4/5 Nerd Glasses
Disneylanders
Author: Kate Abbott
Check out on Goodreads!
Purchase on Amazon
and Barnes
and Noble!
Check out our interview with Kate Abbott!
Synopsis: In DISNEYLANDERS, 14-year-old Casey Allison, on the brink of starting
high school, struggles to find a new identity on her family’s annual summer
vacation, but with the help of an outgoing boy she meets while waiting in line,
she discovers that Disneyland is the one place where her overprotective parents
let her have the freedom to grow up.
Brought to you by TeamNerd Reviewer
Annabell Cadiz
Review: As a HUGE fan of most things related to Disney, I was giddy
with excitement for the chance to read Disneylanders by Kate Abbott, especially
since I have yet to have the chance to visit Disneyland in California. The book
definitely did not disappoint!
It’s the summer
before Casey’s first year of high school and as much as she’s enjoyed her usual
trips with her family to Disneyland, she isn’t really looking forward much to
this one. Her best friend has kicked her to the crib a while ago for popularity and boys, and Casey hasn’t
been able to get over it. She’s also incredibly nervous about starting high
school and wants to go in feeling older and more mature but if it’s up to her
parents, she’ll be growing up a lot slower than she wants. Casey isn’t looking
forward to the same, boring routine her parents make her go through once they
get to Disneyland. But thanks to a little girl who writes all over her pants
and her super cute brother Bert, Casey’s Disneyland trip is about to start
looking up.
I had a lot of
fun reading Disneylanders. It was
such a throwback to when I was an awkward teenager going through the teen years
and discussing bras with my mom. Casey’s insecurities and frustrations about
growing up were very relatable and her parents inability to let her grow up. I like
the dynamic of their relationship and how Abbott gave both sides to what the
teenage years are like both for the teenager and the parents.
Bert was so
freakin adorable! He is so sweet and patient and loveable. Despite the fact
that his parents are never around and how much that disappointment has affected
him, he still has a big heart and a charming personality. He’s the kind of guy
any mom would want for her daughter’s first boyfriend.
Disneyland
itself played a big role in the book, not just as a setting but as its own
character. As a Disney World fan (both because I live in Florida and because I
LOVE Magic Kingdom!), it was a lot of fun getting to experience what Disneyland
is like and what it contains. The trivia you learn about the park makes you
want to go there even more. Abbott puts a lot of attention to detail and it shows throughout the story.
The romance
build up between Casey and Bert was oh-so-sweet. They have their moments of
awkward silence and moments where they argue. They also have moments full of
humor and adorableness. They spend two days running around the parks together
and discover a lot about each other and themselves. I like the innocence of
their relationship but also the weight of truth behind what they both are
facing as individuals. Disneyland isn’t just a vacation for them. It’s where
they have a few days to be free, to be themselves, to be the little kids who
believe in magic, to fall in love for the first time. And you can believe that
because there’s always just something so enchanting and magical about Disney.
There were minor
things I had an issue with that bugged me. I’m not sure what parent, at least
in today’s day and age, would allow their 14-year-old daughter to go running
off with a boy she JUST met for two days around Disneyland. Bert may be
respectful and sweet but a a serial killer can be the same way. I would have expected Casey’s
parents to be a little more demanding of knowing answers or at least to follow
them around the first day and get to know Bert. Casey’s parents, although
realistic enough, had scenes where they sounded and acted like pre-teens more
than Casey did instead of the adults they were. Those scenes were a bit
uncomfortable at times to read.
Outside of that
though, Disneylanders was a really
fun read! I would recommend it to parents and teens alike. Fans of Middle-Grade
fiction will definitely enjoy it! It’s a story filled with a sweet romance in a
place where magic still seems real and anything can happen.
About the Author: Kate is the writer of the middle-grade novel DISNEYLANDERS, published by Theme Park Press. She is a former editor of video game strategy guides and wrote MOSHI MONSTERS MOSHLING ZOO: Prima Official Game Guide. She received an MFA in creative writing from UC Riverside, Palm Desert.
No comments:
Post a Comment