Cassandra Lost in Books

My Thoughts - 4 out of 5 Unicorns - I really liked it!!

The cover is awesome and looks like Indian Jones kid style :) It totally attracts people to the book :)

Okay, I picked this book up back in December, but I didn’t put it in my read soon pile until I signed up for the blog tour for book 3. At the time, I didn’t even realize that I already owned book 1 & 2, I just hadn’t read them yet.

This book is a great kid adventure in India. I love that it puts tidbits about India mixed into the entire book, so kids won’t even realize they are learning a little along the way. It is full of action, and kids getting into trouble both planned and unplanned.

Zoe is a girl who isn’t real girly, and she is smart, strong, and loyal, but she has some issues with trying to figure out who she is because she is adopted and picked on by bullies a lot. I love how the author puts these real life issues and comparison into his book. It will help kids think about others and things they have to deal with :) She sort of gets thrown together with Zak because their parents work together. Zoe starts out thinking he is annoying, but her mom told her to be nice because his family is going through a divorce. Another great topic built into the story. Zak sort of attracts trouble and drags Zoe along for the ride. Along the way, they become really good friends, and she sees past his annoying behaviors that are due to his own insecurities.

There are parts that are drawn out like a kid telling a story where they want your attention, and you just aren’t into the dramatics. Where you are thinking just get on with it, but I like fast-paced stories :) This is also the first book in the series, and it is told from Zoe’s point of view which is very believable like a diary or blog entry.

I think adventurous middle-schoolers who love to read will eat this book up. If you have a reluctant reader, I suggest reading it with them or getting the audiobook.