Customer Reviews

Avalon High

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

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

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.

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.

Okay, I will start off by saying this isn't my first Meg Cabot book. I knew what I was getting into. I knew I wasn't about to engage in literary gold when I opened this book. Anybody who would expect that needs a reality check because....well, look at the cover. It's pink and purple for crying out loud.

This book was very quick and entertaining. It's fluffy, girly brain candy. I always have trouble rating books like these because my wanna-be intelligent self is like "you're too good for these books, go read Chaucer instead", while my teenage girl self enjoys them. Alas I am a conflicted soul.

I went into this all haughty, believing it to be all too predictable, and it was for the most part. Meg Cabot leaves little hints before hand so you know what's going to happen before the narrator does and then repeats it often enough for the especially dense. But then came the twist....those things always make me feel like an a-hole.

The narrator is likeable enough. I didn't want to drown her, which is something special considering most of the heroines in YA nowadays. But then she committed the Ultimate Offense in my mind- claiming some guy is your soulmate after two days. Ugh, I HATE characters like that, especially when they are in high school. Hey, the guy who sits next to me in math class is pretty hot, but that doesn't mean I want to spend eternity with him. I guess I let it slide this time because these characters are reincarnated and have know each other for centuries, which is plenty of time to get to know someone (but do we ever really know someone hmmm?).

Some of the plot points were pretty ridiculous and had me holding back chuckles of disbelief. I know...you guys are probably like "Well, it is a fantasy set in highschool, what did you expect?". To that I say IT'S MY REVIEW AND I GET TO COMPLAIN IF I WANT TO.

The characters weren't as fleshed out as they could have been. Particularly Lance. Poor Lance, he is practically brushed aside in this retelling. And did Jennifer HAVE to be a cheerleader? (guess what color her hair was). I also would have liked to see some other Arthurains characters and more (dare I say it) education. This book barely touches the surface of the tale it's based on. And for those who enjoyed the book and want to read more Arthurian fiction- whilst still be entertained- I recommend The Once and Future King

The writing is nothing challenging and is meant to be read quickly. No moments of beauty here. Just straight-to-the-point-prose with the occasional dash of humor.

I have to give it up to Meg Cabot. She sure knows how to get people to read her books. I knew I wasn't going to love this book before I went into it, and yet I read it anyway. God help her fans.

I'll admit, I am not too terribly familiar with Meg Cabot's work. I have read the Mediator series (loved it!) but was never able to get into some of the other books she has written. This book was passed on to me by a friend who claimed it was awesome and I had to read it. She was completely right.

I had no idea what exactly to expect from this book. It takes a chapter or two before the reader can really get into it, but once it starts rolling, I dare any reader to put it down without a fight. The book offers the mystique of the King Arthur legend paired with modern day teen drama. Cabot's characters are strong and the main character, Elle, is witty and charming. The plot plays out in a way that grabs the reader's attention and keeps it all the way to the last page. "Avalon High" also features a great and somewhat unexpected ending. Cabot's modern day Arthurian novel is well written and an alluring Young Adult novel. This book is very different and, let's face it, the concept is just plain cool.

Ellie Harris has never been one of the popular kids, so when Will Wagner, captain of the football team and class president at Avalon High, becomes strangely drawn to her, Ellie begins to wonder if she's moved into the twilight zone and not just to Annapolis. If having Will after her wasn't weird enough Ellie begins seeing similarities between the students of Avalon High and the characters in the old King Arthur legends. Could Will's beautiful girlfriend, Jennifer, be Queen Guinevere? Well, his best friend, Lance, sure would fit the bill for Lancelot. When life at Avalon High starts playing out just like the legend, Ellie becomes concerned for Will's life and even her own. Isn't she named after Elaine of Shalott, who ends up killing herself at the end of the poem?!

Avalon High is one of Meg Cabot's finest, and with books such as the Princess Dairies and All American Girl before it, that's saying a lot! Meg Cabot has had two of the books in her Princess Dairies series made into Disney movies and the 1-800-Missing book series is now a Lifetime TV series.

Avalon High is one of those books that takes an old story and turns it upside down and inside out until it's a brand new story! The characters are "real" and exciting, They seem like modern teens, while always staying true to their Arthurian counterparts. One of my favorite things is the snips of the poem "The Lady of Shalott" before each chapter. Meg Cabot obviously did her research.

I would have liked to have seen a little more of the legend's characters such as Merlin, Sir Gawain or some of the other nights of the round table, but even without them it's still a fantastic book.

I would recommend this book to fans of King Arthur, fans of Meg Cabot and book worms of all ages.

-Rebekah R.

After moving to Annapolis so her parents can take a sabbatical to write, Ellie enrolls in Avalon High. Life seems ordinary, with her greatest thrill coming from floating on her pool. However, there is something going on around her that is vaster in scope than anything the girl could imagine, and she plays an integral part. The star quarterback catches her eye when she espies him sitting on a rock in a valley and soon they become friends, but she's not a golden girl, so that's all it can be, right? Besides, A. Will Wagner has a girl friend, Jennifer, who unbeknownst to him is cheating with his best friend, Lance, the guy Ellie (Elaine's) English teacher seems bent on getting her together with for at least a term paper, if not more. It would seem that the teacher is a modern Merlin and is trying to make King Arthur's story play out with a happy ending. There's just one or two problems, his majesty is more interested in the Lily Maid, and neither Lance nor Elaine have much use for each other. However, Mordred is all too happy to play out his role, and that could bring back the Dark Ages, if he succeeds.

***** Not since Peter David brought Camelot into the modern world has there been such a fun version. The paranormal aspect is only a subtext until near the end, but when it comes to fore, it does so in a big way. If you need a feel good read, this is just what the doctor ordered. *****

Amanda Killgore

The book Avalon High by Meg Cabot is moving and attention grabbing. Cabot adds humor and wit to an ageless story. The characters come to life and make the reader sympathize with them. The book is about the legend of King Arthur with a very modern twist. In the story, King Arthur has been reincarnated as a high school student named Will Wagner. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance and likes the story of King Arthur. Cabot's details and accurate descriptions make the book all the more interesting to read.

I have been a great fan of Meg Cabot, and this book may not be my favorite of hers- I recommend the Princess Diaries series- but it sure kept me entertained. It was a real nail-biter, and I was contstantly wondering what was going to happen. I've never really known much about King Arthur and stuff, but this was a great way to learn about history as well as enjoy myself.

Okay, the whole Medieval theme and King Arthur and such? Very cool. Nice idea, Ms. Cabot. Unfortunately you didn't exactly let the burning torch run its course. You kind of snuffed it in the dirt a little early as we can tell by "Avalon High".

Ellie is another typical Meg heroine who thinks she looks like a freak and acts like one too, but alas there is a handsome boy afoot who thinks otherwise! What a surprise! Ellie soon begins to find the similarities between her new school and an ancient legend. Oh my, WHAT COULD IT BE, WE WONDER.

While "Avalon High" is creative, it falls flat. The plot lacks the substance it had the potential for and the book ends up being filled with rambles by a girl who is in love with a boy but won't do squat about it.

The characters are listless, and the "bad guy" proves to be a bigger dork than a potential killer. The love triangle stated in the book's summary is put to rest by a quarrel at sea that appears to be out of a bad teen movie filled with beautiful people who don't know what else to do with their parent's money except to go sun bathing.

I don't mean to be negative. Okay, yes I do.

It was good. But it could have been better. It's like a movie that sets itself up for a sequel, and I'm sure that's exactly what we will be seeing on the bookshelves a few years from now.