About City of Thirst
When the magical waters of the Pirate Stream begin flooding Marrill’s world, the only way to stop the destruction is to return to the Stream and find the source of the mysterious Iron Tide. Reunited with her best friend Fin–who has been forgotten all over again–Marrill, her disbelieving babysitter, and the Enterprising Kraken crew must make the treacherous trek to the towering, sliding, impossible world of Monerva and uncover the secrets of its long-lost wish machine. Only there can Fin wish to finally be remembered. Only there can Marrill wish to save her world and all the people she loves. But to get everything they’ve ever wanted, Marrill and Fin may have to give up on the most important thing they already have: each other.
My Review City of Thirst has been on my reading list since I first read The Map to Everywhere back in 2014. I love the imaginative story world and especially the relationships between characters. Fin, whom the crew continually forgets, and his struggle to become memorable hooked me from page one. I love Marrill and her determined babysitter, Remy, and watching them navigate the foreign world of the Pirate Stream.
I also thought it was really clever that the story opens with a kind of recap in the form of Marrill’s homework assignment which has been corrected by Remy. The essay describes Marrill’s first visit to the Pirate Stream. It gives enough detail to orient readers to this second book whether they’ve read the first one and forgotten it or needed a quick refresher before diving into this second book.
The story explores themes about the value of friendship and what happens when we take each other for granted. It also winds its way into explorations about how desire can be a positive idea when it motivates us to help others but can become a destructive force when we begin to value our own wishes over the needs of others.
Filled with whimsical characters and places, City of Thirst is a great book for fans of adventure and fantasy. I think you could read it without having first read The Map to Everywhere, but honestly, I don’t know why you’d want to, since Map is a fantastic book, too.
Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.
Cultural Elements
Marrill and her babysitter are white characters. Fin is described as a boy with olive skin and dark eyes. The rest of the cast includes made up creatures and races from civilizations along the Pirate Stream.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.
Romance/Sexual Content There’s a bit of boy/girl attraction between a few characters and one almost-kiss. A minor character references and introduces the crew to her “missus.”
Spiritual Content Some references to magic and prophesies. Fin and Marrill search for a wishing machine which can grant any wish. The cost of the wish may be higher than the wish-maker imagines, though. The story explores some themes about the dangers of chasing desire and letting want for something control one’s actions.
Violent Content A fire and a magical stream both threaten Marrill and crew at different times.
I haven’t been to a lot of book events, and I’m starting to regret it. As a pretty deep introvert, I much prefer the part of book blogging where I’m sitting quietly in bed or in a comfy chair with a book and possibly a snack, or, even better, a cat in my lap. But as I start to read multiple books by authors or hear about new authors with great new books, I’ve started wanting to get out there and meet authors and listen to what inspired them or how they write such amazing characters and stories. So… my first foray into the wild was a last-minute trip to Read Up! in Greenville, SC on August 6, 2016. I got some great books and had an awesome time listening to authors speak about writing and what inspired the stories they’ve written. Here are some of the things I learned.
1. Jay Asher is pretty hilarious.
He’s one of those guys where you might not realize he’s funny if you aren’t paying attention. He has that cool sort of dry delivery. I listened to his keynote speech in the morning, and it was absolutely awesome. He breezed by some info about the Thirteen Reasons Why Netflix series that’s coming out and his new book What Light which will be out late this fall. (Can’t wait!)
2. Also– did you catch how Thirteen Reasons Why is written like a suspense novel?
Am I the last person to figure this out? I don’t read much suspense, so maybe that’s why it didn’t immediately jump out at me? As soon as he said it, I was like, ohhhhhh…. YES. And wow, what a difference that made. (My Thirteen Reasons Why review is here.)
