Customer Reviews

The World Above (Once Upon a Time)

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

 

 

I *love* the Once Upon a Time Series and Cameron Dokey's work is particularly brilliant. However, this book was just not good. It was just plain boring! I usually can polish off one of these books in one sitting, but I started this one a few days after it came out and I still haven't finished.

My favorites in the Once Upon a Time Series: The Rose Bride, The Storyteller's Daughter, Water Song, Snow.

I smell a story that is not dumb! I love and collect the Once Upon a Time books, and this one did not fail to satisfy! It left me looking up when the next one comes out (unfortunatly, I couldn't find anything.)

All throughout Gen's entire life, her mother has been telling her and her twin brother stories about the World Above, the land they truly belong in, and of the misdeeds that led to their exile in the Wolrd Below. Gen has never really thought of the stories as anything more than bedtime tales, but Jack believes them wholeheartedly. So when Jack trades the family cow for seven magical beans and a magical beanstalk grows from one of the beans, Gen's skepticism turns into belief. But then Jack is kidnapped by an evil duke, and it is up to Gen to travel to the land she only just now believes in and rescue him.

The World Above is an imaginative and fresh retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. Dokey proves herself a clever writer with the rearrangement of the old tale to accommodate a spunky, if not reluctant, heroine and two different worlds--one 'Above', and one 'Below'. Like with many fairy tales, the true love happens with a snap of the finger, unexpected heroes and heroines nobly rise to the occasion, and the villain is quick to admit his mistakes and accept defeat when cornered. Nonetheless, all of the favorite elements of the story are present, and with a smart ending and a lesson on nobility and love and faith, The World Above is a great story for readers in want of a story more involved and complicated than the simple fairy tale.

The World above is the retelling of the widely known tale, Jack and the Beanstalk. But what you didn't know is that Jack has a sister, Gen, and she is the real hero of the story.

Jack and Gen are twins. They are raised by their mother who tells them stories of the mythical place she came from, The World Above. She was exiled as a young woman and has no way to get home. When an old woman gives Jack magic beans, everyone sees them for what they are: a way to return to the World Above. It's also proof that Mother's stories were more than just stories. Jack, eager for adventure, climbs the beanstalk to find a way to return his family to what is rightfully theirs. When time goes by and Jack doesn't return, Gen knows it's up to her to save her brother.

But wait, there's more. Along the way, Gen meets, Robin, a prince who lives in the forest, steals from the rich and gives to the poor. That's right, Robin Hood meets Jack in the Beanstalk.

I must say at first I was a little irritated, but soon I was delighted. The stories mesh seamlessly, and no mention of "Robin Hood," "Merry Men," or "Little John," is anywhere in the book. For some reason, that satisfied me. Dokey's writing is, as always, smooth and flowing. She masterfully creates a vision with only a few sentences. Gen is a serious young woman who points out her own flaws and does not apologize for them. The characters are interesting, the story is short and sweet. Nicely done.

I'll freely admit I have no love for the original Jack and the Beanstalk tale. It bothered me that Jack could be so thoughtless when he knew so much was at stake. Plus I felt it taught a bad moral lesson; do irresponsible things and things turn out better! However I'm a big fan of the Simon and Schuster line of "Once Upon a Time" novels, and Cameron Dokey as an author in specific, so I was content to read this novel.

I wouldn't say The World Above blew me away, or made me rethink how I felt about the original tale, but I enjoyed Dokey 's interpretation of the events. Told through the eyes, and practical nature, of Jack's twin sister Gen, we learn the 'truth' behind the fairy tale. Jack isn't much different from his normal self; still flighty, still a day dreamer, still thinking of the next big thing instead of mundane matters. Gen is the practical one, the one who plans and lists and strives to keep the family together through all their hardships. Along the path of the novel the two learn to compromise their extreme bi-polarity in natures, but in the end its Gen's practical, planning side that wins the day.

Mixed in with the Jack and the Beanstalk tale is also pieces of Robin Hood's legend. He has his merry band, he lives in the forest and robs from the rich to give to the poor. I thought this was a nice touch, gave Gen's love interest something other then being that guy who you think the worse of at first. The scenes in the forest are some of my favorite I think for this reason. Robin's interactions with his 'people' are charismatic, firm and tinged with hope. He doesn't lie to them or lead them falsely.

My only complaint is that the characters as a whole felt shallow. Shannon and Sean are compassionate people, who try their best to keep the people's spirits alive as their father did, but very little is said beyond this. Perhaps because of the small nature of the novel (just over 200 pages), this is the reason, but I would have liked to know more about Duke Guy--for such a ruthless, cut throat man he caves awfully quickly. I can't believe 16 years changed him from a blood thirsty, power hungry usurper to a terrified old man easily bested by a slip of a girl.

Still, this version of the tale is the version I want to believe. I don't want to believe that Jack is as careless as the original tale would have us believe after all.

It's jake and the bean stalk with a twist and it's a fun one at that. It's got a little Robin Hood in the mix so it's fun and exciting. With happy ends for all.

