Review of Melissa De La Cruz' Descendants: The Isle of the Lost
Release Date: May 5th, 2015
Synopsis as found on GoodReads.com:
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.
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Let me start by saying that I was a fan of Cruz' Blue Blood series... in the beginning. Like many series with more than 5 books, the story sometimes can become drawn out and seem long winded. So I did love the series, but I got tired of it. So tired of it that I still have yet to read the last book. I also read the first book in the Witches of East End series, which was a spin-off series of Blue Bloods. I liked the story/plot behind it, but I am not a fan of books with gratuitous sex.
The Isle of the Lost is a big change for Cruz. It is definitely different from the books that I have read of hers before. Seeing as how she was paid to write a series of books that coincide with a made for TV movie release, so the plot and characters were chosen for her. That being said, I was not a huge fan of the book. Of course it is about the descendants of some of Disney's greatest villains. We also see multiple cameos from the villains themselves throughout the story and it is supposed to be a what happens after "Ever After" type of story.
I struggled to get through the story and fell asleep while reading it 2 times. I'm not sure if that just says that I'm tired or that the story was, but to me, I need a little more excitement to keep me motivated.
On a brighter note, I know the movie is both separate from this story, but the characters will remain the same. I am excited to see what Disney does with it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
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