striving for poignancy over comedy.
6). The kids’ names are mostly a mess too. Mostly, not all. Evie is actually a rather clever name for the daughter of someone who tempted a girl into eating the wrong apple. Maleficent is certainly arrogant enough to name her kid after herself; maybe Jay is short for Jafar Junior as well. And Ben is a name that I’m just fond of—a character named Ben is always a good guy, even if he starts out a bad guy and has to be dragged kicking and screaming back to the Light (looking at you, Ben Solo).
But the other original character names range from uninspired to cringey. For instance, Mulan and Li Shang named their daughter Lonnie. After five minutes of searching Beyond the Name, I came across Zhihao, a unisex Chinese name meaning “will, purpose, ambition” + “brave, heroic, chivalrous.” (I accept that I got this information off the internet and apologize if the translation is incorrect). Now doesn’t THAT sound more like Mulan’s style?
7). Some of the characters are way off-base. Jafar acts more like the Governor from Pocahontas than himself, and the Evil Queen seems to have turned into Mrs. Bennet.
8). Let’s not acknowledge the existence of Doug, son of Dopey. The idea that someone took advantage of that childlike, helpless character is frankly disturbing…
Who Exactly is Our Target Audience?
The Isle of the Lost also suffers for being a middle-grade book. Not that being YA these days would have saved it. It seems that YA books are getting racier and darker, MG books are getting more infantilized, and no author can bridge the gap unless their name is Rick Riordan.
Ideally, this series would have crossover appeal. It’s clean and has the middle-grade emphasis on friendship and cool clothes, but the characters are teens—half of whom are what Kenny Watson ( The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 ) would call “official juvenile delinquents” —and their familial and romantic relationships could be super angsty. Indeed, the Descendants movies seem to have a large teen-and-young-adult fandom even with their shallow emotional beats and garish aesthetic.
I just think that the series, both the books and the movies, could be better if allowed to explore some of the unpleasant or edgy parts of the story.
A big one is how some of the villains were raised from the dead to be imprisoned on the Isle of the Lost. Who among the Disney good guys has the power to do this, and why would any of the good guys consider it justified? Reviving your enemies just to punish them is a villain move. Punish the living criminals by all means, but let the dead rest.
Some small ones are the party Carlos throws at Mal’s behest, a wild party among delinquent teens where they dare to break out the…root beer. Or the scene where Mal acts disgusted by Cruella’s smoking habit and the puppy-pelt enthusiast reassures her that it’s only an e-cig. (Which might have its own health risks, but that’s outside the scope of this review).
Am I arguing that children’s books should feature more substance abuse? Of course not! But bending over backwards to avoid it, in a context where it’s clearly happening, just insults the reader’s intelligence. How would Cruella even get e-cigs? All the gadgets on the Isle are supposed to be hopelessly outdated.
The root beer thing isn’t unique to this book; there’s a joke about the notoriously rowdy centaurs breaking into some in The Last Olympian and it jarred me right out of that book too. The only time I’ve ever seen it work is in Diary of a Wimpy Kid II: Rodrick Rules, a scene that mostly succeeds thanks to great acting from Steve Zahn and Devon Bostick.
Other than that, either make a joke out of the trope itself, like the “age-appropriate beverages” gag from Over the Garden Wall, or have Carlos secretly switch real beer for non-alcoholic beer like in Freaks and Geeks.
Or, hear me out, let the kids drink real beer. Because they’re rotten and proud of it, and the whole point of the series is that they learn to be kinder, more responsible people.
This also applies to their ostensible quest: Mal wants to effectively kill Evie by putting her to sleep for a thousand years. I don’t remember this even being discussed by anyone except Mal. Isn’t that a major part of their arc as friends? Of course she thinks better of it once they get there, but that doesn’t absolve her of her murderous intent.
Seriously, the only actual villainy committed by these kids is petty theft, white lies, and easily-remedied acts of vandalism. That’s about as much of a redemption arc as the Hagenheim books, where characters are desperate for absolution because they talk too much or they stole something under duress when they were five.
Please. Give me Zuko or Edmund Pevensie—someone who actually messed up and needs forgiveness—over this cast of mildly rebellious hooligans.
Conclusions
I don’t think any of the myriad flaws in this book are the fault of the author. Melissa de la Cruz was probably given a very short, harried timeframe to write this, and I doubt any of the main characters, settings, or MacGuffins are hers.
If anything, this book proves that her prose is pretty good, because it flows so nicely that the ridiculously convoluted plot and backstory seem simple.
The characters of the kids are all consistent and exactly what they set out to be. Mal is conniving and arrogant, Jay thinks he’s hot stuff, Evie and Carlos are actually sweet, and Ben is a cinnamon roll. The scene where Carlos and Evie leave the party to watch mainland programming on an ancient rabbit-eared TV is genuinely poignant.
This book won’t hurt or scare anyone, but it might have been better if it dared to, just a little. As is, it’s a valiant attempt to make a confusing, half-baked franchise palatable, and it does a decent job.
The various kingdoms seen in Disney animated films are now a single entity, the United Kingdoms/States of Auradon (the book uses both). Many of these movies take place in the real world and some during specific eras, but never mind. Auradon also boasts modern technology and clothing.
The leader of Auradon is the Prince once known as the Beast (not to be confused with the Artist Formerly Known as Prince), who is referred to as “King Beast” by not only his subjects, but his wife and son.
The King banished all the villains and dangerous criminals to a penal colony, the Isle of the Lost. They include Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Jafar, Cruella de Vil, Captain Hook, Ursula, and Dr. Facillier…
Wait, you say, didn’t most of those characters die at the ends of their respective movies? Yes. But our “heroes” brought them back from the dead to incarcerate them. All this was twenty years ago.
On the Isle, where everything is grimy and foul, we meet Mal, Maleficent’s angst-ridden daughter who takes out her anger on her peers. She’s friends, in a self-serving way, with Jay, strapping son of the sorcerer Jafar and accomplished pickpocket. Their paths tangle with Carlos, Cruella de Vil’s geeky son, and Evie, the vain, sheltered daughter of the Queen who poisoned Snow White. Feeling threatened by bubbly Evie, and desperate for her mother’s approval, Mal goads her squad into helping her search for her mother’s missing Dragon’s Eye scepter. The thief who lays hands on this artifact will sleep for a thousand years…
Meanwhile, in the aggressively happy-go-lucky land of Auradon, Ben, the son of Belle and the King, is good-natured and handsome but not terribly bright. Ridiculous plot devices are converging to make the perfectly healthy King abdicate in favor of Ben, who fears that he won’t measure up. The lad has been having strange dreams, of a girl among the lost souls on the Isle, which give him an idea for a kingly gesture…
Content Advisory
Violence: Carlos and Jay are both severely neglected at home, and Maleficent verbally bullies Mal. Very little actual physical violence.
Sex: At a party, Mal lures Evie into a trap by telling her Jay is waiting to make out with her in a coat closet.
Language: Nada.
Substance Abuse: The book goes so far out of its way to avoid this that it becomes silly. Mal convinces Carlos to throw a party at his mom’s house while she’s away (where? They can’t leave the island, remember?). At this wild party, the kids imbibe root beer. Also, Cruella vapes these days rather than smoke.
Nightmare Fuel: The gargoyles at the bridge might frighten very young readers. Those who have a fear of tiny spaces or being buried alive might not do great with the scenes in Cruella’s secret passages or the treasure room.
Politics and Religion: As the kids scrounge for the answer to a riddle, Evie suggests the Golden Rule, which she dismisses as “Auradon greeting-card nonsense.” Jay distracts Dr. Facillier at a key moment with a stolen pack of tarot cards.
Overcrowded Crossovers and Accidental Allegories
As I said in a review of a different book, Disney might be the only corporation I know of that commissions and publishes their own fanfiction on such a grand scale. They now have three properties that are mega-crossovers featuring all their beloved animated characters:
- Kingdom Hearts, an anime-influenced video game. I know very little about it, but it seems well-loved online.