3. Prepare before meeting an author.
You know how people react to shocking news in really different ways? Apparently my fangirling is more like my mind going completely and utterly blank and then me standing as still as possible and saying almost nothing besides a few profoundly stupid words. So. *facepalm.*
Okay. So I had a massive headache the morning of the event, but I decided to tough it out and go anyway. Then I was almost late arriving, so I went to the keynote and book signing without that magic elixir some of us call coffee. Let me say that I LOVED Thirteen Reasons Why. I’ve read it more than once, even! But do I tell Jay Asher this? No. I mean, honestly, I figure it’s one of those things that stops really meaning so much if you just say, hey, I loved your book. Like, he’s heard that a million times, right? What I wish I’d done: thought of something specific from the book that REALLY mattered to me. Because I think that would have been more meaningful. Instead, I had him sign a generic autograph because I figured I might give it away on my blog. But…. I’m afraid it may have sounded like all I cared about was capitalizing on how much other people like the book or like I couldn’t have cared less. Which is so untrue. Jay Asher, you are awesome! Forgive my zombie introvertedness. I’ll make cue cards for myself next time.
4. Author Panels = AWESOME!
The next thing I did was go to a panel with Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Ryan Graudin, Carrie Ryan, and Tiffany Schmidt called Bad Blood. This was a great idea. If you have a chance to go to panels like this, DO IT. I loved getting the chance to hear different authors talking about a single topic. Super fun!
5. Jennifer Lynn Barnes only likes music to which she knows all the words. Also, she listens to one song while she writes a particular novel.
All the panelists had a chance to talk about how they use music in their writing process. This stuck out to me, though. I think it’s cool and also funny. I don’t typically listen to music while I write (I find the words distracting) but I wondered if listening to one song again and again would work for me. I might try it.
6. Ryan Graudin had me at Social Justice.
Listening to her talk about living overseas in Cambodia and how that inspired her to write The Walled City made me want to ask her so many more questions. I have an ebook copy of Wolf Road and bought and asked her to sign a paperback copy of The Walled City, but I haven’t had a chance to read either of those yet. Also, dude. I probably owe her an apology, too, because I zombie-gawked at her, too, instead of having anything coherent or useful to say. Worse, still, I finally found my feet when I talked to Carrie Ryan, who was sitting right next to her, so it probably looked like it was sort of personal. Nooooo. I felt horrible.
7. Carrie Ryan wrote Forest of Hands and Teeth as a NaNoWriMo novel. How cool is that? (Actually, Marissa Meyer wrote Cinder in NaNo, too.)
My coffee must have kicked in as I stood in line to talk to Carrie Ryan. I thought of a specific thing I wanted to tell her, and that made things much easier. What did I say? I told her two things. One, I asked her to sign a copy of The Map to Everywhere for my daughter and explained that I recently realized I’d given copies to her friends as birthday gifts but never gotten her one of her own! Also, I told her (and this is true) that after I read Forest of Hands and Teeth, I lent my copy to a guy at work that I liked. We are married now. She was like, WIN! So that was cool.
8. Tiffany Schmidt writes fairy tales set in crime families.
Before the panel, I hadn’t even heard of her or her books. When she explained what she writes, I was like wait, what?! How cool is that? I bought a copy of Hold Me Like a Breath which is a retelling of The Princess and the Pea in a family that deals in illegal organ transplants. I must read this!
9. Writer’s Block Technique a la Tiffany Schmidt: take a notebook with you on a run and leave it on a table or place you’ll pass. Make a loop. Write down anything you think of re: your problem. Still stuck? Make another loop.
Let me say that I will absolutely be trying this!
10. Look for common themes or structure across the big bestselling books, says Jennifer Lynn Barnes.
Twilight: forbidden love with the threat of death. Take that idea and look at Hunger Games. Pretty similar when you pare it down that far, right? Makes me want to break down other stories and think about them this way. I like how you think, Jennifer Lynn Barnes!
About One Realm Beyond
Cantor D’Ahma waited his whole life for this day. Born with a gift to jump between worlds, the young realm walker is finally ready to leave his elderly mentor and accept his role as protector and defender of the realms.
