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Evaluación: - Interesting reflection on evil
While this novel takes the traditional Wizard of Oz tale, the interesting thing about is not the alterations to the story line, but the questions raised by the author. Is Elphaba doomed to be "evil" by nature, her green skin, sharp teeth and aversion to water, or is it the lack of nurturing from her parents that cause her self absorption and anti-social behavior. Is the fact that her mother never paid her attention and is that any excuse for the way she treats her son? Is her killing of her old teacher, though most probably guilty of murdering the professor, the meeting out of long due justice or the killing of a poor old lady? With the blatant correlation to the wizard and his practices to Germany in the 1940s, it is asked of the reader to ponder about several things, correct governance, family responsibility and most importantly, do people have the ability to self determine or is it rather the situations that form us.

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Evaluación: - Gregory Maguire's Magnum Opus
A century after its publication, "The Wizard of Oz" remains an American classic and perhaps the quintessential American fairy tale. This is due in large part to the eclectic cast of characters, from Dorothy and Toto to the titular Wizard. And then of course there is the Wicked Witch of the West, Dorothy's bête noir and one of the most iconic villains of American literature and cinema. She is an absolute, the terror of Oz and readers didn't question it. If you were to examine the Witch in greater detail, however, certain questions might emerge. How did the Wicked With take over Winkie Country? Why did she and her sister never array their forces against the Emerald City? And why was her skin green?

"Wicked" begins 38 years before the Witch's fateful encounter with Dorothy. Oz is a land of peace, if not stagnation. It is the end of an age as in the heart of Munchkinland, the birth of a young girl named Elphaba Thropp will change the course of Oz's history forever. The book is ... Leer Más

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Evaluación: - Dissapointing
It was with much anticipation that I settled down to begin Wicked. It seemed to be exactly my kinda thing - a retelling of a classic, from the "bad guy's" point of view.

I wasn't sure what to think at first. There were some overly crude sexual referrances which were a bit too much and the writing was... wordy. But the characters were interesting, and the concept alone kept me hooked, hoping to be impressed.

It's just that not really all that much seems to happen in this book. Many of the major events actually happen off-stage, even though they concern the main characters. Whole chunks of time are skipped, often leaving me feeling like I've missed out after discovering what happened during those gaps. I was left with too many questions unanswered, and feeling like I'd been cheated out of a few hours of my time: the book could have been told in half the pages. There were a lot of events that just seemed... pointless, never to really go anywhere or be resolved or explained. ... Leer Más

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Evaluación: - How did he do that?
The author pulls off an amazing story. Throughout the book you find the innocent Elphaba slowly gathering around herself the things that make her a terrible witch, but they are all explained with perfect logic so that when Dorothy finally shows up an increadible thing happens: You the reader can actually switch back and forth, like looking at a clever optical illusion of a 2-D cube, between Dorothy's perspective and the Witch's. Dorothy sees a dark castle, an army of familiars attacking her on her way to see the witch, an old crone living with the witch, a terrifying talking monkey who blabbers disterbing comments, and a dark green witch who goes on about strange people and events that Dorothy has never heard of. But with the Witch, we see instead just an old waterworks building she is forced to live in, the wonderful creatures she has befriended, her loving nanny now too old to speak coherently but still willing to help, a small monkey with whom Elphie has explored the possiblity of the existence ... Leer Más

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Evaluación: - very satisified customer
I received this item it was well packaged and arrive within days of ordering. I am very satisified with my purchase. AAA+++

Precio de Lista: $16.00
Ud. Ahorra: $5.12 (32%)
a partir de 09/08/2010 09:28 PDT

Evaluación: - Audio book - Maguire should not have read...
I have no idea yet if I like the actual book or not. I attempted to listen to the audio book while on a long drive. Mr Maguire reading his own book was a bad idea. He just does not have the voice I care to listen to for many hours. Mr Maguire's attempts to define each character by changing his voice was laughable. Perhaps I will visit the library for the written book, but this audio experience has turned me away.