- Once Upon a Time, a gothic primetime soap. I really enjoyed the first half of Season 1 but after that, the cast grew far too big and the plotlines too convoluted for my taste. That said, plenty of people enjoyed it.
- Now there’s Descendants, an unholy combination of The Selection, Percy Jackson, High School Musical, and…The Great Divorce . One of these things is not like the others.
So how is Descendants similar to The Selection? They’re both silly stories with dystopian elements tacked on. Both feature a handsome prince who’s too pure for this world, who falls in love with a girl from the lower rungs of society who initially despises him and everything he stands for. I have no idea what Maxon saw in America, and I have no idea what Ben sees in Mal either. The romance is only hinted at here, but is the main plot of the first Descendants movie.
It’s like the Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus series in that everyone’s identity mostly comes from their parents. A big part of both franchises is the young heroes’ struggling to break free of their larger-than-life parents, but still—their parentage and the powers, virtues and vices that come with it are the main attribute of each character in both universes.
It’s like High School Musical since they’re both impossibly light-hearted, wholesome stories about high school, presented as Disney Channel musicals.
The Great Divorce is a C.S. Lewis novel about Heaven, Hell, and possibly Purgatory. A group of people from a miserable, hateful city are given a chance to stay in a beautiful kingdom for a while. They’ve done nothing to earn this; it was granted to them by the merciful Son of a great King. The travelers find that they’d rather stay than go back where they came from.
I doubt that any of the Disney execs who concocted this franchise have read The Great Divorce. (Sometimes it seems like Lewis has been haunting Disney since they dropped the ball on the Narnia series; a lot of his favorite themes have seeped into Mouse House IPs of late, especially the Star Wars sequels). The resemblance is all the more startling because it was clearly unintentional.
I’m pretty sure that the allegory is accidental because SO LITTLE THOUGHT WENT INTO THIS STORY. The glaring flaws are not the fault of Melissa de la Cruz, who makes the best of the material she was given. The blame lies squarely with the committee that dreamt this thing up. The world-building in this franchise is so sloppy, it makes the Star Wars universe look as airtight as Middle-earth by comparison...
Consistency? What’s That?
1). No explanation is even VENTURED for why all these characters, whose stories take place across several worlds and a millennium or two, now live in the same era and geographic location. You’d need some serious hocus pocus to pull it off, but at least try to give a reason.
2). And WHY is this kingdom of Auradon a modern place? Weren’t the timeless settings of Disney fairytale movies a big part of their appeal?
The franchise itself isn’t consistent on how much tech the characters have. In this book, Ben muses that there must be more to life than the shiniest new chariots (his parents originally lived in the 1700s and would have used carriages), yet Cruella has a run-down car that Carlos is often forced to repair. In the movie, the kids arrive at school in a spiffy black limo. And Mal uses a modern tablet for the visual aids while she narrates the opening.
3). The Beast is the LAST Disney Prince who should be dealing out punishments and refusing to consider others’ views. It’s like he’s learned nothing from his time as a monster, cursed precisely for his lack of compassion. If anything, he should be erring on the side of mercy. To quote King Edmund the Just, “Even a traitor may mend. I have known one who did.”
4). Not only did they get the poor guy’s character completely wrong, he is referred to throughout as “King Beast.” Would it have really hurt to give him a name? A lot of fans call him Adam, which doesn’t sound quite right for an 18th century French prince, but really suits him as an individual.
What would have been interesting is if the Islanders called him “King Beast” behind his back. As an insult.
5). Same thing with the Evil Queen (who is often unofficially named Grimhilde), the Fairy Godmother, the Genie…The characters actually refer to the Evil Queen as “Evil Queen” as if it’s her name. This would work in a full-blown satire like the Shrek movies, but the Descendants franchise seems like it’s striving for poignancy over comedy.
6). The kids’ names are mostly a mess too. Mostly, not all. Evie is actually a rather clever name for the daughter of someone who tempted a girl into eating the wrong apple. Maleficent is certainly arrogant enough to name her kid after herself; maybe Jay is short for Jafar Junior as well. And Ben is a name that I’m just fond of—a character named Ben is always a good guy, even if he starts out a bad guy and has to be dragged kicking and screaming back to the Light (looking at you, Ben Solo).
But the other original character names range from uninspired to cringey. For instance, Mulan and Li Shang named their daughter Lonnie. After five minutes of searching Beyond the Name, I came across Zhihao, a unisex Chinese name meaning “will, purpose, ambition” + “brave, heroic, chivalrous.” (I accept that I got this information off the internet and apologize if the translation is incorrect). Now doesn’t THAT sound more like Mulan’s style?
7). Some of the characters are way off-base. Jafar acts more like the Governor from Pocahontas than himself, and the Evil Queen seems to have turned into Mrs. Bennet.
8). Let’s not acknowledge the existence of Doug, son of Dopey. The idea that someone took advantage of that childlike, helpless character is frankly disturbing…
Who Exactly is Our Target Audience?
The Isle of the Lost also suffers for being a middle-grade book. Not that being YA these days would have saved it. It seems that YA books are getting racier and darker, MG books are getting more infantilized, and no author can bridge the gap unless their name is Rick Riordan.
Ideally, this series would have crossover appeal. It’s clean and has the middle-grade emphasis on friendship and cool clothes, but the characters are teens—half of whom are what Kenny Watson ( The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 ) would call “official juvenile delinquents” —and their familial and romantic relationships could be super angsty. Indeed, the Descendants movies seem to have a large teen-and-young-adult fandom even with their shallow emotional beats and garish aesthetic.
I just think that the series, both the books and the movies, could be better if allowed to explore some of the unpleasant or edgy parts of the story.
A big one is how some of the villains were raised from the dead to be imprisoned on the Isle of the Lost. Who among the Disney good guys has the power to do this, and why would any of the good guys consider it justified? Reviving your enemies just to punish them is a villain move. Punish the living criminals by all means, but let the dead rest.
Some small ones are the party Carlos throws at Mal’s behest, a wild party among delinquent teens where they dare to break out the…root beer. Or the scene where Mal acts disgusted by Cruella’s smoking habit and the puppy-pelt enthusiast reassures her that it’s only an e-cig. (Which might have its own health risks, but that’s outside the scope of this review).
Am I arguing that children’s books should feature more substance abuse? Of course not! But bending over backwards to avoid it, in a context where it’s clearly happening, just insults the reader’s intelligence. How would Cruella even get e-cigs? All the gadgets on the Isle are supposed to be hopelessly outdated.
The root beer thing isn’t unique to this book; there’s a joke about the notoriously rowdy centaurs breaking into some in The Last Olympian and it jarred me right out of that book too. The only time I’ve ever seen it work is in Diary of a Wimpy Kid II: Rodrick Rules, a scene that mostly succeeds thanks to great acting from Steve Zahn and Devon Bostick.
Other than that, either make a joke out of the trope itself, like the “age-appropriate beverages” gag from Over the Garden Wall, or have Carlos secretly switch real beer for non-alcoholic beer like in Freaks and Geeks.
Or, hear me out, let the kids drink real beer. Because they’re rotten and proud of it, and the whole point of the series is that they learn to be kinder, more responsible people.
This also applies to their ostensible quest: Mal wants to effectively kill Evie by putting her to sleep for a thousand years. I don’t remember this even being discussed by anyone except Mal. Isn’t that a major part of their arc as friends? Of course she thinks better of it once they get there, but that doesn’t absolve her of her murderous intent.
Seriously, the only actual villainy committed by these kids is petty theft, white lies, and easily-remedied acts of vandalism. That’s about as much of a redemption arc as the Hagenheim books, where characters are desperate for absolution because they talk too much or they stole something under duress when they were five.
