City of the Beasts by Isabel Allende

Overall Rating: 4 out of 10
     City of the Beasts by Isabel Allende tells the story of Alexander Cold, an ordinary boy whose mother has just been diagnosed with cancer. Alex is sent off to live with his resentful grandmother Kate, who takes him on a trip to the Amazon, for she is writing a story on a mythical beast that supposedly roams the forest. On the way there, the pair meets up with other characters such as Dr. Omayra Torres, a doctor that doles out vaccines to isolated Indian tribes. They also meet Cesar Santos and his daughter, Nadia, whom Alex quickly befriends. Then the group departs to the heart of the Amazon, where Alex and Nadia are captured by a native Indian tribe, the People of the Mist. There, they set off on a spiritual, life-changing adventure to help Alex's mother, the People of the Mist, and the entire world.
     One reason I did not like reading this book was because the plot was very slow at some parts. Multiple times, I felt as if I could skip the next twenty pages without missing exciting parts or vital information. Also, when I was not bored, I was very confused.
     However, when it did speed up, the novel was very interesting. Nadia and Alex's adventure was fascinating, and their experiences with the People of the Mist made me aware of the threatened Amazon forest and ancient cultures today. Additionally, there was a fun group of interesting characters, like Ludovic Leblance, an arrogant scholar, or Boroba, Nadia's pet monkey. Another great thing about this book is the ending. The ending was completely unexpected and will no doubt catch you by surprise.
    This is Isabel Allende's first young readers' novel, and you can certainly detect how she is more adult novel oriented. The style of the writing is very mature, which may contribute to the slightly boring tone. Furthermore, City of the Beasts was originally written in Spanish, and then translated, but one can hardly tell.

     This novel contained a fresh slew of characters, an original plot, and an eye-opening message to protect our planet and animals and preserve ancient cultures. I enjoyed reading City of the Beasts by Isabel Allende, and anyone who likes stories such as The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Tunnels by Roderick Gordon, or The 39 Clues series, will also enjoy City of the Beasts.