Customer Reviews

Pandora of Athens, 399 B.C. (The Life and Times Series)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I wanted to like this--we certainly need good historical fiction for kids, and there's little on Greece or Rome--but this is not what I would have liked.

I know this is series writing, but the author seems to have been writing it on remote.The writing style is flat and surprisingly amateurish, and the characters are not involving in the least.

Socrates seems dragged into the book as device, nothing more.

This may be suitable for kids needing historic fiction--but it will not get them interested in the period. I'd definitely recommend Caroline Lawrence's Roman mysteries over these--they bring their time setting vividly to life while telling a good story kids can ENJOY reading!

Thirteen-year-old Pandora, living in Athens in the year 399 B.C., resents that as a young girl of ancient Greece, she has no say at all in her future. She is already betrothed, to a man she despises, and who is more then twice her age -- her stupid, useless cousin Menander. And as soon as she turns fourteen, she will be forced to marry him. But one day while Pandora is fetching water, she meets the philosopher Socrates, and what he tells her changes her life forever. She is even more determined to determine the course of her own future when she meets his young disciple, Phoenix, whom she knows she would marry if only she had a choice. Now Pandora must choose between a secure but joyless future, and throwing away everything she has for a chance at happiness.

I enjoyed this look at life for a young teenage girl in ancient Athens, but I did feel it was a bit too short, in particular I would have liked to see a more developed ending as it was a bit abrupt. I'd still recommend this to readers who are interested in historical fiction set in the ancient world, and I look forward to reading more from this new series.

Pandora of Athens is an outstanding book.This book is about Pandora struggling having problems with her mother dieying and having a new step-mother and worrying about her having to get married at the age of 14,Intill one day when she went to the fountain and met this guy and her whole life from then changed .This book is amazing and i recommend that you read it.

By Latisha

The cover out-does the text. This looked like a good book. I heard about it, but I was not at all pleased or should I say I felt a bit let down by it. It was something akin to text by numbers. I wanted more substance and more detail to the background and setting. The cover makes this book look like it is rich with historical elements but I found it lacking these important elements.

Pandora of Athens was very well done. The reader may be lost in a few parts, but the basic plot is beautiful.

It illustrates the average life of a thirteen year old girl living in Greece in 399 B.C. Pandora lives in an era in which women have few rights and are not respected, which she resents. She also resents the fact that upon her fourteenth birthday she will have to marry a man twice her age, her cousin, who is quite lothesome himself.

A good addition to the collection of Historical Fiction.

It shows promise for a one-to-watch kind of series.

Pandora is thirteen-years-old and lives in 399 B.C. Athens, where life for women and their rights are mostly denied. Pandora deeply loathes the fact that she has no say in her life and that on her fourteenth birthday she will have to marry a man she deeply despises, her cousin, Menander, who also happens to be twice her age and very monotone. Her life takes a change though when she meets the Wise One while fetching water. Socrates is a very respected greek scholar and he tells her things that will profoundly change Pandora's life forever. Things seem possible now including marrying Phoenix, Socrates' young disciple, whom Pandora adores. However as Socrate's famed trial begins, Pandora finds herself mingled in the intrigue and politics of Ancient Greece and having to choose between her true love and the stability of someone she doesn't love. I enjoyed this first book in the new series Life and Times. Unfortunately the book should have been a tad longer because the ending came very quickly. It should have been more developed. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series as it comes out and I think readers who enjoy girl protagonist and ancient history will enjoy this book very much.

Pandora is a historical fiction book. It has great reviews. It is about a girl named Pandora who is thirteen years old and is experiencing tough times with her family, dealing with not being allowed to leave her house, while knowing that her dad is out until midnight, and having a step-mom that is only 10 years older then her! Many of these things were common for girls Pandora's age in Ancient Greece.

The book connects to our social studies curriculum because it takes place in ancient Greece and explores topics that are historically accurate. For example, Pandora has an arranged marriage at age fourteen, which causes many of the problems for her in the story. Some of the chapters were very exciting, I enjoyed the part where she met Phoenix and she simply knew that he was "the one" for her; he was the one she wanted to marry. Also, early in the story she meets "The Wise One," who is really Socrates and he became somewhat of a teacher for Pandora. He is later sentenced to death, which also connects to historical fact. Since we are learning about ancient Greece and Rome, the reading in Pandora connects with our studies!

I wouldn't choose to read a historical fiction book because I like comedies and light-hearted stories. For school, however, this book was great and it connected really well to our lessons in class!

Pandora of Athens

Pandora of Athens is about a thirteen-year-old girl who is going to have to marry her cousin, who is twice as old as she is. This book takes place in Athens, Greece in 399 B.C. Pandora really wants to become more of the community by helping other people. Women back then had to pull the water out of the well and do the cleaning. Hauling water up from the well was hard but Pandora enjoyed it. One day she went down to the well to pull up the water and there was a man named Socrates who changed her life. He gave Pandora hope. Pandora's bother was always getting to do cool things but know she wanted a turn. Socrates said that women should work and not just sit at home knitting. The rich theme of pursuing your dreams is great, but the book was slow and boring to read. Pandora of Athens could be a better read if the author made the plot go faster, and made the characters more colorful.

It was a great book I thought. It talked lots about her feelings, and than this guy changed her life just like in "Pharoah's Daughter."

This other guy named Socrates he ends up going to jail i did not get that part in the book.But it was a pretty good book I say

by Tyra

This book is about a young girl named Pandora who is adjusting to becoming a women. I like this book because it is based on real life and what can really happen instead of somthing made up. I would recommend this book to other people because it is a good story and I learned some stuff about another place in the world while reading it.

By : Brea-Lynn