Please. Give me Zuko or Edmund Pevensie—someone who actually messed up and needs forgiveness—over this cast of mildly rebellious hooligans.
Conclusions
I don’t think any of the myriad flaws in this book are the fault of the author. Melissa de la Cruz was probably given a very short, harried timeframe to write this, and I doubt any of the main characters, settings, or MacGuffins are hers.
If anything, this book proves that her prose is pretty good, because it flows so nicely that the ridiculously convoluted plot and backstory seem simple.
The characters of the kids are all consistent and exactly what they set out to be. Mal is conniving and arrogant, Jay thinks he’s hot stuff, Evie and Carlos are actually sweet, and Ben is a cinnamon roll. The scene where Carlos and Evie leave the party to watch mainland programming on an ancient rabbit-eared TV is genuinely poignant.
This book won’t hurt or scare anyone, but it might have been better if it dared to, just a little. As is, it’s a valiant attempt to make a confusing, half-baked franchise palatable, and it does a decent job.
February 10, 2017
Once upon a time, during a time after all the happily-ever-afters after that, all the evil villains of the world were banished from the United Kingdom of Auradon and imprisoned on the Isle of the Lost.
The Isle of the Lost is the story of the descendants of the villains in some of the best-known fairy tales. It follows Mal (Maleficent's daughter), Jay (Jafar's son), Evie (the Evil Queen's daughter) and Carlos (Cruella de Vil's son). They live with their parents on the Isle of the Lost where they eat Auradon's leftovers, dress in rags and pretty much use whatever the kingdom rejects or has no use for anymore.
Mal holds a 10 years old grudge against Evie for not being invited at her 6 years old party. And since Maleficent in the ruler of the island, she had the Evil Queen and her daughter banished. When Evie finally gathers the courage to go to school, Mal is determined to have her revenge. And she hopes to accomplish that by cursing Evie to a thousand years old sleep with her mother's staff, the Dragon's Eye. Only problem is, Mal has to find it first. In order to do that, she enlists the help of Evie, Jay and Carlos. And so their adventures begin.
Growing up with Disney movies, I loved this book. I got to see many familiar faces, such as Lady Tremaine, her cat Lucifer, the Beast (now King Beast), Snow's dwarfs and many more. I must say, Dr. Facilier as a headmaster was most intriguing.
Needless to say, he was bribed at some point with tarot cards.
I think this is a very good book for kids nowadays. I can see how the writing style is just right so as to attract young readers and maybe open their appetite towards reading. My son was talking about The Descendants movie a few months ago and I didn't know what it was about. Today I told him I was reading the book and he was impressed. Now I'm going to see the movie to know what happens next (the book is the prequel to the film).
That said, I highly recommend this book!
March 14, 2016
4 stars! This was adorable!
"Once upon a time, during a time after all the happily-ever-afters, and perhaps even after the ever-afters after that, all the evil villains of the world were banished from the United Kingdom of Auradon and imprisoned on the Isle of the Lost. There, underneath a protective dome that kept all manner of enchantment out of their clutches, the terrible, the treacherous, the truly awful, and the severly sinister were cursed to live without the power of magic."
It's been 20 years since King Beast declared all the villains exiled forever. There is no magic under the dome that surrounds the Isle of the Lost, forcing the villains to have only their memories of evil deeds done in the past. It's not just the villains on the Isle though, it's their children there as well.
Mal, daughter of Maleficent. One of the most talented students at Dragon Hall, feared by mostly everyone in the school. Wearer of all things purple, including her hair. If only she could manage to impress her mother.
Jay, son of Jafar. Steals anything from anyone, all proceeds going to Jafar's Junk Shop, but he and his father are always on the lookout for 'The Big Score'...the one fat treasure that will somehow free them from the Isle.
Evie, daughter of Evil Queen ( from Snow White ). She's been castle-schooled for the past 10 years, because of a grudge between her mother and Maleficent, who is the self-proclaimed ruler of the Isle. She's now joining the rest of the villain's children at Dragon Hall, but will Mal inherit her mother's grudge against Evie and her mother?
Carlos, son of Cruella De Vil. He's not necessarily the bravest, but he's among the most clever. His invention may be the key to ending the villain's banishment once and for all.
The residents of the Isle live in isolation, surviving on food, clothing and furniture thrown out by the residents of Auradon and shipped second hand to them. The original villains eke out a living and get lost in their memories and regrets while their children attend school at Dragon Hall, learning about their parents mistakes and how to avoid them, perfecting their own evil schemes.
Meanwhile, over in the USA ( The United States of Auradon ) you see all the classic Disney princes, princesses and their sidekicks.They are all united under the rule of King Beast and Queen Belle ( Beauty and the Beast was always my favorite Disney classic so that was pretty exciting for me ).
"Twenty years ago, King Beast united all the fairy tale lands into one under his crown; and for the past two decades he has ruled over its good citizens with strong and fair judgment, and only occasionally a tiny bit of his beastly temper."
Their son is Prince Ben...as handsome as his father but with his mother's gentle eyes, keen intellect and love of reading. Once he turns 16, he will be coronated as King so that Belle and the Beast might retire and enjoy vacation cruises, golf and bingo. As on the Isle of the Lost, there was no longer magic in Auradon either. King Beast and Queen Belle stressed scholarship over enchantment. Prince Ben is just starting to be introduced to some of the duties he'll be undertaking as King, but finds himself distracted by a mysterious girl who appeared in his dreams...a girl with lilac locks and mischevious green eyes...sound familiar? He also feels trapped in the life he leads and wants to do more, to really make a change and rule differently than his father.
When an invention by Carlos creates a hole in the dome, a bit of magic seems to creep in to the Isle, awakening some things that were never meant to be awoken. One of them being Maleficent's Dragon Eye sceptor and her crow familiar, Diablo. Once Diablo reports to Maleficent that the Dragon Eye has been awoken, Maleficent sends Mal on a quest to retrieve the sceptor and bring it back to her. Jay, Evie and Carlos end up joining her on the adventure, for their own reasons. But can it be that in their search for the ultimate evil weapon, they'll discover that just because they come from evil, doesn't mean they can't be a little bit good?
I really liked reading about all the Disney characters I grew up loving and all the villains that I loved to hate. Still haven't seen the Disney movie The Descendants yet, but I'm going to read the junior novelization of it next ( also my daughters book lol ).
"Once upon a time, during a time after all the happily-ever-afters, and perhaps even after the ever-afters after that, all the evil villains of the world were banished from the United Kingdom of Auradon and imprisoned on the Isle of the Lost. There, underneath a protective dome that kept all manner of enchantment out of their clutches, the terrible, the treacherous, the truly awful, and the severly sinister were cursed to live without the power of magic."
It's been 20 years since King Beast declared all the villains exiled forever. There is no magic under the dome that surrounds the Isle of the Lost, forcing the villains to have only their memories of evil deeds done in the past. It's not just the villains on the Isle though, it's their children there as well.
Mal, daughter of Maleficent. One of the most talented students at Dragon Hall, feared by mostly everyone in the school. Wearer of all things purple, including her hair. If only she could manage to impress her mother.
Jay, son of Jafar. Steals anything from anyone, all proceeds going to Jafar's Junk Shop, but he and his father are always on the lookout for 'The Big Score'...the one fat treasure that will somehow free them from the Isle.
Evie, daughter of Evil Queen ( from Snow White ). She's been castle-schooled for the past 10 years, because of a grudge between her mother and Maleficent, who is the self-proclaimed ruler of the Isle. She's now joining the rest of the villain's children at Dragon Hall, but will Mal inherit her mother's grudge against Evie and her mother?
Carlos, son of Cruella De Vil. He's not necessarily the bravest, but he's among the most clever. His invention may be the key to ending the villain's banishment once and for all.
