Customer Reviews

The Undrowned Child

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Flipping through the pages of "The Undrowned Child" before settling in to begin reading, I came across the following passage:

------------------

It was then, as if sensing that Teo had reached her lowest point,

that "The Key to the Secret City" began to introduce her to its

own circle of acquaintances.

Those acquaintances were ghosts.

------------------

I knew then and there that I was in good hands.

"The Undrowned Child" is a wondrous tale of mermaids & magic, courage & cowardice, terrible evil & unselfish good, and deeds both dastardly & courageous. In the year 1899, an orphaned girl returns to the city she was born in (all unknowing), and takes up a destiny she was unaware of, battling an ancient evil which threatens to destroy that Adriatic jewel, Venice. If elements of that theme sound familiar, on the eve of the opening of the final installment of the cinematic version of the Harry Potter saga, know this: Within a seemingly similar general framework, author Michelle Lovric has woven a highly original tale which will captivate readers of all ages (and which may well boost Venetian tourism considerably!).

Though somewhat macabre in parts, to the extent that parents of children of 10 or 11 -- the same age as the heroine of the tale, Teodora -- may wish to read the book themselves and decide if they are comfortable with this tale in their child's hands, but ages 12 or 13 and up will thrill at the courage of the story's brave young heroine, and her allies, and shiver at the dangers she faces as she battles to save Venice from the ancient foe which threatens to -- literally -- swallow the city.

Interwoven throughout the story are tidbits -- nuggets and chunks, in fact -- of real Venetian history, places, and people. The author obviously knows the city well (to her joy) and is delighted to take her readers along for the ride through Venice's canals, streets, and back alleys. It is a ride well worth taking, in my opinion.

I titled my review "A fulfilling read for imaginative kids" but I believe teens & adults would find this book equally enjoyable.

The story is well crafted with enough unexpected & mysterious twists and turns to keep a reader on their toes. Descriptions of characters and glimpses by the author into their inner motivations make them more human. These insights are definitely that of a worldly adult but, I believe, are part of what make reading so beneficial for children. The snobbish Maria's character, for example, is given a depth of understanding rather than left as just the stereotypical 'pretty, snobby girl.' "For all her dressing like a miniature adult, Maria was young for her age, and, Theo suspected, also rather unhappy. If that boy was up to no good, then Maria would be vulnerable to flattery" (p45).

The book allows its characters to take on a life, to break their molds and grow in a realistic fashion even if it's a fantasy setting. This book will certainly appeal to fans of Harry Potter and is just as well crafted by the author. The typical fantasy plot of "an old, powerful evil is rising" is still made enjoyable by all the fresh ideas Ms. Lovric brings to light. Theo herself possesses all the makings of a great heroine: she is intelligent, courageous, and prone to human foibles that she must learn to overcome as a part of her growth.

I will definitely be recommending this book to others.

As I read this book, I realized just how little I really knew about Venice. I am a voracious reader but somehow my experiences have inadvertently kept me away from books set in this fascinating city. I admit I was first drawn to the book by the cover, then by the setting and finally by the mention of fantastical creatures, especially mermaids which are of high interest of late. The book didn't disappoint. The story is summarized elsewhere so I won't do that here. I started reading it without caring because the above mentioned features were enough of a draw for me. I enjoyed the main characters, Teo and Renzo, even more than I expected. I loved the setting. I enjoyed the history. I was entertained and I learned much during my reading.

One of the loveliest aspects of the book was an appendix with sections of "Places and Things in The Undrowned Child that you can still see in Venice" and "What is true, and what's made up?" It kept me from having to interrupt my reading to go look up so much for I always want to know more when I read books like this. Recommended for fantasy fans, especially if they like their fantasy mixed with historical fiction. Yes, it's aimed at younger readers, but adults with interests in the genre just may enjoy it more...

I got an advanced reading copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program. I love historical fantasies, especially ones set in Europe, so this sounded like an excellent read to me. In general I really enjoyed the story, all of the history, the fantastical creatures, and the Venice setting.

