Copyright Date:
2017
Edition Date:
2016
Release Date:
12/13/16
Pages:
354 pages
ISBN:
1-481-40923-9
ISBN 13:
978-1-481-40923-0
Dewey:
Fic
LCCN:
2015012733
Dimensions:
20 cm.
Language:
English
Reviews:
ALA Booklist
Owen and Bethany are back in this twisty, mystery-filled follow-up to Story Thieves (2015). Cleverly starting several chapters in, Riley begins with Owen and Kiel, who have had their memories wiped and must save Bethany from drowning in exactly 90 minutes. Readers will be just as confounded as the heroes as they try to figure out what's happening in the real world is it the fictional world? Riley includes many clever nods to classics, and in the metaliterary narrative, Bethany and Owen discover that Story Thieves, the first volume in the series, is being published in the fictional world and that an author, James Riley, is mysteriously writing about their adventures. Can Owen and Bethany stop all the fantasy madness before fiction takes over real life? The search is still on for Bethany's missing father, ensuring further volumes, and the twists and turns in this volume are sure to keep readers coming back for more.
School Library Journal
Gr 4-6 The second installment of the series, in which regular kid Owen meets Bethany, a half-fictional girl who can travel into and out of books, starts out with a bang and an explosion. Owen and Kiel, who's a fictional character from Owen's favorite series, wake up inside of a mysteryOwen's least favorite genre. Bethany is nowhere to be found, though a strange kid in a Sherlock Holmes hat claims that she is in great danger if Owen and Kiel can't figure out the mystery of where she is and why. Unfortunately, the pair face several problems: Kiel has lost his magical powers, the mysterious kid has blown up the library, the police are after Owen, and neither of them can remember anything that happened before they woke up. Owen has to face his worst fears and courageously save his friends in this lively sequel that will keep even the most reluctant readers on the edge of their seats. VERDICT A must-buy where there are fans of the first book. Terry Ann Lawler, Burton Barr Library, Phoenix
Word Count:
64,669
Reading Level:
4.8
Interest Level:
4-7
Accelerated Reader:
reading level: 4.8
/ points: 10.0
/ quiz: 181440
/ grade: Middle Grades
Reading Counts!:
reading level:4.3 /
points:15.0 /
quiz:Q66797
Lexile:
700L
Guided Reading Level:
V
Fountas & Pinnell:
V
Owen, Kiel, and Bethany confront secrets, stolen memories, and some very familiar faces in the second book in the New York Times bestselling series, Story Thieves—which was called a “fast-paced, action-packed tale” by School Library Journal—from the author of the Half Upon a Time trilogy.
Owen Conners’s whole life changed the day he found out his classmate Bethany was half-fictional, and could take him into any book in the library. Which story would they jump into next? Another fantasy, like the Kiel Gnomenfoot, Magic Thief books? Maybe something with superheroes? Owen’s up for anything except mysteries—those just have too many hidden clues, twists that make no sense, and an ending you never see coming.
Then Owen wakes up in a real-life mystery with a memory that’s been erased and too many questions. How did Kiel Gnomenfoot lose all of his magic? Where is Bethany? And who’s the annoying guy wearing the question mark mask and Sherlock Holmes hat, taunting Owen and Kiel that Bethany is in grave danger?
Bethany is trapped in a hidden room that’s slowly filling with water, and she can’t escape until her friends find her. But is she imprisoned by more than just chains and a locked door? What’s she hiding from Owen and Kiel?
Maybe some mysteries just shouldn’t be solved…
Please note: The black bars in the first nine chapters are intended.