Sample Post #2

Liesl & Po

Lauren Oliver

320 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins

Release Date: October 4th, 2011

Source: ARC from Publisher

Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice—until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone.

That same night, an alchemist's apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable.

Will's mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.

New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver comes a luminous and magnificent novel that glows with rare magic, ghostly wonders, and a true friendship that lights even the darkest of places.

The first thing about Lauren Oliver's latest book that caught my eye was the cover - the golds, browns, and raised textures were all so beautiful. When I first began reading Liesl and Po I thought, Oh, it's another one of those boring books, filled with fairies and ghosts. Then about ten pages in, things only got better and better.

When Liesl's father dies, she is left her behind to live with her cruel stepmother, Augusta. Little Liesl gets locked up in the tiny attic. Three days after Liesl's father's death, a ghost named Po appears in her new room, along with his pet ghost, Bundle, the animal that follows him everywhere. The two become friends and Po helps Liesl escape the tiny attic. Then Liesl and Po embark on a journey filled with magic and danger - Liesl or the box must not fall into the hands of Augusta and the others.

I enjoyed the twists and turns Liesl's journey took her on.

The book seemed a little fast-paced, as if the author couldn't wait to finish writing and read the book herself. This is Lauren Oliver's first middle-grade novel. I have to say, the drawings are very realistic, I felt like I was seeing the characters, not actually reading about them. Overall, I highly recommend this adventurous and exciting book to anyone looking to disappear into two new worlds at once!

This review was written by my 11 year old sister, Asma! 

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