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Evaluación: - Huge Disappointment
I really enjoyed Wicked, and when I saw that there was a sequel I got really excited. I didn't really know what kind of storyline could be created with Liir, so I was very curious to see where Maguire was going with this. I have never been so let down by a book in my entire life. The whole book seemed pointless to me because it didn't go anywhere, and everything Liir set out to do was never accomplished. The ending was also terrible. I don't even want to read the third book because this one was so bad. Do not buy this book! If you must read it get it from a library, don't waste your money.

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Evaluación: - Just as good as Wicked
I found this to be a great book. Just as with Wicked the first 100 pages or so of the book is BORING. I'm not sure why both books have to be such nonsense for the beginning however once again read past these pages and it is a wonderful read, very entertaining. As far as the other reviewer that mentions being bombarded by the homosexual agenda in this book there is very little homosexuality in this book and it is almost at the end of the book. Please do not miss out on this book.

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Evaluación: - Finding Your Roots
Having myself had a life experience of wondering where I came from, I could totally relate to the main character of this book, as he continued throughout his life to wonder about the nature of his maternity and what he was meant to be.

I loved "Wicked" and HAD to get more of the story, and was very satisfied with what "Son of a Witch" had to offer in the ongoing recreation of Oz.

I look forward to more from Maguire in the future in this ongoing saga. Whenever I finish a Maguire work I am always hungry for more, "Son of a Witch" was no different, I moved right along into the third volume. If you are a "Wicked" fan, I am sure that you will too.

Liir's character develops ethically and psychologically very nicely throughout the story, when you finish reading this you will be yearning to find out what happens next to our main character. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Wicked, you will not be disappointed.

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Evaluación: - A journey of self discovery in Oz
Maguire returns to his version of Oz, picking up the story right after the death of the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, at the hand of Dorothy. As in Wicked, the adventures of Dorothy and her friends is peripheral to the story Maguire wants to tell. This is the story of Oz, told through the rather naive eyes of Liir, the boy raised by Elphaba. Her death has left him without any family (or even any knowledge of who his real family ever was). Without any clear idea of what he wants from life, he bounces randomly from one adventure to another. Along the way, his understanding of the politics of Oz grows and he learns, the hard way, that he needs to become responsible for his own actions.

Maguire's Oz is a more nuanced place than the original, with complex religious and political systems that paint the ethics and morality of the actions of many of the characters with shades of grey. While Liir is the protagonist, he isn't a hero in a conventional sense, and would be truly considered ... Leer Más

Precio de Lista: $26.95
Ud. Ahorra: $16.17 (60%)
a partir de 09/08/2010 09:28 PDT

Evaluación: - Must Read Series
This is the 3rd book in the series that started with Wicked. For anyone that hasnt read them I strongly encourage you to. While the outside story take place in Oz and has the familiar characters everyone knows. The real story in these books is so much more. Everyone who reads them will get something different out of it. And you dont realize how they fully affect you until you finish this third one. They really just make you think.

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Evaluación: - A Stronger Installment in the Wicked Cycle
Gregory Maguire's "Wicked" remains an unexpected success in modern literature. He took one of the most iconic antagonists of the 20th century and transformed her into a complex, multi-faceted protagonist. His revisionist, if more realistic take on the Merry Land of Oz and the Wicked Witch was a fantastic combination and left readers hungry for more tales in this new take on Oz.

And yet, "Son of a Witch" was something of a disappointment. Liir simply wasn't as captivating a character as Elphaba. The other problem - and the greater one for me -- was that "Wicked" had left a number of threads dangling, questions that needed answering and which "A Lion Among Men" finally provides.

The third volume opens 9 years after the events of "Son of a Witch" and all is not well in the Merry Old Land of Oz. Munchkinland is in revolt and the Emerald City is mobilizing to quell yet another attempt at secession. Their armies are engaged in a running battle in the southern regions of Oz in an ... Leer Más

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Evaluación: - Wicked
Very nice condition, great service. Fast. A great series, this book does not disappoint.

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Evaluación: - it was okay
While this book did sort of connect back to the other two books in this series, it also left a lot to the imagination. This may just be the style of the author, but for me it left something to be desired. There could easily be a follow-up book to wrap up the series nicely in the future.

