Monday, October 8, 2012

Book Review: The Infinity Ring, Book 1: A Mutiny in Time by James Dashner


Welcome to this week's edition of Marvelous Middle Grade Monday! I had meant for this post to be up first thing this morning, but I ended up having a fabulous weekend with my family, and spent very little time on the computer these past three days and it's been great, though now I feel like I'm behind on blogging. Still it's nice to just step back sometimes and be reminded of those things that are most important.


By: James Dashner
Published by: Scholastic
Released on: August 28th, 2012
Source: ARC from the publisher to review
Ages: 8 & up
4.5 stars: I Really Enjoyed It
Purchase from: ScholasticAmazon | Barnes & Noble


Scholastic's next multi-platform mega-event begins here! History is broken, and three kids must travel back in time to set it right! 


When best friends Dak Smyth and Sera Froste stumble upon the secret of time travel -- a hand-held device known as the Infinity Ring -- they're swept up in a centuries-long secret war for the fate of mankind. Recruited by the Hystorians, a secret society that dates back to Aristotle, the kids learn that history has gone disastrously off course.Now it's up to Dak, Sera, and teenage Hystorian-in-training Riq to travel back in time to fix the Great Breaks . . . and to save Dak's missing parents while they're at it. First stop: Spain, 1492, where a sailor named Christopher Columbus is about to be thrown overboard in a deadly mutiny! -quoted from Goodreads


An historical journey filled with adventure, danger, catastrophic events, and plenty of mystery, James Dashner's A Mutiny In Time is an awesome, jam packed read that younger kids will devour. Set in a future America that is constantly plagued by natural disasters, the world which we live in now is much simpler compared to the one best friends Dak and Sera live in. If the deadly earthquakes, freak storms, and volcanic eruptions weren't enough, Dak's parents are now missing, and Dak and Sera are thrown into a secret society and world they never nothing about, until now. 

On a mission to find his parents and fix what's been broken, Dak, Sera and Riq are armed with a ring that gives the power to travel back in time to fix/prevent things from happening that might change what we know history to be today. In the process Dak will discover some pretty interesting things about his parents. With this particular story, I liked how history and the future are tied together, and how these three characters had to not only work together, but trust in each other, and trust in what they have learned in order to make their mission a successful one. Kids are resilient and it was great seeing that resilience in action with The Infinity Ring. Plus the history buff in me loved the fact they could travel back into the past, and in this case they travel back in time to prevent something horrific that's to happen on board Christopher Columbus's ship.

One of the things I love have come to admire about Dashner's writing, is his storytelling. He doesn't just write a story, he tells it. He brings it to life. He creates these worlds that become real, and introduces readers to unforgettable characters, and takes us on these incredible journeys. James Dashner makes reading fun and exciting. Though this book is small size wise compared to the size of his YA books, it's the perfect size for MG readers. I think this is one book Dasher fans of all ages are going to love. This is a book I'd definitely recommend picking up. It's the first book in a series that promises to be action packed, engaging, and unforgettable. Fans of The 39 Clues have a whole new series to fall in love with!

The Infinity Ring series schedule:

Book 1 by James Dashner, released on 8/28/12
Book 2 by Carrie Ryan, to be released on 11/6/12
Book 3 by Lisa McMann, to be released on 2/5/13
Book 4 by Matt de la Pena, to be released on 6/4/13
Book 5 by Matthew Kirby, to be released on 9/3/13
Book 6 by Jennifer A. Nielsen, to be released on 12/3/13
Book 7 by James Dashner, to be released on 3/4/14
I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~