The residents of the Isle live in isolation, surviving on food, clothing and furniture thrown out by the residents of Auradon and shipped second hand to them. The original villains eke out a living and get lost in their memories and regrets while their children attend school at Dragon Hall, learning about their parents mistakes and how to avoid them, perfecting their own evil schemes.
Meanwhile, over in the USA ( The United States of Auradon ) you see all the classic Disney princes, princesses and their sidekicks.They are all united under the rule of King Beast and Queen Belle ( Beauty and the Beast was always my favorite Disney classic so that was pretty exciting for me ).
"Twenty years ago, King Beast united all the fairy tale lands into one under his crown; and for the past two decades he has ruled over its good citizens with strong and fair judgment, and only occasionally a tiny bit of his beastly temper."
Their son is Prince Ben...as handsome as his father but with his mother's gentle eyes, keen intellect and love of reading. Once he turns 16, he will be coronated as King so that Belle and the Beast might retire and enjoy vacation cruises, golf and bingo. As on the Isle of the Lost, there was no longer magic in Auradon either. King Beast and Queen Belle stressed scholarship over enchantment. Prince Ben is just starting to be introduced to some of the duties he'll be undertaking as King, but finds himself distracted by a mysterious girl who appeared in his dreams...a girl with lilac locks and mischevious green eyes...sound familiar? He also feels trapped in the life he leads and wants to do more, to really make a change and rule differently than his father.
When an invention by Carlos creates a hole in the dome, a bit of magic seems to creep in to the Isle, awakening some things that were never meant to be awoken. One of them being Maleficent's Dragon Eye sceptor and her crow familiar, Diablo. Once Diablo reports to Maleficent that the Dragon Eye has been awoken, Maleficent sends Mal on a quest to retrieve the sceptor and bring it back to her. Jay, Evie and Carlos end up joining her on the adventure, for their own reasons. But can it be that in their search for the ultimate evil weapon, they'll discover that just because they come from evil, doesn't mean they can't be a little bit good?
I really liked reading about all the Disney characters I grew up loving and all the villains that I loved to hate. Still haven't seen the Disney movie The Descendants yet, but I'm going to read the junior novelization of it next ( also my daughters book lol ).
August 10, 2015
Review also posted at Young Adult Hollywood. Win The Isle of the Lost + Disney DVDs prize pack here.
“Magic Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?”
The Isle of The Lost follows the story of villains who are cast aside on a magical dome where they are locked away from the kingdom of Auradon.
We have Maleficent, their elected ruler of the isle and Mal her most evil daughter, The Evil Queen and her daughter Evie, Jay the son of Jafar, who is great at pick pocketing, Carlos, the nerd and inventor of many things who also happens to be the son of Cruella de Vil.
My all time favorite author Melissa de la Cruz is back with her Disney prequel novel for Descendants titled “The Isle of the Lost.” And she did not disappoint.
The writing and premise of this book will surely enchant young adult readers. The story is snarky filled with evil banter and schemes. Perfect for Disney fans. We will definitely be tuning in for the movie companion!
“Magic Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?”
The Isle of The Lost follows the story of villains who are cast aside on a magical dome where they are locked away from the kingdom of Auradon.
We have Maleficent, their elected ruler of the isle and Mal her most evil daughter, The Evil Queen and her daughter Evie, Jay the son of Jafar, who is great at pick pocketing, Carlos, the nerd and inventor of many things who also happens to be the son of Cruella de Vil.
My all time favorite author Melissa de la Cruz is back with her Disney prequel novel for Descendants titled “The Isle of the Lost.” And she did not disappoint.
The writing and premise of this book will surely enchant young adult readers. The story is snarky filled with evil banter and schemes. Perfect for Disney fans. We will definitely be tuning in for the movie companion!
May 29, 2015
When I first heard about this book, I knew I just had to read it. I was already planning on watching the Descendants movie on Disney Channel, so I knew I had to read the prequel.
I liked this book a lot. I loved all the Disney references, particularly how Gaston's twin boys were named Gaston Jr. and Gaston the Third. This was basically a well written Disney fan fiction. I was afraid it would be too juvenile, but it wasn't. If you like the show, Once Upon A Time, you'll definitely like this book. Overall, this is a great book for anyone who loves Disney.
I liked this book a lot. I loved all the Disney references, particularly how Gaston's twin boys were named Gaston Jr. and Gaston the Third. This was basically a well written Disney fan fiction. I was afraid it would be too juvenile, but it wasn't. If you like the show, Once Upon A Time, you'll definitely like this book. Overall, this is a great book for anyone who loves Disney.
August 10, 2015
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”
----Desmond Tutu
Melissa de la Cruz,a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, pens her new YA book, The Isle of the Lost which is the first book in the Descendants series. This series opener tells the story of all those villains whom we all encountered in all the Disney Princess books and movies, from Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty to the Evil Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Jafar from Aladdin to Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians, when they were banished from the kingdom to a lonely island devoid of any magic or charms. This is the villains' story whom we all loved to hate them, but now we get to love them for real!
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.
Once again the Disney TV movie, Descendants compelled me to buy this book from Amazon, which was not a best buy, but definitely a worthy one. Who doesn't love Disney fairy tales with all those glittering happy-ever-afters but have you ever wondered what happened to all those evil characters who tried to ruin the lives of those fragile princess'? Here is the book which tells you otherwise that things which are good doesn't necessarily have to be perfect and good and things which are veil doesn't necessarily have to be bad and evil.
After all those fairy tales ending with happily ever afters even years later that, the United Kingdom of Auradon which is ruled by the Kind Beast and his queen Belle (The Beauty and the Beast) who's sixteen year old son, Prince Ben is soon going to be the next king, banished all those evil queens and characters to an isolated island, The Isle of Lost protected by a magnetic force field to stop any kind of enchantments or magic spells in that island. The only magic still exists in Maleficent's Dragon's Eye, that can save all those wretched people living a dreadful as well as dirty and hopeless life in that lost island. So who will it be to bring home that only piece of remaining magic from the kingdom to protect their identity and worth in the world?
Maleficent, Evil Queen, Jafar and Cruella de Vil all have a child who studies in the Dragon Hall high school shared by the prince himself. So this is their only chance to get their hands on that piece of magic to save themselves from this hellhole. Mal, Evie, Carlos and Jay are all suffering from identity crisis, which sixteen year old doesn't. The responsibility naturally comes on Maleficent's talented daughter Mal to whisk away that Dragon's Eye from the kingdom, and the pressure to prove her worth to her own evil mother is really high, can Mal do it with the help of her friends? Or does she wants to be a good person like Prince Ben and his family?
The writing style is really good with a strong and articulate narrative style that has lots of layers of mystery and hidden agendas, thus making the plot mystifying as well as engrossing one for the readers. The prose is elegant and eloquent with a fast pace. The plot is even masked with lots of actions that keeps the readers on their edges till the very last page.
The characters are nice, crafted strongly with lots of evil in their hearts along with a hint of little bit of goodness hidden behind piles of darkness, thus making them pretty much likeable. Mal is an ideal YA heroine who is brave as well as confused like anything with everything she wants to do. And same goes for the other kids too. All the characters are distinct and each of their evil quality makes them stand out in the rest. I loved the whole gang, and there's the kingdom, where people are not very humane enough to let you go with anything. The kingdom is home to so many secretive agendas to make sure the villains rot in their own personal hell.
The climax is a huge letdown as the book is opening the doors to the possibility of yet another Disney movie and with such an ending, I'm not too excited for it's sequel, moreover, nothing much happens in the book, only a bit of action, teenagers trying to find out their identity, a very brief romance, that's all!
Verdict: If you are a huge fan of fanfiction and fairy tales retellings then do grab a copy of this book for sure.
----Desmond Tutu
Melissa de la Cruz,a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, pens her new YA book, The Isle of the Lost which is the first book in the Descendants series. This series opener tells the story of all those villains whom we all encountered in all the Disney Princess books and movies, from Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty to the Evil Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Jafar from Aladdin to Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians, when they were banished from the kingdom to a lonely island devoid of any magic or charms. This is the villains' story whom we all loved to hate them, but now we get to love them for real!
