 | Curse of the Night Witch (Emblem Island) Author: Aster, Alex | |
| Price: $6.55 | ||
Summary:
After changing the fate he has known since birth, twelve-year-old Tor Luna, accompanied by his friends Engle and Melda, must visit the notorious Night Witch to break the curse he now faces.
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| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 5.30 Points: 10.0 Quiz: 508925 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (04/15/20)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 04/15/2020 On Emblem Island, people are born with marks on their wrist that represent their powers and lifelines on their palms that show their fate. Tor Luna bears a leadership emblem, meaning he'll follow in the footsteps of his mother, but he wants more than the boring future that his flat lifeline predicts. On New Year's Eve, Tor wishes for a different emblem, but he wakes up the next day with a curse instead. With the help of two friends, Tor embarks on a quest woven with color and magic to find the fabled Night Witch and break his curse. Aster takes readers on a journey across Emblem Island, a land bursting with fantastical creatures and ancient stories inspired by Latin American myths. Despite some flat characterization, Aster balances a fast-paced plot rife with hair-raising action and snippets of Emblem Island folklore, offering a story about sacrifice and risk-taking that's great for young mythology fans, and ending with the promise of a thrilling sequel. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.
Booklist - 04/15/2020 On Emblem Island, people are born with marks on their wrist that represent their powers and lifelines on their palms that show their fate. Tor Luna bears a leadership emblem, meaning he'll follow in the footsteps of his mother, but he wants more than the boring future that his flat lifeline predicts. On New Year's Eve, Tor wishes for a different emblem, but he wakes up the next day with a curse instead. With the help of two friends, Tor embarks on a quest woven with color and magic to find the fabled Night Witch and break his curse. Aster takes readers on a journey across Emblem Island, a land bursting with fantastical creatures and ancient stories inspired by Latin American myths. Despite some flat characterization, Aster balances a fast-paced plot rife with hair-raising action and snippets of Emblem Island folklore, offering a story about sacrifice and risk-taking that's great for young mythology fans, and ending with the promise of a thrilling sequel. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 06/01/2020 Gr 4–8—Tor Luna has always known how his monotonous life will go. In his home on Emblem Island, people are born with their lifelines written on their hands and an emblem (a gift) on their skin. Tor's leadership emblem and smooth-fated lifeline motivates him to ask the wish-gods on New Year's Eve for a new power. Instead, Tor is cursed with a wicked marking that drastically shortens his lifeline. Teaming up with his best friend Engle and clever classmate Melda, Tor begins a journey across the island in search of the one person who can change his fate, the Night Witch. Aster kicks off a new series encompassed in a Latin American myth-based world. The story line is embellished with excerpts from The Book of Cuentos, Emblem Island's ancient text, to expand on the islanders' lore while subtly foreshadowing future events. The vibrant detail given to each village Tor travels through (like a phosphorescent jungle or formidable Amazonian giantesses) provides rich scenery that is a delight to imagine. Embedded in Tor's cross-island trek are a multitude of life lessons, such as accepting failure, asking for help, practicing humility, and finding honest people. Discerning readers may spot the final twist early, though this won't dampen the ending as it unravels. VERDICT A fast-paced island adventure with enough quirks to entice most young fantasy readers.—Emily Walker, Lisle Lib. Dist., IL - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
