Avalon High

I'll admit, I am not too terribly familiar with Meg Cabot's work. I have read the Mediator series (loved it!) but was never able to get into some of the other books she has written. This book was passed on to me by a friend who claimed it was awesome and I had to read it. She was completely right. I had no idea what exactly to expect from this book. It takes a chapter or two before the reader can really get into it, but once it starts rolling, I dare any reader to put it down without a fight. The book offers the mystique of the King Arthur legend paired with modern day teen drama. Cabot's characters are strong and the main character, Elle, is witty and charming. The plot plays out in a way that grabs the reader's attention and keeps it all the way to the last page. "Avalon High" also features a great and somewhat unexpected ending. Cabot's modern day Arthurian novel is well written and an alluring Young Adult novel. This book is very different and, let's face it, the concept is just plain cool.

Fans of Aruthurian Legend, Young Ault Lit, and Romance/Fantasy will love this book. The characters are multi-dimensional, and have strong personalities and voices-great writing!

Ellie Harris has never been one of the popular kids, so when Will Wagner, captain of the football team and class president at Avalon High, becomes strangely drawn to her, Ellie begins to wonder if she's moved into the twilight zone and not just to Annapolis. If having Will after her wasn't weird enough Ellie begins seeing similarities between the students of Avalon High and the characters in the old King Arthur legends. Could Will's beautiful girlfriend, Jennifer, be Queen Guinevere? Well, his best friend, Lance, sure would fit the bill for Lancelot. When life at Avalon High starts playing out just like the legend, Ellie becomes concerned for Will's life and even her own. Isn't she named after Elaine of Shalott, who ends up killing herself at the end of the poem?! Avalon High is one of Meg Cabot's finest, and with books such as the Princess Dairies and All American Girl before it, that's saying a lot! Meg Cabot has had two of the books in her Princess Dairies series made into Disney movies and the 1-800-Missing book series is now a Lifetime TV series. Avalon High is one of those books that takes an old story and turns it upside down and inside out until it's a brand new story! The characters are "real" and exciting, They seem like modern teens, while always staying true to their Arthurian counterparts. One of my favorite things is the snips of the poem "The Lady of Shalott" before each chapter. Meg Cabot obviously did her research. I would have liked to have seen a little more of the legend's characters such as Merlin, Sir Gawain or some of the other nights of the round table, but even without them it's still a fantastic book. I would recommend this book to fans of King Arthur, fans of Meg Cabot and book worms of all ages. -Rebekah R.

I could NOT put this down-it's completely faultless AND I literally could not put this down!!! Ellie's folks are both professors who have taken a year off to write books. They've moved from Minnesota to Annapolis. Ellie loves to float on the pool and go running, and it's on her first run she runs into Will...cue love at first sight, and the discovery that Will might actually be the latest re-incarnation of King Arthur-you know-the Camelot guy, and is in grave danger... Each chapter opens with a verse from Tennyson's 'The Lady of Shallot' (whom Ellie-short for Elaine, is named after-but is she really the reincarnation of her? Will she meet her end in the water?) poem that provides a kind of clue to the chapter it precedes. The book itself is about the same length of the first Harry Potter-it'll be intruiging to see how the sequels (if there are to be any-although come on, this is Meg-there probably will be) develop. It's enchanting, gripping, cliff-hangering-and the hint of romance is oh so sweet (no mention of sex-just heart pounding and kissing...) FABULOUS. Get it, read it, re-read it and wish to find your own knight someday...Guys should totally read this too. (okay, maybe not in public, but still...)

After moving to Annapolis so her parents can take a sabbatical to write, Ellie enrolls in Avalon High. Life seems ordinary, with her greatest thrill coming from floating on her pool. However, there is something going on around her that is vaster in scope than anything the girl could imagine, and she plays an integral part. The star quarterback catches her eye when she espies him sitting on a rock in a valley and soon they become friends, but she's not a golden girl, so that's all it can be, right? Besides, A. Will Wagner has a girl friend, Jennifer, who unbeknownst to him is cheating with his best friend, Lance, the guy Ellie (Elaine's) English teacher seems bent on getting her together with for at least a term paper, if not more. It would seem that the teacher is a modern Merlin and is trying to make King Arthur's story play out with a happy ending. There's just one or two problems, his majesty is more interested in the Lily Maid, and neither Lance nor Elaine have much use for each other. However, Mordred is all too happy to play out his role, and that could bring back the Dark Ages, if he succeeds. ***** Not since Peter David brought Camelot into the modern world has there been such a fun version. The paranormal aspect is only a subtext until near the end, but when it comes to fore, it does so in a big way. If you need a feel good read, this is just what the doctor ordered. ***** Amanda Killgore