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.
Once again the Disney TV movie, Descendants compelled me to buy this book from Amazon, which was not a best buy, but definitely a worthy one. Who doesn't love Disney fairy tales with all those glittering happy-ever-afters but have you ever wondered what happened to all those evil characters who tried to ruin the lives of those fragile princess'? Here is the book which tells you otherwise that things which are good doesn't necessarily have to be perfect and good and things which are veil doesn't necessarily have to be bad and evil.
After all those fairy tales ending with happily ever afters even years later that, the United Kingdom of Auradon which is ruled by the Kind Beast and his queen Belle (The Beauty and the Beast) who's sixteen year old son, Prince Ben is soon going to be the next king, banished all those evil queens and characters to an isolated island, The Isle of Lost protected by a magnetic force field to stop any kind of enchantments or magic spells in that island. The only magic still exists in Maleficent's Dragon's Eye, that can save all those wretched people living a dreadful as well as dirty and hopeless life in that lost island. So who will it be to bring home that only piece of remaining magic from the kingdom to protect their identity and worth in the world?
Maleficent, Evil Queen, Jafar and Cruella de Vil all have a child who studies in the Dragon Hall high school shared by the prince himself. So this is their only chance to get their hands on that piece of magic to save themselves from this hellhole. Mal, Evie, Carlos and Jay are all suffering from identity crisis, which sixteen year old doesn't. The responsibility naturally comes on Maleficent's talented daughter Mal to whisk away that Dragon's Eye from the kingdom, and the pressure to prove her worth to her own evil mother is really high, can Mal do it with the help of her friends? Or does she wants to be a good person like Prince Ben and his family?
The writing style is really good with a strong and articulate narrative style that has lots of layers of mystery and hidden agendas, thus making the plot mystifying as well as engrossing one for the readers. The prose is elegant and eloquent with a fast pace. The plot is even masked with lots of actions that keeps the readers on their edges till the very last page.
The characters are nice, crafted strongly with lots of evil in their hearts along with a hint of little bit of goodness hidden behind piles of darkness, thus making them pretty much likeable. Mal is an ideal YA heroine who is brave as well as confused like anything with everything she wants to do. And same goes for the other kids too. All the characters are distinct and each of their evil quality makes them stand out in the rest. I loved the whole gang, and there's the kingdom, where people are not very humane enough to let you go with anything. The kingdom is home to so many secretive agendas to make sure the villains rot in their own personal hell.
The climax is a huge letdown as the book is opening the doors to the possibility of yet another Disney movie and with such an ending, I'm not too excited for it's sequel, moreover, nothing much happens in the book, only a bit of action, teenagers trying to find out their identity, a very brief romance, that's all!
Verdict: If you are a huge fan of fanfiction and fairy tales retellings then do grab a copy of this book for sure.
June 22, 2015
Does what it sets out to do, and does it with great fun.
I normally wouldn't have picked up a tie-in book for a TV movie, but I love just about anything Disney, and my kids and I are looking forward to the Disney Channel "Descendants" movie this summer. Also what caught my eye is that this is a prequel, and it's written by Melissa de la Cruz, a legit bestselling author. And it has to be said that the book is gorgeously designed with one of those suede-feel covers and a thorn design on the chapter headings . . . I am such a book junkie I just want to pet it.
So at first, I will admit, I did a bit of eye-rolling. There's been quite a few books out there lately about schools for fairy tale characters or their kids, and I haven't exactly enjoyed them all. And yes, yes, we get it, the villain kids like wearing black and are misunderstood, and the princesses all wear pink and eat nothing but cake. But where this stands out from the others is that the characters are three-dimensional. This is both a combo of Cruz's good writing, and the fact that she doesn't have to invent whole new personalities for characters like Maleficent, she can just use the Disney characters we all know and love, and then riff on them. The "descendants" soon begin to stand out beyond being "Maleficent's daughter" or "Jafar's son," though, which I loved. There's not a lot of plot, but there is a fun insight into these characters and their situation, and it's a great set up for the TV movie, which I'm now even more jazzed about. Also, I can see there being more books and movies (this book is listed as being Descendants #1), which I'm sure I will also enjoy.
I normally wouldn't have picked up a tie-in book for a TV movie, but I love just about anything Disney, and my kids and I are looking forward to the Disney Channel "Descendants" movie this summer. Also what caught my eye is that this is a prequel, and it's written by Melissa de la Cruz, a legit bestselling author. And it has to be said that the book is gorgeously designed with one of those suede-feel covers and a thorn design on the chapter headings . . . I am such a book junkie I just want to pet it.
So at first, I will admit, I did a bit of eye-rolling. There's been quite a few books out there lately about schools for fairy tale characters or their kids, and I haven't exactly enjoyed them all. And yes, yes, we get it, the villain kids like wearing black and are misunderstood, and the princesses all wear pink and eat nothing but cake. But where this stands out from the others is that the characters are three-dimensional. This is both a combo of Cruz's good writing, and the fact that she doesn't have to invent whole new personalities for characters like Maleficent, she can just use the Disney characters we all know and love, and then riff on them. The "descendants" soon begin to stand out beyond being "Maleficent's daughter" or "Jafar's son," though, which I loved. There's not a lot of plot, but there is a fun insight into these characters and their situation, and it's a great set up for the TV movie, which I'm now even more jazzed about. Also, I can see there being more books and movies (this book is listed as being Descendants #1), which I'm sure I will also enjoy.
March 29, 2016
When I first started reading this book, I didn't know it is a prequel to the Disney movie Descendants. If I had, I probably wouldn't have read it. In the story, all the villains from all the Disney movies have been banished to the Isle of the Lost (even if they died in the films) where they have to live without magic and off the scraps from the U.S.A. (United States of Auradon) for the rest of their days. Sigh. Of course all the villains end up having children - yet there are only single parents on the island - and all of their descendants have traits and names just like their parents. Mal is the daughter of Maleficent, Evie is the daughter of Evil Queen, Jay is the son of Jafar and Carlos is the son of Cruella de Vil. I suppose it makes sense that he villains would name their children after themselves since they are egotistical and evil after all.
The book begins ten years in the past on the birthday of Evie. Evil Queen has planned a magnificent party for her but failed to send Mal an invitation. This of course enrages Maleficent and reminds her of when she didn't receive an invitation to Aurora's christening so many years ago. Being the raging lunatic she is, Maleficent banishes Evil Queen and Evie from the society on the Isle of the Lost. Since they can't leave the island, they pretty much stay holed up in their castle for the next ten years when Evil Queen finally decides it is safe to send Evie back to public school where all the children are taught how to not make the same mistakes their parents made.
Mal still despises Evie, of course, and sets out to ruin her life over the birthday party she didn't get invited to ten years ago. Seriously. A birthday party. Ten years ago. But villains like to hold on to their grudges I suppose. When news comes that Maleficent's evil scepter, the Eye of the Dragon, has been awakened, Mal sets out on a mission to find it so her mother will finally be proud of her. She knows she cannot find it on her own and enlists the help of Evie, Jay and Carlos. Of course she only intends to use them to get what she wants, but things rarely go as planned.
Although it did take me a while to finish this book from the date I started, once I gave it my full attention it was a very quick and easy read. I know this book was intended for young teens, but I still felt it was very juvenile. The children were supposed to be extremely evil, but the most evil thing they did was trap someone in a closet or swipe items from people as they walked down the street. It's almost like the author is trying to coax young readers into thinking being evil is okay because what these characters are doing isn't really all that bad.
