Avalon High [Paperback]

Meg Cabot (Author)

Book Description

Release date: July 3, 2007

Avalon High, I was starting to think, might not be so bad after all.

Maybe it's not where Ellie wants to be, but if you have to start at a new school, Avalon High is typical enough: There's Lance, the jock. Jennifer, the cheerleader. And Will, senior class president, quarterback, and all-around good guy.

But not everyone at Avalon High is who they appear to be . . . not even, as Ellie is about to discover, herself. As a bizarre drama begins to unfold, Ellie has to wonder, what part does she play in all this? Do the coincidences she's piecing together really mean—as in King Arthur's court—that tragedy is fast approaching for her new friends?

Ellie doesn't know if she can do anything to stop the coming trouble. But somehow, she knows she has to try.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up–Elaine's parents are on sabbatical and she has to spend her junior year in Annapolis, MD, far from her Minnesota home. While running in the park, she meets Will, and she finds her life intertwined with a familiar story. Too many coincidences, like being named after the Lady of Shalott, and Will's complicated family life make her feel as though she is living in modern-day Camelot. Even her teacher believes that King Arthur will be reincarnated. The author weaves together fantasy, romance, and history. Although the story lacks the humor of Cabot's previous novels, it is well done with good characters and a good dose of style. It will fly off the shelves.–Amy Patrick, formerly at New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 7-10. Is it all coincidence, or are dark forces at work? Ellie, the new kid who is starting her junior year at Avalon High, lives with parents, medieval scholars who named her for the lamentable Lady Elaine, aka the Lady of Shalott. Sure there are a few connections to Arthurian legend--similar names, bitter relatives, even an illicit affair--but high-school math teacher Mr. Morton, who belongs to a secret society dedicated to the return of Arthur, believes the Round Table is about to be reenacted in Ellie's present-day Washington, D.C., suburb. If that's so, then Ellie has fallen for the wrong guy. Forget that; Ellie has no intention of letting the past write her future. Using a selection from Tennyson's classic "Lady of Shalott" to set up each chapter, Cabot delivers a clever modern take on Arthurian legend, which moves swiftly along to a satisfying, tender conclusion. An entertaining novel that will attract new Cabot readers and as well as the author's devotees. Cindy Welch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen; Reprint edition (July 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060755881
• ISBN-13: 978-0060755881
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (129 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #128,337 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I write! Books for you, your sister, your best friend, your mother . . . . even for men with good taste!

Most of my time is spent over at my website, http://megcabot.com, so be sure to stop by!

UK, New Zealand, and Australia fans, visit http://www.megcabot.co.uk.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#77 in Books > Teens

#77 in Books > Teens

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 75 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Meg Cabot's Best YA Work Thus Far December 27, 2005

By Erika Sorocco

Format:Hardcover

Elaine "Ellie" Harrison is fuming over her parents choice to take a sabbatical from their professor duties at the beginning of the school year, just in time to make Ellie's life take a complete 360. Not only is she forced to move to Washington, DC, but she has to leave behind her closest friends, and create a new identity for herself. Hopefully one that will leave an impression on her new classmates. But Avalon High is an exact replica of every other high school in America. It's students are classified in the same way: jocks, cheerleaders, class president...But suddenly Ellie finds herself mixed up with the cool crowd. Now she's hanging with Lance the jock, Jennifer the cheerleader, and Will, quarterback and senior class president. But the more Ellie spends time with her newfound friends, the more she realizes that their lives are mimicking history. History from centuries ago. Like the time when King Arthur ruled. Now, Ellie must figure out how to stop a chain of events that is destined to leave everyone around her in tears, or worse...dead.

I have read every book by Meg Cabot, and have never come across one that didn't spark an interest in me, but I must say that AVALON HIGH could very well be her best contribution to the publishing world thus far. Being a fan of the story of King Arthur, I loved how Cabot incorporated her modern, present day characters, into the story of the Round Table, and pulled it off without a hitch. Cabot has an insurmountable amount of talent and imagination, and it is showcased more in AVALON HIGH than in any of her previous novels. A delightful romp with mysteries on every page that will leave readers begging to hear more of Ellie's story.

Erika Sorocco

Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

33 of 38 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Another strong effort from Meg Cabot January 4, 2006

By Sarah W VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Ellie Harrison has just moved to Annapolis. Her parents are Medieval professors and are currently on sabbatical, busy writing their books. Ellie's about to start a new high school, Avalon High. At first glance, it seems like the typical high school: there's the popular clique lead by senior class president and quarterback A. William Wagner, the class hottie, Lance, and the cheerleader everyone loves to hate, Jennifer. Your typical high school right?

Unfortunately, wrong. As Ellie comes to realize, something is happening at Avalon High, something that seems eerily familiar to the Arthurian legends her mom and dad love to study. But that's only a legend right? There really was no King Arthur or Sir Lancelot... right? As Ellie digs deeper into the Avalon High social scene, she realizes that Will is about to play a major part in history. But will she realize her own part, before it's too late?

Avalon High is yet another creative endeavor from Meg Cabot, an author who provides endless laughs and shocks for her readers. Those who have always loved the legend of King Arthur and Sir Lancelot will surely enjoy Meg Cabot's twenty-first century update. Will may not be the typical nerd hero that Cabot fans have come to know and love, but he still proves to be a fun hottie for Ellie to crush on, even if he does carry a weight on his shoulders that he doesn't quite realize.

Fun, frothy, and very charming, Avalon High updates a legendary tale to make it palatable for today's teens and tweens. You'll definitely come away from this story with a need to uncover some more information about King Arthur and the infamous knights of the round table. This is a tale that is sure to satisfy.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Arthurian Legend comes to Annapolis, MD August 25, 2006

By K. Hinton VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

In Avalon High, Meg Cabot brings the legend of King Arthur and The Lady of Shalott to a present day high school in Annapolis, MD. Ellie is disappointed when her scholar parents go on sabbatical forcing her to relocate from Minnesota to Annapolis her junior year of high school. Her parents are both experts in medieval history, even going so far as to name Ellie Elaine after the Tennyson poem "The Lady of Shalott."

When she gets into town Ellie finds herself strangely drawn to the most popular guy in school, Will. Will is the quarterback, senior class president, tall, dreamy, and a champion of nerds and outcasts--how could Ellie not fall for him. It's a shame for her that he has a girlfriend.

Cabot's characters each form a part of Arthurian legend to bring medieval times to present day with humor and suspense in equal measure. Will is King Arthur, his best friend Lance is Sir Lancelot, and his girlfriend Jennifer is Guinevere. Poor Ellie, however, does not want to be the Lady of Shalott. This poem and her parents' obsession with its legend have caused her too much grief for her to just sit down and take it like the real Lady of Shalott would.

This is my favorite of Meg Cabot's books that I've read so far because of the humor and history interspersed throughout the book. Cabot's books are generally mindless fun books that I can read without thinking, which isn't always a bad thing--escapist chick lit is one of my weaknesses, but this book had a bit more substance than I've come to expect from her. Ellie was likeable and her relationship with Will progressed at a normal pace and not the lightning-fast courtship that some YA authors jump into these days. I really liked this book and would definitely recommend it to a friend.