Alosha (Alosha Trilogies) [Hardcover]

Christopher Pike (Author)

Book Description

Series: Alosha Trilogies | Publication Date: September 9, 2004

Every young girl dreams that she's secretly a princess of a far-off land and that someday her true parents will come to claim her and usher her into a life of luxury, an fabulous existence where she might even have magical powers and be swept off her feet by a handsome prince.
Teenager Ali Warner has reason to cling to such a fantasy. Her mother died in a car accident a year ago. Her father, a trucker determined to work through his grief, hasn't acknowledged Ali's burgeoning figure or complicated emotions. Her friends still aren't sure how to talk about her mother's death. And the Southern California forest that has always been Ali's refuge is about to be ravaged by logging.
Ali is about to discover that she is a princess-a fairy princess. And that she has to save the world. For real.

To claim her fairy powers, Ali must overcome seven potentially lethal challenges. Then she must scale a mountain and confront the King of the Dwarves and the King of the Elves, whose armies are poised to invade Earth.

With her bemused 21st century friends, a sly leprechaun, and an extremely loyal, extremely ugly, troll by her side, Ali begins the most momentous journey of her young life, a journey during which she will learn much about herself and the past she thought she knew. She will conquer fire and water, earth and air, and even time itself. She will be both betrayer and betrayed, will see death close at hand, and will snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Ali Warner is Alosha. Welcome to her world.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bestselling children's author Pike (The Cold One) delivers a somewhat muddled elvish fantasy, the first in a new series aimed at an adult as well as a YA audience. Passionate about saving trees, 13-year-old Alison Warner just happens to live in a California town that's been targeted by the lumber industry. Ali protests and rides her bike into the forbidding mountains where the work is about to begin. There Ali starts to realize that she's not who she thought she was, that she has an important job to fulfill, that in fact she's the Queen of the Fairies from another dimension who has hidden in a human body. Flat supporting characters with little motivation other than a kid's need for adventure, plus a protagonist who too often acts like a whiny five-year-old one moment and a cranky 30-year-old the next, make this one of Pike's lesser efforts.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9–Alison, 13, heads to the hills to protest the loggers in their effort to clear the forest. She is an environmentalist in the making but finds her path taking an entirely different turn after she encounters a strange little man of odd proportion with sickly yellow-colored skin. This odd man becomes an ally in her quest to discover her true identity. While in the woods, Ali senses a presence around her and the feeling that something is chasing her. This experience escalates to creatures that want her dead and she finds refuge in a hole in the cliff until they depart. Once home safely, Ali recruits her friends to explore the mountains for evidence of the "Bigfoot." En route they discover the mythical and mystical enchantments that lie between dimensions and enter through a portal on top of the mountain. Ali must pass seven tests before she can assume her true role of Alosha, Queen of the Fairies, and she must face her fears and draw upon her inner courage to transform into who she once was. This story is a fast-paced combination of intrigue and fantasy. The main characters are all 13; the scary part is that one or more of them just may not be human. The writing is smooth and flows easily, and the author captures well the friends' dialogue and thought. Readers are sure to be captivated by the descriptive details and entertaining plot complete with dwarves, elves, fairies, and trolls.–Donna Marie Wagner, Harris County Public Library, Clear Lake, TX
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (September 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765310988
• ISBN-13: 978-0765310989
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,715,882 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Christopher Pike is the author of over forty teen thrillers, including series REMEMBER ME, FINAL FRIENDS and CHAIN LETTER.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Back and (not quite) better than ever..., October 4, 2004

By 

Crystal C. Reich "just looks sweet" (Mewesland, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Alosha (Alosha Trilogies) (Hardcover)

Something happened to the dude and he started writing really bad books. 'The Blind Mirror' was beyond awful. But it seems as though Pike has recovered from what I can only assume was a bout with some mysterious mental illness, at least enough to tackle a brand new genre.

Familiar themes include neglectful parents, giving humanity another chance, and betrayal. Pike seems to like to put his protagonists in impossible situations and then getting them out of said situation. That was very familiar, as it happened several times in this book, rather than once or twice. It was like reading a cross between a fantasy story and a Pike one. Something which makes for an unusual combination, but also some fascinating reading. Fantasy is my favorite genre and Pike is my favorite writer.

Things that were missing from this book included witty dialogue, visceral description, and interesting characters. The plot, was Pike at his best. However, I kept getting the distinct impression that I was reading an outline, rather than a story. There seemed to be a lot of words missing. His writing style was incredibly impersonal, and most of the time I felt like I was watching what was happening from far away. One of the things I remember loving about his books when I first started reading, was that I didn't feel talked down to. His treatment of the kids in this books was very condescending, and I didn't feel like he was describing the teenagers in a realistic way.

Even so, Pike managed to keep me on the edge of my seat and as usual, the ending didn't disappoint, although if you've read his books too, the final showdown between Ali and her betrayer was hardly surprising or new. At some point, Pike started treating his main character almost as a real person and the reading got a lot easier.

I can't wait for part 2, hopefully Pike will continue to improve after his bout with whatever it was...He's a mysterious guy.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars ...An O.K. book by my favorite author..., August 16, 2005

By 

Latoya Brown "Lattie" (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alosha (Alosha Trilogies) (Hardcover)

I've been reading and rereading Christopher Pike books since I was 11 years old. Now I'm 18, I own most of them, and I would never have expected this.

First, I feel that I should say that this IS Christopher Pike and the man IS a genius, so anything he writes is going to be worth the time to read. But, I've gotten so used to his books being GREAT that to read one that's just good sort of bothered me.

The plot is creative and appealing, but it isn't his usual style. Traditionally, the supernatural occurances in his novels have been subtle, however this story is a complete fantasy. It seems a bit rushed, which makes it read like a children's book, but I'm ready and willing to accept that the reason for this is the exciting followups Mr. Pike is undoubtedly planning and anxious to get on with writing. The characters are likeable, but unrealistic. I suppose the author wouldn't know much about the mind of a 13 year old girl seeing as he is a fully grown man himself, but I think that the kids in the story are awfully calm, accepting, and mature to be 13.

Again, I have to say that Christopher Pike is a genius. I'm looking forward to book two.

If you are a fan, read the book. It's likeability really varies from person to person.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better than I had anticipated, February 2, 2005

By 

Meredith (Northern Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alosha (Alosha Trilogies) (Hardcover)

I have been reading Christopher Pike's books for over 10 years now and read about this book well before it was released. I read the description and was quite disappointed that Pike had strayed beyond his standard horror genre and seemed to be catering to a different audience than his original books. I was not happy that he had given into the pressure to conform to this genre, brought on by books such as Harry Potter, and had resigned myself to having to wait all the longer for the sequel to The Cold One. I originally had no intention of reading this book, thinking the storyline silly and did not even pick it up when it came out.
Then, in the midst of Christmas shopping at the book store, I decided to take a second look. And I decided, "What the heck?" and bought it. I started it Sunday and finished it 3 days later. It was so much better than I had anticipated and I had to force myself to put it down every night so I could go to sleep for work in the morning. I thoroughly enjoyed it and despite the occasional almost forced comments made by Ali, mostly in the beginning (obviously being used with the intention of reminding us she is a 13-yr-old girl and not the age generally associated with Pike's characters), the book was wonderful.
Pike has demonstrated the range his talent really has. He can write enthralling horror, science fiction and fantasy, even on his first attempt. I wouldn't have believed it 10 months ago that I would be pining for this sequel as much as the sequel to The Cold One, but what can I say? I am.