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Evaluación: - Not muvh going on in this book, Wicked and Son of a Witch are much much better!!
This book is very slow and there is not much of a story. The first two books both started very slow for me and were not interesting until approx 110 pages or so into the books. Once I started this one I thought it was the same however the story never took off and the entire book was actually pretty boring. Not a terrible read however not very enjoyable either.

Precio de Lista: $16.00
Ud. Ahorra: $5.12 (32%)
a partir de 09/08/2010 09:28 PDT

Evaluación: - Couldn't put it down!
This is easily in my top 10 books and I am an avid reader! I couldn't put it down. I usually get sick when I read in the car, but I threw caution to the wind and read this all the way from New Hampshire to Pennsylvania! It was fantastic!

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Evaluación: - A Great Story That Didn't Deliver...
This is the first of Gregory Maguire's books that I have read, and although I wasn't entirely disappointed, I though the author missed some key moments. It's a slow build up of a book but not really tiresome. Once all is revealed though, in the last couple of chapters, I was left thinking, "Gee! That was a great story. Too bad he didn't write the whole thing!". I would love to see another author tackle the same story line - it could be told in a very interesting light.

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Evaluación: - A fine, moving book
The novel is both an imaginative retelling of the "Cinderella" story and a meditation on what it means to see, honestly and truly. Maguire creates complex characters: in particular, prickly Iris and the mesmirizing "wicked stepmother" Margarethe. The seventeenth century Haarlem setting is vividly drawn and the author's respect for painting is very apparent and welcome.

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Evaluación: - Maguire winner
The confessions book had sympathetic characters (not the ones you expect) and a bit of a twist. I loved it. That is particularly significant, since I attempted Wicked when it originally was published and couldn't get through half of it, I hated it so much. For me, Maguire redeemed himself with his ugly stepsisters.

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Evaluación: - Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister
I've read almost all of Gregory Maguire's books, and didn't like any of them. Except for this one. This one was wonderfully done and while it showed some of his tendencies towards crudeness, the writing and characters were much better developed.

Margarethe and her two daughters have escaped from England, where the locals were wanting to kill them. Originally of Dutch descendants they thought they could find a home with relatives still in the city. However, upon arriving they learn that all of their relatives are dead.

They are taken in by an artist who the mother cleans for, her daughter Iris poses for, and her other daughter Ruth (thought to be challenged mentally) picks flowers for. It is during this time that the artist paints a picture of Iris and some regular wild flowers that entrances a local man Van den Meer to bring them into his household as a playmate for his daughter Clara. Clara is an exceptional beauty and the complete polar opposite of Iris. Iris is clever, ... Leer Más

Evaluación: - A Dark and Stormy Fairy Tale
As a horribles storm rages outside their home, Dinah, her brother, Zeke, and their little sister Rebecca Ruth, listen to their older cousin Gage as his tells them a story. The story is about What-the-Dickens, an orphaned toothfairy (or skibberee, as they like to be called) tries to find his place in the world. On his journey, he falls in love with a cat, does dental surgery on a tiger, convinces an old lady he is the Angel of Death, and finally encounters others of his own kind.

This book was very thought-out and imaginative, but it failed to be all that interesting to me. The story arc of Gage and the children became a distraction when it came to What-the-Dickens's adventures. I thought What-the-Dickens's story was creative, but it was never thrilling for me. I could always put the book down and forced myself a bit to finish it.

Also, the target audience is a little confusing. On the outside, the tooth fairy's adventures seem light and charming, but there were definitely darker ... Leer Más

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Evaluación: - It's hard to believe tooth fairies could be so dull
This book is just awful. From the first page I was cringing at the style; it was like Maguire chewed up a thesaurus and then threw it up onto the pages. It is incredibly tedious to read, the characters have completely irrational motivations, and the tooth fairy bits are BORING. It's so disappointing because it's a perfectly delightful premise that has been handled extremely poorly. In sum, I don't recommend this book to anybody, I'm shocked that it was even published, and the $3.99 I paid for the hardcover on clearance was FAR too much. You couldn't pay me to read this book again, it's that painful.