Teodora has always longed to visit Venice. Finally her scientific parents are called to help with the problem of Venice sinking and Teo is allowed to accompany them. There Teo is hit on the head by a mysterious book and drawn into the world between the layers of Venice; it is a world where mermaids print propoganda fliers, cats talk, and the very fate of Venice is at stake. Can Teo, with the help of the studious Renzo, save Venice before the whole city is destroyed and succumbs to absolute evil?

There were a lot of things I really liked about this book. I loved how much history is entwined with this story, I love even more that the author tells the reader which parts were real history and which were fabricated in the Afterward. I love the shear scope of fantastical creatures that enter this story: there are mermaids, werewolves, vampire eels, giant talking cats, winged lions, and more. Teo herself is an admirable heroine and Renzo also grows on you as the story continues. I also enjoyed the epic struggle between good and evil that takes place in this story.

The plot is complex and takes a while to set up. I think it took a little too long to set up. As a reader you get the basics of the plot pretty quick; Teo has to save Venice from ultimate destruction. The plot stalled a bit in the middle for me. It always seemed like there was one more thing Teo and Renzo had to do before the epic end battle, and it was drawn out a bit too long. My only other complaint was that some times things were thrown into the story with little reason; for example in the end battle there are suddenly dark elves present and I was like...huh?...when did they get here? These little extras made the story increasingly complicated without adding much to the overall story, they also made the writing seem a bit scattered at times.

Overall this was an excellent historical fantasy of epic proportions. I loved learning the history of Venice and about the city itself. I loved the wonderful fantastical creatures that Teo dealt with. Teo and Renzo were excellent characters and it was fun to watch them solve mysteries together. My only complaints are that the story lagged a bit in the middle and little things were added in that made the story a bit too scattered and complicated. If you cut a hundred pages out of the middle and consolidated some of the mini-quests that Teo and Renzo went through mid-book, this would be a perfect read. I did like the book overall. It should be appropriate for middle grade or older readers (although it is a bit dark with talk of torture and lots of battle scenes). Readers who enjoy historical fantasy should find this book especially engaging.

Undrowned Child

Aside from the works of Mark Twain, I haven't read many children's books since my own daughters entered high school. I ordered this unedited proof copy as a part of my Amazon Vine obligation, partly because I hoped to critique/review the illustrations, even though I was certain that the chances of a publisher spending money on color printing for review copies was not cost effective.

Alas my true logic was correct; there was no art unless you count an elaborate black and white chapter header repeated for each chapter.

I had no sense that I might like the book because I seldom read even adult fiction. Never the less I decided to plow into it because that was my obligation to Amazon, so plow I did.

I am now glad I did for several reasons; one of which being that the evening before tackling The Undrowned Child, I had watched on PBS new version of Oliver Twist. The language in this preteen teen novel especially among the mermaids, somewhat reflected those Cockney accents which attracted me; and so I read on and found that I liked the story, and the manner in which it was told. We will soon see that the creatures are split into those pro-Venice and those out to destroy her and all of those who defend her.

The action takes place over a short period of days and the children's eloquent language skills contrasted so beautifully with the broken edged language of the sea dwellers that I was further drawn into reading on.

The story winds its way around an Eleven-year-old child, one Teodora "Teo" Gasperin who loves Venice, though she lives not far away in Naples with her parents who adopted her, and who are scientists. During a trip to Venice with her parents to a convention Teo finds that her enthusiasm for Venice may be what I would call fate/Karma.

