Monday Reads: DANGEROUS

Last week I read DANGEROUS by Shannon Hale. I love Shannon Hale's AUSTENLAND, and MIDNIGHT IN AUSTENLAND, but those are the only books I've read by her. I've never tried her GOOSE GIRL or PRINCESS ACADEMY books before. I wasn't sure what to expect with DANGEROUS but I loved the premise and thought I'd give it a try.

Here's what I loved: the characters- Maisie and Wilder especially. Maisie was a fun MC who, despite being a home-school kid with one arm (so I was expecting her to be a bit shy and reserved) was totally witty and strong. She could kick butt mentally (and later physically), but I liked how she still had a girly uncertain side when it came to Wilder. I heard some criticism about that, but I liked it- I think it made her a more well-rounded character. Wilder was of course charming, snappy, and there was a lot to him. I loved how fast-paced the book was. I loved how you couldn't ever be sure who was good and who was bad, and even if you were sure- it wasn't a clear line between the two. I also loved the humor- Shannon Hale is so good at humor and there was lots of laugh out loud moments here.

Here's what I didn't love: my main criticism is although I did like the fast pace, sometimes it was TOO fast. The book barely took a breath, and sometimes it skipped things or didn't delve deep enough into things I would've liked to hear more about. She really could have made this a two-book or even three-book series and the story would have been better for it.

If you like a fast-paced Sci-Fi, check this one out.