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Evaluación: - The Bookschlepper Recommends
The author of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Harper Fiction) continues to undermine fairy tales, this time for young readers. I enjoyed it as much as they do. This is the inside story of the tooth fairies, why they do what they do, how they do it, when they do it, what they do in their spare time. It's all told on a dark and stormy night to two resourceful children, cut off by a storm. Not the way the story is usually told....but plausible, possible and pleasurable.

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Evaluación: - Kiddie stuff
This really is a kids book. I bought it because I love Maguire's novels. I did not love this book. It's a story within a story, neither of which works or is very interesting. This might be a book that very young kids like. It doesn't translate to adults.

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Evaluación: - Disappointing
There is a reason Maguire is famous for reinterpreting existing fairy tales, not writing his own. This just doesn't compare to his other work. The skibbereen story itself is charming at times, and would be nice for kids, but the framing story about the missing parents and abandoned children might be a bit distressing.

Precio de Lista: $16.00
Ud. Ahorra: $5.12 (32%)
a partir de 09/08/2010 09:28 PDT

Evaluación: - Something Wicked This Way Comes
I have always believed that fairy tales were never meant to be written for children. Be it Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen or Charles Perrault, fairy tales were grotesque and often filled with graphic images which children should never have been exposed to. Come to think of it, the step-sister/step-brother concept has emerged primarily from Cinderella. The fruit and its always the apple I wonder why, has come from either Sleeping Beauty or Snow White to be the evil fruit and ridden with poison. Back to what I was trying to say earlier, fairy tales were for adults and that's precisely what Mr. Maguire does magically with the re-telling of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in "Mirror Mirror".

We all know of the tale told down from generation to generation, at schools, at recitals, through Disney (I have a bone to pick with them, but later) about the beautiful princess who lived with her father and her father dies and hence enters The Wicked Step-Mother, The Queen who wants to get rid of ... Leer Más

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Evaluación: - Evil step mom!
Here is another awesome book by Maguire. I give it a 5 star. Just as a little warning - this story does contain a little more sex or inuendo than his other works.
I love it! It's about snow white and the evil step mom. Yikes!
Read it!

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Evaluación: - It's ok
This book is interesting, but a little boring. Read it after the Wicked series and didn't think it was quite as good. Absolutely loved the Wicked series. Expected this book to have a twist in the story like those books where Maguire switched up the good and evil roles. This book pretty much kept those roles in line with the fairy tale I've heard all my life.

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Evaluación: - Not Up to Maguire's Standard
This book was just awful. Two stars for creative approach only. I LOVED Wicked (all three) and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, and I forced my way through this out of some miguided? sense of loyalty, and the vain hope that it would turn out to be great after all. Ugh, it didn't. It was slow, dull and ultimately not satisfying. Definitely not up to the thought-provoking standard I have come to expect from Gregory Maguire. Skip this one...

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Evaluación: - DEAD END!
Another disappointing Maguire novel. Maguire has top-notch ideas but he really needs someone else to write the books for him! So many insignificant pages are in this book that if you took all of them out you'd have a pamphlet left! Maguire takes the reader down so many dead end roads that you are left frustrated and bewildered. The bottom line: The Maguire books look good on the shelf thanks to superb cover art but reading them can be downright torture sometimes!

Precio de Lista: $16.00
Ud. Ahorra: $5.12 (32%)
a partir de 09/08/2010 09:28 PDT

Evaluación: - Less than spellbinding
I knew nothing of this book other than it was based on "The Wizard of Oz" and that, in turn, it served as the basis of a hit Broadway musical. Hence, I thought it would be a fun, satirical romp through a fantasy world, like Tom Robbins meets JRR Tolkein.

Rather, most of "Wicked" is a dreary, depressing plod through an Orwellian landscape. It has its entertaining moments (too sexual and violent for children), and it does succeed in making the lead character sympathetic, but "Wicked" is the first book that ever made me yell, "Shut up already!"

