Debut review: Avalon High

My very first book review! Well, technically in this site, yes. So forgive me if its not at all good, I'm new to this. I'm not really a fan of writing long reviews that will eventually bore the reader (and spoil them, most of the time.) So here it goes...

Title: Avalon High
Author: Meg Cabot
Pages: 304

Summary:

Avalon High, I was starting to think, might not be so bad after all.

Maybe it's not where Ellie wants to be, but if you have to start at a new school, Avalon High is typical enough: There's Lance, the jock. Jennifer, the cheerleader. And Will, senior class president, quarterback, and all-around good guy.

But not everyone at Avalon High is who they appear to be . . . not even, as Ellie is about to discover, herself. As a bizarre drama begins to unfold, Ellie has to wonder, what part does she play in all this? Do the coincidences she's piecing together really mean—as in King Arthur's court—that tragedy is fast approaching for her new friends?

Ellie doesn't know if she can do anything to stop the coming trouble. But somehow, she knows she has to try.

Elaine has professors for parents who are hard core Arthurians, even naming her after the Lady of Shallot. What could be more fitting in this story than have her, going to Avalon High, meeting Lance, who really is Lancelot. Jennifer, who is the reincarnation of Guinevere, and Will, who is the reincarnation of one of the greatest leaders in the legends. And falling for him. Hard.

And then having to find out that there were evil forces that wanted to kill him.

It’s official, I am absolutely in love with Meg Cabot’s writing.

I knew it was worth it when I did a double take and went back to the bookstore and bought this book. Very much worth it.

This book is a really impressive re-telling on the Legend of King Arthur. Though there were no knights, there’s Lancelot, a football guard. Guinevere was a cheerleader, and Arthur was the quarter back, popular, hero of the school.

So how does Elaine, whose only love was to float in the pool all day, going to fit in to this story? Elaine, who totally dislikes anything historical or even remotely related to Arthur. And she refused to believe that she was the Lady of Shallot, who killed herself because Lancelot dumped her for Guinevere.

I couldn’t really hate Jennifer’s character. I loved Guinevere in the movie and cartoons I’ve watched of King Arthur, and her character in this book is just someone who was naturally nice and beautiful. You’ll hate her because you like her so much. She wasn’t mean. And she was a really decent cheerleader.

However, I wished for more Lance exposure. He was the best friend, but even though his presence was there, I felt that there should have been more. That he was shown more prominently throughout the story.

I loved Will right from the start. Even when you’re just reading about him, his personality is really just something you couldn’t really hate. He was like a hero, in every sense. There was a reason he was popular.

I loved Elaine. I love heroines who weren’t helpless and frail and fragile looking. She was the total opposite. I knew she was destined for grander things, so I wasn’t really surprised when it was revealed that she really was The Lady of the Lake, and not the wimpy Elaine she was named after.

My favorite part of the story is this:

“I don’t care about pancakes.”

That has got to be the least romantic line in the book, but when Will said it, it was what made me burst out into giggles and I was officially swooning over him, King Arthur, A. Will Wagner.

I still think his name is weird though. Wagner. Wrapper. Wrangler.

Rating: ★★★★★ : AWESOMENESS! MOAR! MOAR! - I can't believe such a book exists!