In Teo's visit to a bookstore she is conked on the heard by a falling book. The clues given her by this book, The Keys to The Sacred City leads her to a hospital within which oddities appear to be the norm but she is able to work her way through them to emerge at a place which appears to be, "between the Linings." In the midst of her attempts to apply logic to the illogical she meets a boy name of Renzo. Together she and her new friend methodically begin to unwrap the secrets of a strange book she carries with her, which seems to apply to both of them. I will not giveaway too much of the story, but what they do learn is that they, much like King Arthur, are tied to the ground (or in this case the actual water which they love and that the existence of Venice may well be in their little hands as a treasonous villain is out to destroy the ancient city some 500 years after his death

The visual images conjured up by the author in this book are quite remarkable. It is set primarily in/under, the water, and quite naturally sea creatures abound. Ghosts are also plentiful; some are evil and some are saviors. Their respective roles will leave readers guessing as to their motivation toward a positive or negative goal. This is a powerful and thoroughly enjoyable book, and the reader, if he/she like such adventure must be hoping that The Undrowned Child is but the first in a series of such books.

I thought that the use of the last name of the great Italian painter Giambatista Tiepolo was a hoot of a name for a villain. However, just as interesting was the choice of the first name of Lorenzo The Magnificent of The House of Medici is applied to one of the heroes trying to save Venice from the control of Bajamonte Tiepolo. In the control of Tiepolo are an army consisting of vampires, Ghosts, pirates, eels and a sea monster, which desire to wreck the city. All of this because he had been banished 500 from the great city and now he seeks retribution, vengeance, revenge. Once

Once the story gets rolling the action is non-stop and filled with oddball characters, beings and things that might otherwise seem absurdities in a less well-crafted book. Venice is one of my favorite places, and here it becomes the center of turmoil, which is just a tad short of a cosmic struggle for survival.

Is it a children's book? Yes and maybe no, depends on the child's age and maturity, but certainly most teens and many pre-teens would be fine with it I think. I am certain can figure that out. Adventurous preteens, teens, and even a good many adults may become its future readership and I believe that a sequel is probably well on its way to a production release in time for the Holiday season if my sources are correct.

This author blends adventure, humor, suspense, action and unforgettable characters into a whopping good and fun story for kids and some adults. What a great idea to center the story in the City known variously as the "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Bridges", and "The City of Light". There in Italy, there are so many possibilities, so many advantages, so many oddities and inconsistencies, and yet, startlingly enough, so much beauty and consistency, that it is the ideal place for a great new series of adventure stories.

As the sales on this volume grow and if the second book is even nearly as excellent, we may see a brand new children's bestseller and perhaps even some movie activity by next spring.

Hope I get to review the sequel as well.

The short version? People will probably compare this to books like Harry Potter. In a generic sense it could be fair - There's a bad guy who is cursed, there is magic afoot, and really for all practical purposes only the children are useful in saving the world they care about (here that world is simply the city of Venice), there are some fantasy creatures and it's a fairly long story for a childrens book.

On the other hand The Undrowned story takes place in Venice and attempts to drop us right there next to Teo and her sidekick Renzo making sure we see the city just as well as we see the kids and the characters they bump into along the way (after the book ends, the author gives us an extended tour explaining what in the book is based on fact - how loosely, what structures we can see to this day, etc).

The violence in HP tends to be, well, magical. There is much of that here too... However, the author also takes us back to the days where fairy tales were scary and where we didn't try to shelter the wee ones in random ways - no these children know quite well of the butcher who eats children and in fact stumble upon him making for both a character and scene that could be quite scary for the younger readers this books targets.

This is definitely one of those books that can get kids interested in reading. Sadly there were a few sections that felt as though they dragged on a wee bit too much and as is common with so many stories lately, it makes up for it by having a quick final battle scene. Being that stereotypical cliched kind of plot is the only reason I'm knocking it down to 4 stars. Otherwise Teo and Renzo's adventures through Venice are exciting. These children are not afraid of being outcast (mainly for being smart) and it is refreshing, yet they're still compassionate with others - even to the bullies and bad guys, yet not so weak that they can't stand up for themselves. They experience mermaids, ghosts, vampiric eels, pirates, humans turning to well... hideous creatures... etc. Yeah it's a full on fantasy adventure and most importantly (to me) it did not feel as though the author was just rushing a partial book in order to collect on a series as so many seem to do after the popularity of so many other series lately - this is a complete book that does not leave you hanging by the end, yet if she really wanted to write another later, she could.

