The Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz
Synopsis:
Twenty years ago, all the evil villains were banished from the kingdom of Auradon to the Isle of the Lost–a dark and dreary place protected by a force field that makes it impossible for them to leave. Stripped of their magical powers, the villains now live in total isolation, forgotten by the world.
Mal learns from her mother, Maleficent, that the key to true darkness, the Dragon’s Eye, is located inside her scepter in the forbidden fortress on the far side of the island. The 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 four kids begin to realize that just because you come from an evil family tree, being good ain’t so bad.
Review:
The Isle of the Lost is a prelude to the recent Disney direct-to-tv release of Descendants. Before I saw the movie, I knew I wanted to read this book. The idea of a story involving the children of these infamous villains is not something I could miss. I’m a sucker for fairy tales, Disney or any other, as long as it’s a happy ending. And giving these kids a chance to be something other than their evil parents is inspired.
This is the story of four young teens, the children of Maleficent, Cruella De Vil , Jafar, and Snow White’s Evil Queen. The four are taught to be like their evil parents, just out for themselves and trust no one. But on a quest for Maleficent, the four find the value of teamwork and friendship. And beyond the Isle of Lost, back in Auradon, a young prince has dreams of becoming a good king and making changes for the better.
It’s an incredibly fun and heartwarming story – the perfect pairing to the Descendants film. These children are a bit more rough around the edges and jaded than the ones in the film, but still at heart, have a need to just please their parents. The author has captured these teens and created an exciting story that young Disney fans will enjoy.