But mere hours after he steps through his first portal, Cantor discovers that his job will be more dangerous and difficult than he ever imagined. The realms are plagued with crime and cruelty, and even members of the once-noble Realm Walkers Guild can no longer be trusted. To make matters worse, his first assignment—finding a dragon to assist him on his quest—has led him to Bridger, who is clearly inept and won’t leave him alone.
With the help of his new friends Bixby and Dukmee, Cantor must uncover the secrets of the corrupt guild before they become too powerful to be stopped. But his skills aren’t progressing as fast as he would like, and as he finds himself deeper and deeper in the guild’s layers of deceit, Cantor struggles to determine where his true allegiance lies
Wonder by R J Palacio
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on February 14, 2012
About Wonder I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.
August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He’s about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you’ve ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie’s just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, despite appearances?
R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels.
Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee
Published by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers on January 28, 2014
About Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy A modern-day fairy tale set in a mysterious museum that is perfect for readers of Roald Dahl and Blue Balliett.
Unlikely heroine Ophelia Jane Worthington-Whittard doesn’t believe in anything that can’t be proven by science. She and her sister Alice are still grieving for their dead mother when their father takes a job in a strange museum in a city where it always snows. On her very first day in the museum Ophelia discovers a boy locked away in a long forgotten room. He is a prisoner of Her Majesty the Snow Queen. And he has been waiting for Ophelia’s help.
As Ophelia embarks on an incredible journey to rescue the boy everything that she believes will be tested. Along the way she learns more and more about the boy’s own remarkable journey to reach her and save the world.
A story within a story, this a modern day fairytale is about the power of friendship, courage and love, and never ever giving up.
Who Could It Be at This Hour? by Lemony Snicket
Published by Little, Brown and Company on October 24, 2012
About Who Could It Be at This Hour? The adventure began in a fading town. Far from anyone he knew or trusted, a young Lemony Snicket started an apprenticeship for a secret organization shrouded in mystery and secrecy. He asked questions that shouldn’t have been on his mind. Now he has written an account that should not be published that shouldn’t be read. Not even by you. Seriously, we recommend that you do NOT ask your parents for this, the first book in his new ALL THE WRONG QUESTIONS series.
Lemony Snicket, in case you don’t already know, grew up to be the author of A Series of Unfortunate Events series.
Gabriel Finley and the Raven’s Riddle (Gabriel Finley #1) by George Hagen
Published by Random House Children’s/Schwartz and Wade Publishing on August 26, 2014
About Gabriel Finley and the Raven’s Riddle A tangle of ingenious riddles, a malevolent necklace called a torc, and flocks of menacing birds: these are just some of the obstacles that stand between Gabriel and his father, Adam Finley, who has vanished from their Brooklyn brownstone. When Gabriel rescues an orphaned baby raven named Paladin, he discovers a family secret: Finleys can bond with ravens in extraordinary ways. Along with Paladin and three valiant friends, Gabriel sets out to bring his father home. They soon discover that Adam is being held captive by the evil demon Corax—half man, half raven, and Adam’s very own disgraced brother—in a foreboding netherworld of birds called Aviopolis. With help from his army of ghoulish minions, the valravens, Corax is plotting to take over the land above, and now only Gabriel stands in his way.
The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson
Published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers on March 25, 2014
About The Mark of the Dragonfly Piper has never seen the Mark of the Dragonfly until she finds the girl amid the wreckage of a caravan in the Meteor Fields. The girl doesn’t remember a thing about her life, but the intricate tattoo on her arm is proof that she’s from the Dragonfly Territories and that she’s protected by the king. Which means a reward for Piper if she can get the girl home. The one sure way to the Territories is the 401, a great old beauty of a train. But a ticket costs more coin than Piper could make in a year. And stowing away is a difficult prospect–everyone knows that getting past the peculiar green-eyed boy who stands guard is nearly impossible. Life for Piper just turned dangerous. A little bit magical. And very exciting, if she can manage to survive the journey.