The characters chatter on incessantly about their feelings, their versions of existentialism, their school crushes, and their perspectives on the political nuances of a nonexistent world. In addition, "Wicked" contains painstaking descriptions of architecture, of clothing, of minor characters who disappear a few pages later. The author is also apparently in love with his mastery of esoteric vocabulary, using words more appropriate for an academic ... Leer Más

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Evaluación: - Choppy and incomplete
After hearing all the excitement over the broadway musical, I thought I would read the book. I was very disappointed. I found there to be a LOT of sexual references that were not needed and detracted from the story! There was also occasional profanity that seemed to come from no where. Take out all the uncessary filler and the book would be about 1/3 the size, but then it would be the story of the wicked witch of the west. I think I would have been drawn more into her life if there weren't so many distractions.

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Evaluación: - AWESOME BOOK....
This book was so very good, I loved it so much I got the rest of the series!!!

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Evaluación: - good book for a trashie romance novel
the book had pontenial as a concept but ir reads like a trashie romance novel
if thats what you like then by all means read this book but be prepaired

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Evaluación: - Disappointing (this is an adult review of an adult novel)
I really wanted to like this book, and I did, but only occasionally. The characterizations were quite good, but beneath the story was a really unpleasant "odor" for lack of a better word. The author seems to have some kind of prurient bent, which wouldn't be a problem if it hadn't been so furtively and uninterestingly executed (a good example of this that pops to mind is his depiction of a geographical vista as looking like a woman's opened legs. This phrase was used several times in the book, sometimes figuratively, sometimes literally. Once would have been okay, two and three times-- yawn.)

The progress of the story is very choppy and I never recovered from being yanked back and forth in time and place and perspective. The story is written like the movie Memento is filmed, but it just doesn't work. Somewhere in the middle of the book I started to like the protagonist and actually care what happened to her (thus the 3 stars I gave the book). The author piqued my interest and then took it several ... Leer Más

Precio de Lista: $16.99
Ud. Ahorra: $5.53 (33%)
a partir de 09/08/2010 09:28 PDT

Evaluación: - Too Many Genres, Not Enough Substance
I was really looking forward to this book because I have not been disappointed with the other books by Gregory Maguire. Especially Wicked and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. (I am sure somebody will turn Wicked into a movie soon!)

I just felt like Mr. Maguire was trying to stuff too many genres into one story this time. Is it a Dickens story? No, but some of it is. Is it an Alice in Wonderland knock off? No and yes. He does refer to the book many times. Is it influenced by Edgar Allen Poe's A Tell Tell Heart? Absolutely, but just at the beginning. It even has some science fiction body snatching in the end!

I was determined to finish this book even though it was weird and irritating. Gregory Maguire should stick with manipulating and twisting up fairy-tales. He really excels at it! This book was written by an author either sleep-writing or on some pretty heavy drugs.

Sorry, I love most of his books and if he puts out another, I will definitely give it a try. How about ... Leer Más

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Evaluación: - Disappointed
I have read several titles by Gregory Maguire, I loved "Wicked" and thought other titles of his were also decent. "Lost" starts out good, but somewhere in the middle it became difficult to read, and I had to force myself to complete the book. It is almost as if Gregory Maguire got lost himself while writing the book. I highly recommend skipping this title and checking out one of Gregory MaGuires other books.

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Evaluación: - Lost is Right
I understand Maguire's rise to fame having read Wicked and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. I loved both and was excited to read Lost, even if it seemed like it wouldn't be sticking to our original assumptions of Maguire's twisting of stories we grew up with. Well, I was sorely disappointed throughout. I love the stories of the past, but often hated the writing. I could never really get in touch with the characters presented to me. Lost does that and so much worse.