Just a side note - at one point in the book a structure is being guarded by poisonous spiders. My husband loves spiders; so, I've become fairly educated on them the past 6+ years. Spiders don't have poison... they have venom and are therefore venomous not poisonous. What made me even more irritated after reading this was that the deadly spiders were tarantulas. Seriously, Ms. de la Cruz... a simple Google search would have told you that tarantulas may have a pretty nasty bite because their fangs are so large, but they are not venomous to humans. The evil clan could have walked right through them without fear of death from a bite.
The book begins ten years in the past on the birthday of Evie. Evil Queen has planned a magnificent party for her but failed to send Mal an invitation. This of course enrages Maleficent and reminds her of when she didn't receive an invitation to Aurora's christening so many years ago. Being the raging lunatic she is, Maleficent banishes Evil Queen and Evie from the society on the Isle of the Lost. Since they can't leave the island, they pretty much stay holed up in their castle for the next ten years when Evil Queen finally decides it is safe to send Evie back to public school where all the children are taught how to not make the same mistakes their parents made.
Mal still despises Evie, of course, and sets out to ruin her life over the birthday party she didn't get invited to ten years ago. Seriously. A birthday party. Ten years ago. But villains like to hold on to their grudges I suppose. When news comes that Maleficent's evil scepter, the Eye of the Dragon, has been awakened, Mal sets out on a mission to find it so her mother will finally be proud of her. She knows she cannot find it on her own and enlists the help of Evie, Jay and Carlos. Of course she only intends to use them to get what she wants, but things rarely go as planned.
Although it did take me a while to finish this book from the date I started, once I gave it my full attention it was a very quick and easy read. I know this book was intended for young teens, but I still felt it was very juvenile. The children were supposed to be extremely evil, but the most evil thing they did was trap someone in a closet or swipe items from people as they walked down the street. It's almost like the author is trying to coax young readers into thinking being evil is okay because what these characters are doing isn't really all that bad.
Just a side note - at one point in the book a structure is being guarded by poisonous spiders. My husband loves spiders; so, I've become fairly educated on them the past 6+ years. Spiders don't have poison... they have venom and are therefore venomous not poisonous. What made me even more irritated after reading this was that the deadly spiders were tarantulas. Seriously, Ms. de la Cruz... a simple Google search would have told you that tarantulas may have a pretty nasty bite because their fangs are so large, but they are not venomous to humans. The evil clan could have walked right through them without fear of death from a bite.
April 28, 2015
The Isle Of The Lost by Melissa de La Cruz is a prequel to the upcoming Disney Channel movie, The Descendants and it follows the children of Maleficent, Cruella de Vil, Jafar and The Evil Queen from Snow White. This novel really does an excellent job of setting up what transpired after happily ever after and capturing our favorite despicable villains on the page. Not only is this novel extremely engrossing, it has a plethora of snarky humor that will make readers laugh and smile on nearly every page. Any Disney fanatic, young or old, will easily find themselves falling in love with The Isle Of The Lost and will be clamoring for book two and the movie!
It's not easy being the child of one of the most evil villains in history! Mal has always felt pressure from everyone to be as evil as her crazy mama, Maleficient and everyone has overwhelming expectations for her. Carlos is never good enough for Cruella and is stuck being his mother's maid to give her the old lifestyle she had before the island. Jay needs to follow in his father's footsteps and that means finding a big score (an expensive item to steal). Evie is tired of hearing from the Evil Queen that she needs to focus on her beauty more. All of them need the Dragon's Eye for different reasons, but mostly importantly it could be the way off the island they're trapped on.
Melissa de La Cruz may be writing about the children of Disney villains, but their struggles that they're dealing with are extremely familiar. It's extremely easy to empathize with all of the 4 main characters and to root for them all to win their parent's approval. I especially loved Mal and Carlos who are just so incredible in their own ways and it broke my heart to see them rejected by their respective parents. De La Cruz brings life to these characters and will make readers root for them almost immediately after they're introduced.
This book is heaven for fans of good ole Disney and it's not just because it features some of our favorite villains. Isle Of The Lost is full of references to countless Disney films and characters and it was nostalgic to recall these beloved movies that I hadn't seen in years. Not only do we meet the villains I mentioned earlier, you also get to meet lesser-known but still incredibly evil antagonists. To make things even better, you also get to meet Belle, Beast and their son in this book; my inner child was shrieking in delight when these three were introduced. If you like Disney just a teensy bit (HOW can you not love it?), you'll find yourself filled with childlike glee.
The Isle Of The Lost ends on a cliffhanger and I NEED to find out what happens next. I have no doubt that The Descendants film is going to be incredible and I need book two in my life ASAP. I had so much fun reading this novel and it was everything I wished for. The Isle Of The Lost is absolutely wonderful and will appeal to fans of Once Upon A Time and Into The Woods alike.This review was originally posted on Bookish Antics
It's not easy being the child of one of the most evil villains in history! Mal has always felt pressure from everyone to be as evil as her crazy mama, Maleficient and everyone has overwhelming expectations for her. Carlos is never good enough for Cruella and is stuck being his mother's maid to give her the old lifestyle she had before the island. Jay needs to follow in his father's footsteps and that means finding a big score (an expensive item to steal). Evie is tired of hearing from the Evil Queen that she needs to focus on her beauty more. All of them need the Dragon's Eye for different reasons, but mostly importantly it could be the way off the island they're trapped on.
Melissa de La Cruz may be writing about the children of Disney villains, but their struggles that they're dealing with are extremely familiar. It's extremely easy to empathize with all of the 4 main characters and to root for them all to win their parent's approval. I especially loved Mal and Carlos who are just so incredible in their own ways and it broke my heart to see them rejected by their respective parents. De La Cruz brings life to these characters and will make readers root for them almost immediately after they're introduced.
This book is heaven for fans of good ole Disney and it's not just because it features some of our favorite villains. Isle Of The Lost is full of references to countless Disney films and characters and it was nostalgic to recall these beloved movies that I hadn't seen in years. Not only do we meet the villains I mentioned earlier, you also get to meet lesser-known but still incredibly evil antagonists. To make things even better, you also get to meet Belle, Beast and their son in this book; my inner child was shrieking in delight when these three were introduced. If you like Disney just a teensy bit (HOW can you not love it?), you'll find yourself filled with childlike glee.
The Isle Of The Lost ends on a cliffhanger and I NEED to find out what happens next. I have no doubt that The Descendants film is going to be incredible and I need book two in my life ASAP. I had so much fun reading this novel and it was everything I wished for. The Isle Of The Lost is absolutely wonderful and will appeal to fans of Once Upon A Time and Into The Woods alike.This review was originally posted on Bookish Antics
August 8, 2017
Title: The Isle of the Lost
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Genre(s): Disney, Fantasy
Rating: 5 stars
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Genre(s): Disney, Fantasy
Rating: 5 stars
Loves, Likes, Adores:
I love Disney and I love Disney villains so this book was basically made for me. It was fun to imagine the villains all middle aged and in a different environment from their original movies. Cant wait to read the next book!
Dislikes, Hates, Ignores:
It sometimes got a bid hard to remember some of the secondary characters villain parents but maybe I was just sleepy lol.
June 10, 2023
4⭐💜This was really cute, loved all the Disney characters. The story reminded me of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. Cute😊✨💜
May 26, 2017
~3.25 stars~
This didn't blow my mind or anything lol But I thought it was an okay read. It wasn't awful, but not really a favorite either...probably will read the second book though since they had it at my library :)
This didn't blow my mind or anything lol But I thought it was an okay read. It wasn't awful, but not really a favorite either...probably will read the second book though since they had it at my library :)
August 17, 2015
www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com
I thought this book was really cute. It's a very interesting concept about the children of fairy tale villains. Granted the parents are in the book, but it's mostly about their children. I thought that was awesome.
We have Mal, daughter of Maleficent. Evie, daughter of The Evil Queen, Jay, son of Jafar and Carlos, son of Cruella De Vil.
