I finished The Luck Uglies last night and I was satisfied to see that it promises a sequel.
When the (evil, disgusting, arrogant, cruel, etc.) Earl of Longchance captures a young Bog Noblin, he invites doom and terror to the village of Drowning. Rye, her friends, Folly and Quinn, her mother, Abby and the mysterious tattooed man, known as Harmless, must save the village. Spells, magical beasts, potions, and incredible escape acts, most occurring in the dark of night, keep the pages turning.
I admit I skimmed. I often skim through battles because reading about swordplay and how the characters avoid decapitation or mangling makes me itchy. (I am not an 11-year-old boy.) I took the time to read one such scene and it was cinematically presented - the type of action/adventure sequence that the target readership will LOVE.
I love the cover and chapter illustrations. I thought that one or two scenes were dragged out for suspense and action's sake. Even the villains - except for the Earl, who is beyond the pale - have their not-so-awful moments. So, yes, I think fantasy and adventure fans, boys and girls alike, will enjoy this book.
ASIDE: Is there a running around the rooftops meme circulating through kids' fiction right now? This is not the first, or even the second, book that I've read this year in which city rooftops are used as escape routes or roadways. Just wondering.
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