Clifton Chase and the Arrow of Light by Jaimie Engle
About Clifton Chase and the Arrow of Light Clifton Chase is the latest target for bully Ryan Rivales. But after he finds a mysterious arrow in his closet, he takes Ryan’s bet to see who can hit the target. Ryan nails the bull’s-eye, but Clifton’s piece of junk arrow sails out of sight and when he finally finds it, something isn’t right. Somehow, Clifton has been magically transported back to 1485 England, where he meets two princes bullied by their tyrant uncle who locked them in prison to steal their throne. Only after Clifton learns the true meaning of friendship, bravery, and sacrifice can he help the princes escape and find the courage to face his own bully. Befriended by a dwarf, a mythical bird called Simurgh, and a cast of comical characters, Clifton’s fantasy adventure through medieval times is perfect for boys and girls of all ages, and the young at heart. For those who like fantasy kids books like Percy Jackson and Harry Potter.
The Map to Everywhere by Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis
Published by Little, Brown Books For Young Readers on November 4, 2014
About The Map to Everywhere Wherever you need to go–the Map to Everywhere can take you there.
To Master Thief Fin, an orphan from the murky pirate world of the Khaznot Quay, the Map is the key to finding his mother. To suburban schoolgirl Marrill, it’s her only way home after getting stranded on the Pirate Stream, the magical waterway that connects every world in creation. With the help of a bumbling wizard and his crew, they must scour the many worlds of the Pirate Stream to gather the pieces of the Map to Everywhere–but they aren’t the only ones looking. A sinister figure is hot on their tail, and if they can’t beat his ghostly ship to find the Map, it could mean the destruction of everything they hold dear!
In New York Times bestselling author Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis’s first installment of a fantastical new series, adventure, magic, and hilarity collide in the treacherous skies and dangerous waters of the Pirate Stream. Heart-pounding escapades and a colorful cast of characters will have readers setting sail through this wholly original and unforgettable tale.
The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer Holm
Published by Random House Children’s on August 26, 2014
About The Fourteenth Goldfish Galileo. Newton. Salk. Oppenheimer.
Science can change the world . . . but can it go too far?
Eleven-year-old Ellie has never liked change. She misses fifth grade. She misses her old best friend. She even misses her dearly departed goldfish. Then one day a strange boy shows up. He’s bossy. He’s cranky. And weirdly enough . . . he looks a lot like Ellie’s grandfather, a scientist who’s always been slightly obsessed with immortality. Could this pimply boy really be Grandpa Melvin? Has he finally found the secret to eternal youth?
Master Thief Fin is used to being forgettable. Moments after meeting him, no one remembers who he is. Until he meets Marrill, that is. Danger lurks around every turn when the two are swept up in a daring quest to find the missing pieces to assemble the Map to Everywhere. Fin hopes the key will lead him to his mother. Marrill simply wants to escape the fickle Pirate Stream and get back to her blessedly normal Arizona home. In order to find the map, they’ll have to outsmart a treacherous villain who sees the future and keep him from using it to end the world.
As a fan of an earlier series by Carrie Ryan, I looked forward to reading this book. Since her other book, The Forest of Hands and Teeth was more of a dystopian zombie story – super well-done, by the way – I wasn’t sure what to expect from this very different tale.
This novel is light and playful, full of mischief and warmth. The use of the Pirate Stream was particularly clever, I thought, and added a sense of unpredictability to the story but also made it feel connected to our own world. The unlikely friendship that develops between Fin and Marrill is really charming.
The wordplay is fun and quirky. Fans of Andrew Peterson’s Wingfeather Saga will enjoy this book. Because of the light content, it’s a great read for older elementary school-aged readers.
Profanity and Crude Language Content
None.
Sexual Content None.
Spiritual Content None.
Violence Brief battle scenes. Nothing graphic or gross.
Drug Content
None.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