As you can read in the blurb all of the evil villains were put under a dome (Not Stephen King's Dome) by King Beast. He and some other fairy tale peeps live on the good side of the dome. They are in the book, but not so much. The story is starting with the villains, but I have an idea they will all be getting together at some point.
When King Beast did this he also banished the use of magic. Can you imagine all of these villains running around with no magic. They just result to name calling and whatever else they can think of :)
In the beginning it was Mal and Jay as the evil cohorts and Evie and Carlos as the nice kids. Carlos ends up making a contraption that might just make a hole in the dome. This and a search for an evil artifact bring the kids together and they find out they just might not be as cruel as their parents.
I'm interested in reading more about this awesome little fairy tale.
I thought this book was really cute. It's a very interesting concept about the children of fairy tale villains. Granted the parents are in the book, but it's mostly about their children. I thought that was awesome.
We have Mal, daughter of Maleficent. Evie, daughter of The Evil Queen, Jay, son of Jafar and Carlos, son of Cruella De Vil.
As you can read in the blurb all of the evil villains were put under a dome (Not Stephen King's Dome) by King Beast. He and some other fairy tale peeps live on the good side of the dome. They are in the book, but not so much. The story is starting with the villains, but I have an idea they will all be getting together at some point.
When King Beast did this he also banished the use of magic. Can you imagine all of these villains running around with no magic. They just result to name calling and whatever else they can think of :)
In the beginning it was Mal and Jay as the evil cohorts and Evie and Carlos as the nice kids. Carlos ends up making a contraption that might just make a hole in the dome. This and a search for an evil artifact bring the kids together and they find out they just might not be as cruel as their parents.
I'm interested in reading more about this awesome little fairy tale.
June 6, 2015
Mal, Jay, Carlos, and Evie are the children of the most infamous Disney villains around: Maleficient, Jafar, Cruella De Vil, and the Evil Queen. When Carlos's latest invention pierces a hole in the invisible dome that surrounds their home of the Isle of the Lost that brings a little magic in, they must find out why that happened and find the Dragon's Eye the ultimate weapon of darkness so they can get off the island. Will they succeed? Read on and find out for yourself.
This is the first book of the Descendants series which will continue with the Disney Channel film the Descendants coming out this Summer. It was a pretty good read and I'd love to find out what happens to the Disney villain kids and the children of Aurandon in future books of this series. If you love Disney with a twist, definitely check out The Isle of the Lost. It is available at your local library and wherever books are sold.
This is the first book of the Descendants series which will continue with the Disney Channel film the Descendants coming out this Summer. It was a pretty good read and I'd love to find out what happens to the Disney villain kids and the children of Aurandon in future books of this series. If you love Disney with a twist, definitely check out The Isle of the Lost. It is available at your local library and wherever books are sold.
January 1, 2019
This was a fun and cute read but I was definitely a little bit disappointed if I’m being totally honest. The idea was great, all the children of the classic evil Disney villains growing up together is an enchanting idea. But for the children of the evilest of evil villains, they’re quite tame and it was a bit of a let down. It was still a fun read though and I did enjoy it quite a bit despite my disappointment.
December 14, 2016
As a child I know I would have loved this book (and probably series) but unfortunately as an adult it was difficult to get through. The plot needed to be developed more and not so all over the place. I won't be continuing the series.
July 4, 2024
A Quickie Review
The Disney Channel Original Movie Descendants was a treat, but, I wished it had been a series instead of a DCOM. Well, this prequel sheds some light on the lives of the characters before the telefilm, and even features some Disney favorites who don't appear in the movie (Ariel, Pongo and Perdita, etc.) Fans of the recent DCOM will find plenty to like about this book; the only problem is that it's a bit edgier than the "TV-G" film that inspired it.
The Disney Channel Original Movie Descendants was a treat, but, I wished it had been a series instead of a DCOM. Well, this prequel sheds some light on the lives of the characters before the telefilm, and even features some Disney favorites who don't appear in the movie (Ariel, Pongo and Perdita, etc.) Fans of the recent DCOM will find plenty to like about this book; the only problem is that it's a bit edgier than the "TV-G" film that inspired it.
Want to read
January 8, 2019Children from villains, GIVE IT TO ME PLEASE.
October 12, 2016
24% I just couldn't finish everything was either too happy or to bad unfortunately this is a dnf.
February 24, 2018
This is a Disney story involving most of the classic villains. I really enjoyed how all four of the characters were well explained, and also how Mal changes throughout the story. One more thing that was really interesting is, how different the book and the movie were, though the movie was based on the book. I can relate to Mal on how somebody didn't want to hang out with me when I was three, and I was really sad about it. I understood that sometimes in life is, people change people. I also noticed that even though this book was a Disney book, it is intended for teens.
June 4, 2020
This book was chosen for me by Amberly for the A Million More Pages POFM - September 2017.
5 stars
A very good book. Felt sorry for the villain's kids. Their parents don't love them. Wondering who would want to reproduce with the villains though. Seems weird. Hope Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos will be able to have better lives.
Can't wait to read Descendants #2: Return to the Isle of the Lost!!!
5 stars
A very good book. Felt sorry for the villain's kids. Their parents don't love them. Wondering who would want to reproduce with the villains though. Seems weird. Hope Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos will be able to have better lives.
Can't wait to read Descendants #2: Return to the Isle of the Lost!!!
April 4, 2015
I love Melissa de la Cruz. I loved her since I read the Blue Bloods series and a few of the Ashleys books. And I love Disney-Hyperion and my local librarian. Disney-Hyperion sent over some book swag to the librarian and she gave it to me. It was wickedly adorable. It was a crate filled with poisoned apples (stress balls), a card (that when you opened it, the card laughs evilly) and a book excerpt. Then Disney-Hyperion sent over the ARC of ISLE OF THE LOST because I loved the book swag. So thank you, Disney-Hyperion. Not only are you guys crazy creative and clever with book swag stuff but you're incredible kind to book reviewers.
Back to the book review.
So ISLE OF THE LOST is a prequel novel to the Disney Channel TV Movie, "The Descendants". Beloved Disney heroes (including princes and princesses) decided to send the Disney villains (even resurrected the dead ones) to a dome-island called "Isle of the Lost" where there is no magic and basically no happy endings. Over the course of several years, the new generation of Disney heroes and villains emerged and are expected to follow in their respective Disney parent(s)'s footsteps. The characters the book primary focuses on are Mal (Maleficent's daughter), Jay (Jafar's son), Carlos (Cruella De Vil's son) and Evie (the Evil Queen's daughter). And there's also some minor characters that will be somewhat important in "The Descendants" (Prince Ben, the Beast and Belle's son and Princess Audrey, Prince Phillip and Princess Aurora's daughter) as well as famous Disney villain cameos. You'll even encounter other Disney villains' children like Gaston's, Mother Gothel's.
ISLE OF THE LOST was a very enjoyable read. I am a long time Disney fan and I loved the creativity that went into the world building and characters. The villains' children find it very difficult to live up the expectation of their parents which is understandable. These Disney villains have signatures and ambitions that made them so memorable so how can their children possibly top that? Although the characters in the book interact with each other, you can feel the loneliness they have and are desperate for friends even if they would never admit it.
The beginning and early middle of the book was mostly introducing characters and getting the story set up. Don't get me wrong, it was very insightful and enjoyable to read. It was more toward the middle and end did the plot really picked up. I can't say much more about this book without giving away a lot.
I highly recommend ISLE OF THE LOST to readers who are Disney nerds. I do believe you need to be open to the changes to the beloved Disney heroes and villains*. I think you will find this enjoyable and wickedly adorable as I did. I will definitely be checking out "The Descendants" on Disney Channel.
*They really haven't change a whole lot. The Evil Queen is obsessed with being beautiful, Jafar is very greedy with jewels and gold, Maleficent hates parties and Cruella De Vil loves her fur. Even the heroes are still the same like Belle is still a bookworm. It's not like Belle has all of a sudden hates books and burns them. The only minor changes that happen in the book is that the villains have no magic and they have children. That's it.