Young Teodora, adopted child of Italian academics, has long dreamed of a visit to Venice. She doesn't know why she feels so drawn to the city or, for that matter, why her parents have always opposed such a visit, but when the opportunity arises for her family to travel there, she is overjoyed.

What does she find? The book had initially opened with a prologue of a family disaster some years earlier. An entire family was drowned on a foggy night. Obviously, from the title, you can get an idea of what is coming.

This book leads us down a path of mermaids, secret histories of the city, amazing librarians, as Teodora and young Renzo (a Venetian boy she meets) try to save the city from a disaster that has perculated up from both its lagoons and its history!!

This book is sure to be a classic among children's literature! It honestly reminds me of some of the best Victorian childrens books!

Michelle Lovric has written an involving children's novel, combining history, mystery, petty grievances, and an epic battle against a truly repugnant enemy. Teo and Renzo are engaging characters, who behave in much the same manner as do many children of my acquaintance-initially trying to show the other how much smarter they are, and eventually realizing that in order to succeed at their appointed task, they need to rely on each other. Maria, one of the secondary characters, is a typical 'mean girl', focusing on appearances and chasing boys, but really just want attention from her parents-and negative attention is better than nothing. Venice is also a main player in the tale, with her history and legends being a strong thread running throughout the narrative.

For a story set in the late 1890s, the language and behavior of the characters is often anachronistic, but is suitable for children and does not detract from the flow of the plot. Humor and comedic side plots also add to the enjoyment many children will derive from Lovric's novel, however, the incidents and endings of some individuals in the story may disturb sensitive readers.

I, like the first reviewer, am not in the target age group for this book. My children, however, are, and I may edit this review after receiving their feedback.

I am a mom of 4th grade twin boys, and am also a substitute teacher in a 5th/6th grade school. My twins are reading well above grade level, and read a LOT, so I am always looking for a new author to recommend to them, and I always want to keep up with what the kids are reading in school.

As an adult, I enjoyed this book a lot. The descriptive writing is amazing. You can feel the love and care the author took to describe Venice to the best of her ability. The protagonist was interesting, and the plot was full of excitement and fantasy elements. I am a bit of a grammar witch, and I found nothing, even in the ARC version, that annoyed me as far as errors or poor choices.

However, I'm a little curious/concerned as to the target audience of the book. With the length and the word choices, it definitely is not a "young reader" book. I've found, though, that the 11-year-olds that I know are much more interested in books about older teens, as I was at that age. Most kids seem to prefer to read books about kids older than they are, for whatever reason. (For example, my kids read the Wimpy Kid books, set in 6th grade, when they were in 3rd, and most 6th graders I see are reading The Hunger Games or Twilight or even adult novels...)

This worries me for this book, because I don't see the 6th graders liking it all that well as far as the plot, which is exciting, but not grown-up, or even what I'd classify as Young Adult. Still, you couldn't give it to anyone much younger than 4th grade because of the vocabulary and length. I was NOT surprised to read the author blurb and find that all her previous books were for adults. This seems like a common mistake for first time children's authors.

However, I did lend it to a 5th grade family friend (a girl - I also don't see my boys liking this all that well - it just "feels" like a girl book) and we'll see what she thinks.

As I said, I did really like it myself. If you have a strong 3rd or 4th grade reader, or a 5th/6th grader who hasn't moved on to YA, I'd definitely recommend it for them.

This is a classic sort of heroic tale of an orphaned child who discovers that her destiny is to save Venice. Alas, the promise of magical things ahead isn't quite delivered upon; there's something labored about it that sucks much of the life out of what should sparkle and intrigue.

The child in question is a reader, and I'm always thrilled to find a child protagonist who is, though I expect that it's in the nature of preaching to the choir. In all, I'd say that it might well appeal to a child, but for a fantasy-loving adult who does enjoy some juvenile fiction, this book doesn't quite work.