3.5 stars

Based on Jack & the Beanstalk (and little bit of Robin Hood thrown in)

Everyone knows the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. Where Jack climbed up a beanstalk and found a giant's castle, stole the goose that laid the golden eggs, ran for dear life and killed the giant by cutting down the beanstalk. But you don't know all of the story. Did you know Jack had a twin sister? In Cameron Dokey's retelling of this pretty well known tale, Jack's sister, Gentian des Jardins, takes the lead.

Jack and Gen lived with their mother on their barely thriving farm. Poor and desperate, they decided to sell their only, precious cow. Jack took it to market and returned home with a few beans. Instead of being outraged, their mother wept with happiness. For these were magic beans that lead to the World Above, where she was originally from! Their mother told them of their true heritage and Jack, being the most impetuous, decided to go and get back what was rightfully theirs. Gen wasn't sure. But when her brother disappears for far too long, it was Gen's turn to put on her adventure cap and find out about the World Above.

Dokey did an amazing job of creating a plot that was interesting and different, especially if you never really liked the original story. However, the page limit just plain ruin what could be great potential. There wasn't much time to develop the true meat of the story, which I would say would be third half of the book (when you finally reached the World Above and meet Robin). I think Dokey spent too much time in the first few chapters trying to relate her story with Jack's story and overdeveloping Gen's obvious practicality. I get it. She's the down to earth one. Jack is the flighty one. Overall, I liked the characters. Everyone had their own story that differentiated each person, but like another reviewer had stated, there wasn't much room for character development. Because once you're introduce to a character, that's it. They don't grow and seem pretty useless to the advancement of the plot. And what would fairy tale be without a little romance? I emphasized little here. I wished there was more development between Gen and Robin. I felt that they had to fall in love in order to have the perfect ending. I do believe in love at first sight but considering she's the practical one, it feels far-fetched. I would have liked a little cheesy hand holding and little kissing just to show that they had some chemistry. All in all, I felt the story took a little long in starting and too fast in ending. If only if the story was longer . . .

The reason I leaned towards 3 stars than 4 was because it was just an okay book. It could have been better. I did enjoy the read. I didn't feel it was a waste of my time. But if you haven't read it, you are not missing much. Only get this if you are completing your Once Upon a Series collection, need a filler book for free shipping or it's on sale. My final verdict: this tale can be a hit or miss.

This was a fun to read great retelling! Who knew Jack had such a cool sister!

I realized going into this that The World Above is intended to be a light, fluffy read for young teens. The entire Once Upon A Time series is all made up of fairy tale books retold in a literary manner within a relatively sanitary and safe fairy tale world. Even knowing all this I still took issue with the book because, well, it's boring.

In The World Above Jack has a twin sister who is the main character of the book. All of the Once Upon A Time books have a female protagonist. Following things from her point of view proves... dull. Jack leaves on the adventure while Gen, the sensible one, stays at home. Weeks pass where Jack climbs a beanstalk, meets a giant and his beautiful normal sized sister, discovers the charged political environment of a different magical world, and brings back a magical goose and sack. But we are not following Jack, we are following Gen. So while all of that is going on "off camera" we are told in great detail about Gen's adventures cooking, cleaning, sewing, gardening, and making lists for next years harvest. This proves to contain all of the adventure and excitement one expects from watching paint dry.

But wait, it gets worse. When Jack leaves a second time to attempt to gain the harp from the evil king who killed Jack and Gen's father he doesn't return. Gen must go on an adventure herself. She climbs her own beanstalk and immediately meets the giant's beautiful sister. Her brother the giant left with Jack to get the harp and they have both been missing for weeks. So the girls set off together on an adventure and things risk becoming exciting. Thankfully we dodge this bullet as the girls are captured by, wait for it, Robin and his band of merry men.

Well, it's not really Robin, but its an excellent attempt to mash up the fairy tale and the legend. It's actually Robert the evil king's son who has changed his name to Robin because no one will suspect he is the king's son with a different name, amirite? He then ran away to hide in the woods and now steals money from the rich to give to the poor. He also, by the way, takes over Gen's little adventure and runs things from here on out. The book makes painfully careful attempts to not be sexist in either word or thought but the actions scream it at every turn.

I won't spoil the ending but it actually does manage to get even worse from here. The ending itself manages to make the entire lead up to it seem like over reaction and needless melodrama, pain, and suffering. It's really, really bad. Even the epilogue after it that attempts to wrap up the plot holes still manages to miss a few.

That being said, If I was in elementary school, or maybe even middle school, this book would have rocked my world. For a teen book it really seems to me to be more written at that level. For younger, reluctant readers who are into fairy tales this series will probably work out well. For me though there is a difference between keeping it light and safe for the helicopter parents out there and boring the kid out of their mind with a story too shy and careful to liven up the pages.

this book had a really boring beginning. the story did pick up though, once they climbed the beanstalk. i only give it three stars because, like i said, it's only an ok book.