Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst) through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so.
I never expected to enjoy this book. The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst became my go-to book to read during my lunch times at work. I even inspired (due to my NO, that can’t happen!) outbursts a co-worker to check it out for her middle schooler! 🙂 Good stuff that eh?
The Basic Details
Jaclyn Moriarty has provided an excellent read in The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst published by Levine Querido. Levine Querido is part of the Chronicle Books family. 440 pages, with five sections, written for 5-9 graders. Fantasy, magic, mystery, friendship and self-esteem all play a role within the pages. Sub-themes are forgiveness, choice-making, as well as prejudice.  This review is on behalf of Raincoast Books.Â
What do you get with The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst?
A first person read that I enjoyed?!?!?!?! Can you even imagine it? I loved the determination and resilency of Esther. So many things happened with this young lady and yet, in the end, she pulled herself all together and did what needed doing. So much to recommend in this middle school read! NOTE, there is magic and it is a world of fantasy, so it might not appeal to all readers! But for those… come on, you’ll need to dig in!
BUT let’s get into some of the specifics.
Art work is limited, words are more important. Esther tells the story from her point of view. Her observations and skills in telling a story matter greatly!
Five sections break up the 440 pages into very manageable sections. Each part followed the one preceding it easily. I received an ARC version so I don’t know if the art work in the final edition will be in colour. The simplicity of the design fit well with the overall tone.Â
You’ll find the story easy to follow with frequent callouts to the reader. You’ll get to know the characters, many which are well-developed and you’ll get to know Esther really well and much of what motivates her. Her motivation, you’ll find, is a very important aspect to this tale.Â
Should you get it?
YES! In fact, if you like fantasy, if you like middle school reads, if you like mysteries and problem solving and watching characters grow and become something more… get this read. Read it once, and then … a month later.. .read it again! 🙂 Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I’m sure there are things I missed, so I’ll need to read it again!Â
The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst is a fun, engaging read. My emotions ran the gambit of intrigued to angry to bored. I was also occasionally mystified, but joyful in the end. A read I would recommend to anyone who doesn’t mind a bit of magic combined with mystery in a fantasy world.Â
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You have me intrigued with this title.
I enjoyed it! Totally surprised me, but I thought it a good read.