The book itself seems to mix a Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, and Ebeneezer Scrooge cocktail that is as vile as an Irish Car Bomb that sat a few seconds too long. All the ingredients are there but the liquid went sour. I like the techniques he uses to weave a story and get you interested but it seems to just crumble at the seams. His characters are hardly likable what with their 'better than you' dialogue and their unrealistic quality. Perhaps that was intentional, though. Why do I say this? Our main character, Winifred, weaves stories ... Leer Más

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Evaluación: - Don't really like it
I LOVED "Wicked". Liked "Son of a Witch" "Lion Among Men" really wrapped it all up. "Confessions of the Ugly Step Sister was wonderful..Loved it. Lost??? I was disappointed. I tried. I read it all the way through. I really didn't like it. Sorry

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Evaluación: - Thoroughly Disinteresting
I bought Lost roughly 4 years ago and have attempted to read it at least 5 times since then. Starting a road trip recently I thought "maybe there's an audio version to help eat up the miles." Thankfully, I couldn't find one if I had I would have probably crashed from either falling asleep at the wheel due to boredom, or ramming my car into something to help ease the angst this novel brings about. Upon arriving home I managed to finish the book and now...I want my hours back. I review for you in hopes that you don't lose any of your time to "Lost."

Here are the issues I have with this book:
A) A thoroughly unlikable main character. -- Normally this would be fine if the story jumped into some exciting antics that helped define why the character was unlikable (ie: A Christmas Carol - which is CONSTANTLY referenced in this book but always in the same vein without any further development, which seems to say "are you drawing any connections here?" but the answer is "YES I GET IT! MOVE ALONG!").
Leer Más

Evaluación: - great for kids and adults with a sence of humor
One of the most amusing books, clean jokes, fun for kids and entertaining for adults.

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Evaluación: - Great Gift
My niece wanted this book for Christmas, and it was exactly what I was looking for.

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Evaluación: - great humor!
i love how gregory maguire changed normal fairy tales into such funny stories!i ended up reading it 10 or 13 times!i would definetly reccomend it.

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Evaluación: - characters leap of the page.
The characters really make the book and are displayed quite nicely!!! I think Maguire did a lovely time changing the stories up enough so that they were'nt boring us to death with the same stories that we've heard a thousand times!!! The characters have a new level of atitude and the plots arent nerely as predictable even though we know whats going to happen!!! Overall a very good book!!!

(P.S. My favorite story in the book was So What and the Seven Giraffes!!)

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Evaluación: - leaping
easy reading . had to think of the original stories to see the changes. great imagination that is for sure. I do like G Maguire books.

Evaluación: - READ THIS BOOK IF YOU ARE IN 3RD GRADE!
I am in third grade and this book is soooo easy to read and I love it!

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Evaluación: - Sweet Journey
My introduction to Maguire was through "Wicked"; only later did I realize he began his career as a writer of children's literature. Finding "Missing Sisters" was a revelation: here is a writer who understands how children think, feel, wonder about life, live in the moment, and are so full of potential. This sweet story of a handicapped orphan finding her family -- and herself -- was charming for me as an adult and I expect would be captivating and honest for a child. Two moments stand out: the tender scene where the young girl is praying (and so humorously explains her understanding of the personalities of Jesus and Mary); and the singing contest (where the confusion over her identity and her twin's begins). When my grandchildren are old enough, I will definitely share my copy of this book with them.

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Evaluación: - Touching Sweet story
At first I wasn't sure how this book was going to flow. Twins separated at birth? Been there done that. But this story touched me in a surprising way. I come to really care for Alice and how she developed as the story progressed made me want to read more. Surprisingly even though Miami was a bit of a brat, she showed some endearing qualities. The story is short sadly, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and I like how everything tied up in the end. It may not be the happily ever after but it is very close.

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Evaluación: - missing sisters review
The book missing sisters was a very enjoyable book for it dealt with real life situations. i would recommend it to people aged 12-15 years old for some of the language is very difficult. i would rate this book 9 out of 10 because it had a slow start and a kind of unfinished ending. we did it as a class novel and everybody seemed to really enjoy it!

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Evaluación: - Missing Sisters
MIssing Sisters is set in America in 1968. The main character is Alice Colossus. Alice is an orphan in the Sacred Heart Home for Girls. Alice has no known siblings or parents until one day at summer camp she was mistaken for a girl by the name of Miami Shaw. Alice wants to know if this girl holds the key to finding her real parents. Read the book to find out.
We really enjoyed the book. The storyline is interesting. It's unputdownable yet it stays realistic.
I'd recommend this book to anyone aged 11 to 13 because some of the language is quite difficult and anyone younger probably wouldn't understand it.