Back to the book review.
So ISLE OF THE LOST is a prequel novel to the Disney Channel TV Movie, "The Descendants". Beloved Disney heroes (including princes and princesses) decided to send the Disney villains (even resurrected the dead ones) to a dome-island called "Isle of the Lost" where there is no magic and basically no happy endings. Over the course of several years, the new generation of Disney heroes and villains emerged and are expected to follow in their respective Disney parent(s)'s footsteps. The characters the book primary focuses on are Mal (Maleficent's daughter), Jay (Jafar's son), Carlos (Cruella De Vil's son) and Evie (the Evil Queen's daughter). And there's also some minor characters that will be somewhat important in "The Descendants" (Prince Ben, the Beast and Belle's son and Princess Audrey, Prince Phillip and Princess Aurora's daughter) as well as famous Disney villain cameos. You'll even encounter other Disney villains' children like Gaston's, Mother Gothel's.
ISLE OF THE LOST was a very enjoyable read. I am a long time Disney fan and I loved the creativity that went into the world building and characters. The villains' children find it very difficult to live up the expectation of their parents which is understandable. These Disney villains have signatures and ambitions that made them so memorable so how can their children possibly top that? Although the characters in the book interact with each other, you can feel the loneliness they have and are desperate for friends even if they would never admit it.
The beginning and early middle of the book was mostly introducing characters and getting the story set up. Don't get me wrong, it was very insightful and enjoyable to read. It was more toward the middle and end did the plot really picked up. I can't say much more about this book without giving away a lot.
I highly recommend ISLE OF THE LOST to readers who are Disney nerds. I do believe you need to be open to the changes to the beloved Disney heroes and villains*. I think you will find this enjoyable and wickedly adorable as I did. I will definitely be checking out "The Descendants" on Disney Channel.
*They really haven't change a whole lot. The Evil Queen is obsessed with being beautiful, Jafar is very greedy with jewels and gold, Maleficent hates parties and Cruella De Vil loves her fur. Even the heroes are still the same like Belle is still a bookworm. It's not like Belle has all of a sudden hates books and burns them. The only minor changes that happen in the book is that the villains have no magic and they have children. That's it.
October 24, 2018
The Isle of the Lost
is set in a world where twenty years previously, all the evil villains from famous Disney stories were banished to an island called... you guessed it: The Isle of the Lost. All magic has been stripped from the villains and they live on leftovers from the Kingdom of Auradon, where all the Princes and Princesses from Disney are living their happy-ever-afters. We follow a group of villain offspring who are determined to bring magic back and escape the island..
I haven't seen any of the Descendant movies but I, like many people, enjoy Disney movies, so I thought a story about the children of famous villains would be great. And it just wasn't for me. I thought the concept was interesting, but I was just so bored. I think it would have been more interesting if the kids weren't just trying to be imitations of their parents. They didn't seem to have personalities of their own outside of their parents, with the exception of Carlos.
This book is a middle grade which might be another reason why I didn't enjoy this book. I tend to not connect with middle grade as much as YA and the simple writing and character development just didn't do it for me.
Do not think I will be continuing this series unfortunately.
I haven't seen any of the Descendant movies but I, like many people, enjoy Disney movies, so I thought a story about the children of famous villains would be great. And it just wasn't for me. I thought the concept was interesting, but I was just so bored. I think it would have been more interesting if the kids weren't just trying to be imitations of their parents. They didn't seem to have personalities of their own outside of their parents, with the exception of Carlos.
This book is a middle grade which might be another reason why I didn't enjoy this book. I tend to not connect with middle grade as much as YA and the simple writing and character development just didn't do it for me.
Do not think I will be continuing this series unfortunately.
March 16, 2018
It was the truth, and like any truth, it was powerful.
Going into this book, I was a little skeptical. I had seen the movie and found it rather enjoyable, so I was afraid reading this would decrease some of the magic. Thankfully, it did not. I found this a very enjoyable book.
This is a "prequel" to the movie's events. I watched the movie first and was not spoiled in any way. Actually watching the movie first helped me gain a visual sense of the characters and the setting.
Growing up, I never watched the Disney princess movies (with Snow White being the exception). This book made me fall in love with the characters of those movies just as if I had seen the movies. This book is slow for a large portion of the beginning, as it has a lot of character and world building. Then the pace quickens around the middle. Overall, it was an enjoyable and quick read. I am excited to read the second book soon (hopefully)!
Going into this book, I was a little skeptical. I had seen the movie and found it rather enjoyable, so I was afraid reading this would decrease some of the magic. Thankfully, it did not. I found this a very enjoyable book.
This is a "prequel" to the movie's events. I watched the movie first and was not spoiled in any way. Actually watching the movie first helped me gain a visual sense of the characters and the setting.
Growing up, I never watched the Disney princess movies (with Snow White being the exception). This book made me fall in love with the characters of those movies just as if I had seen the movies. This book is slow for a large portion of the beginning, as it has a lot of character and world building. Then the pace quickens around the middle. Overall, it was an enjoyable and quick read. I am excited to read the second book soon (hopefully)!
May 24, 2015
I don't really think I can say enough about this book. This book really brought me back to my childhood. Even though it's marketed toward kids, adult Disney fans will love it, and I can promise that! I met characters that I've been away from for so long. Pongo, Iago, Beast and Belle, Jafar...the list goes on and on and on, and I found myself smiling at all of the breif cameos -- hello, Flotsam and Jetsam! . It's incredibly refreshing to stumble across a well written kids' book. Where the world seems to be dumbing even the simplest things down for kids now, Melissa de la Cruz gives 9-12s some actual credit, using appropriate words that may require a younger audience to grab a dictionary every now and then, but hey, is that REALLY a bad thing? It's well described, perfectly set, and fast paced. I have to say, if this became a series, I would follow it loyally, and as a 26 year old who grew up in the height of drawn disney animation, I would unabashedly recommend this to any one of my Disney-loving friends.
November 15, 2017
3.5/5
I really want to see the movie of this or TV show whatever. It sounds interesting. As for the book: I was quite bored with the first half of this. If the characters weren't so interesting themselves, I would've gave up on this. I liked Mal because she was devious, I liked Jay because he's a classic bad boy (and his thieving reminds me low key of Kaz Brekker). Evie was cute and nice, but still had her villainous streak, tho definitely not as pronounced as the others. And Carlos was just awesome cause he's a science nerd like myself. Once the four got together in pursuit of the Dragon's Eye things started to go places. I loved the scenes in the Forbidden Fortress, they just sucked me in. The scenes with Ben were nice, because you could see the other part of this universe. I also liked that the chapters were pretty short. I will be picking up Book 2 shortly.
I really want to see the movie of this or TV show whatever. It sounds interesting. As for the book: I was quite bored with the first half of this. If the characters weren't so interesting themselves, I would've gave up on this. I liked Mal because she was devious, I liked Jay because he's a classic bad boy (and his thieving reminds me low key of Kaz Brekker). Evie was cute and nice, but still had her villainous streak, tho definitely not as pronounced as the others. And Carlos was just awesome cause he's a science nerd like myself. Once the four got together in pursuit of the Dragon's Eye things started to go places. I loved the scenes in the Forbidden Fortress, they just sucked me in. The scenes with Ben were nice, because you could see the other part of this universe. I also liked that the chapters were pretty short. I will be picking up Book 2 shortly.
September 22, 2015
Wow this book was enchanting. I always loved the villains more then the heroes because the villains are so interesting and mysteries. The characters were amazing and I loved how every Disney villain had a son or a daughter. I gave it a four stars because it didn't grip me that much.
But overall this book was fantastic and highly entertaining.
But overall this book was fantastic and highly entertaining.
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