The Chaos King (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: book club ladies, giant sloth, giant octopus, The Professor, Roma Radisson, East River (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5–7—Georgie, The Richest Girl in the Universe, is still getting to know her parents after being kidnapped as a baby by a gangster and living in an orphanage her entire childhood. She should be happy, but now she has to deal with self-centered heiresses at her private school and her gangly body that always seems to be going in the wrong direction at the wrong time. While most people can fly, Georgie has the unique talent of being able to become invisible. Odd things start happening to her, like fashion-conscious vampires trying to get into her penthouse apartment at night. Her friend, Bug, has become a celebrity as the best flier and during the filming of a commercial he is briefly dragged into the river by a playful giant octopus. Bug even saves Roma, The Second Richest Girl in the Universe, from a prehistoric giant sloth that takes her up the Empire State Building and will only be lured down with chocolate candies. When Georgie and Bug finally reconnect again, they are determined to save the city by finding The Book of the Undead and the pen that activates its magic. They have help from their pet bird and cat, as well as a book club of elderly women, a volunteer at the public library, and Georgie's all-knowing Polish cook. Renee Raudman skillfully and enthusiastically narrates Laura Ruby's fantasy/adventure (Eos, 2007), giving a unique voice to each character . Readers who like action, humor, and fantastical turns of events will like this unusual adventure that is full of unique characters and seemingly random chaos.—Teresa Wittmann, Westgate School, Edmonds, WA
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.

Review

"A fun and fast fantasy ride…Ruby has produced a witty, quick read that’s sure to be a hit." -- School Library Journal

"A wonderful story about how being different can be infinitely preferable to being ordinarily beautiful." -- KLIATT

"Fun [and] fast-paced." -- Chicago Tribune

"Grand amusement for the hip and clever." -- Kirkus Reviews

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 325 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (May 22, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060752580
• ISBN-13: 978-0060752583
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #96,877 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fun quirky tale, December 29, 2007

By	Kim Baccellia, YA author "Kim" (Southern California) - See all my reviews

Georgie is special. She can disappear at will, has discovered her parents and has become The Richest Girl in the Universe.

If she's so special then why does she feel so unlucky?

Her parents have forbidden her to use her ability, she feels awkward, and The Second Richest Girl in the Universe hates her. And what's with her best friend Bug? He now seems too involved with his celebrity status to have anything to do with her.

But just when she thinks no one notices her, a Punk named Mandelbrot invites her to a party. One she has to attend or else.

Along the way she meets vampires who are more interested in poppyseed bagels than blood, a candy-loving sloth, an old ladies book club that puts new meaning to the phrase words have power, living lions of stone, and a fussy man named Mr. Fuss. Weird things are happening in her city and it's up to both her and Bug to find a special book to help set things right.

This is a fun tale with quirky characters. Most of the characters can fly--well, maybe only bounce, except Bug, who can fly. I related with Georgia's wanting to disappear--but then what teen hasn't felt this way? The vampires in this story are hilarious. Who knew that maybe Sesame Street's Court Drac actually might have been right?

This book is sure to appeal to those who love quirky tales.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good second book in series, August 1, 2007

By	J. Tanny (Buffalo, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Chaos King, Laura Ruby's second book about Gurl and Bug, took up right where her first novel, The Wall and the Wing, left off. The cliff hanger from the last chapter of the first book was immediately picked up in this sequel so the adventures start from the very first page.

Ruby did an amazing job bringing in new characters without abandoning all of her old ones. Georgie (formally Gurl) is learning how to be a daughter at the same time she is learning what it means to be the Wall. Bug is craving fame from his good looks to cover up his loneliness. Together the two characters have great chemistry. You can tell from the writing that Ruby likes her main characters and likes writing about them.

The Chaos King was an extremely enjoyable read. I look forward to Laura Ruby's next book in the series