Review: Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz

Author: Melissa de la Cruz

Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Number of Pages: 320

Synopsis:

"Twenty years ago, all the evil villains were banished from the kingdom of Auradon and made to live in virtual imprisonment on the Isle of the Lost. The island is surrounded by a magical force field that keeps the villains and their descendants safely locked up and away from the mainland. Life on the island is dark and dreary. It is a dirty, decrepit place that's been left to rot and forgotten by the world.
But hidden in the mysterious Forbidden Fortress is a dragon's eye: the key to true darkness and the villains' only hope of escape. Only the cleverest, evilest, nastiest little villain can find it...who will it be?
Maleficent, Mistress of the Dark: As the self-proclaimed ruler of the isle, Maleficent has no tolerance for anything less than pure evil. She has little time for her subjects, who have still not mastered life without magic. Her only concern is getting off the Isle of the Lost.
Mal: At sixteen, Maleficent's daughter is the most talented student at Dragon Hall, best known for her evil schemes. And when she hears about the dragon's eye, Mal thinks this could be her chance to prove herself as the cruelest of them all.
Evie: Having been castle-schooled for years, Evil Queen's daughter, Evie, doesn't know the ins and outs of Dragon Hall. But she's a quick study, especially after she falls for one too many of Mal's little tricks.
Jay: As the son of Jafar, Jay is a boy of many talents: stealing and lying to name a few. Jay and Mal have been frenemies forever and he's not about to miss out on the hunt for the dragon's eye.
Carlos: Cruella de Vil's son may not be bravest, but he's certainly clever. Carlos's inventions may be the missing piece in locating the dragon's eye and ending the banishment for good.
Mal soon learns from her mother that the dragon's eye is cursed and whoever retrieves it will be knocked into a deep sleep for a thousand years. But Mal has a plan to capture it. She'll just need a little help from her "friends." In their quest for the dragon's eye, these kids begin to realize that just because you come from an evil family tree, being good ain't so bad."

I started reading this book because I saw the commercial on Disney Channel for the movie... yeah I know, but I'm a kid at heart. Anyways, I thought the concept was very original, and while there have been books with Disney adaptations I had never read one solely based on the villains.

I thought the book had an amazing plot, and very interesting characters. My favorite character was either Jay or Carlos. Jay was a more funny and upbeat character, but it was also interesting to see how damaged Carlos was yet still who I believe was able to push the plot forward. What I liked the most about this book was that since it was omniscient I knew what all the characters were thinking and feeling in one scene, and it gave me a deeper understanding of the characters and didn't confuse me at all.

Also, the plot didn't drag at all. Although, I did feel as though throughout the entire book we were learning more about the characters, so I felt as though the characterization aspect never left the book. I'm completely okay with that especially because now that I really understand the characters, and I think the next book will be more action and more interesting in relation to the entire plot and character interactions.

I overall loved this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves (or loved) Disney. Also, I'm very excited for the next book and the movie coming on Disney channel this summer, so if any of you guys are interested make sure you check both of those out!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars