Official Review: Atlantis Child by KL Watkins
Posted: 27 Dec 2016, 21:56
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Atlantis Child" by KL Watkins.]
4 out of 4 stars
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Nallan Ino has trained hard and long for a chance to enter the School – a place that allows only a selected few to enter and become Protectors of their territory. In a world that has been ravaged by nuclear war, Nallan knows that becoming stronger is the only way for her to survive and make her mark on the world. She must battle with other competitors for her place in the School, but Nallan is not afraid of losing. She’s afraid of going too far, or seriously injuring her competition. There is something inside her that she is trying to stamp out – something that can control the elements and gives her abilities that frighten her.
K.L. Watkins’ Atlantis Child is the story of Nallan’s adventure. Nallan -- who can barely trust herself, much less strangers – must integrate herself into a team. She makes friends, makes enemies, and even finds someone who accepts her descriptions of crazed dreams without batting an eye. However, the stronger she becomes, the less control she has over the power inside her. The last time she lost control… Well, she doesn’t want that to happen to her teammates.
Atlantis Child is the perfect blend of many different genres. It’s as if Watkins studied world-famous YA series such as The Hunger Games, Naruto, and The Maze Runner and incorporated the best elements from each. The reader follows Nallan throughout all of her trials, learning as she learns, and is tricked just as she is. I honestly loved watching Nallan grow as a person. The moments where she nailed a move in practice or shared a heartfelt moment with her teammates honestly put a smile on my face.
The tone of the novel changes over time as Nallan and her teammates experience personal growth. This was what I enjoyed most about the novel. While I was reading, I sometimes had to remind myself that I was still reading the same book. Watkins packed so much into one 400-page book, and yet the pacing was always perfect. Nothing ever felt rushed or drawn-out. At times I looked down at the page numbers in dread, feeling like I had to pace myself so I could enjoy the novel without ending too quickly, despite wanting to read faster so I could drown myself in Nallan’s world.
My one major complaint with the novel is the lack of editing. It is very obvious that the novel was not professionally checked, because there are minor mistakes on every other page. The biggest culprits are improper use of punctuation, typos, and the misspelling of homonyms. For example, “composer” was used at least twice in place of “composure.” Also, there were many sentences where key words had been left out. While Watkins’ writing style kept my eyes glued to the story, that just meant that these mistakes stood out even more than usual.
Overall, I give Atlantis Child 3 out of 4 stars. I honestly wanted to give it four stars, but the grammar and spelling mistakes were too numerous. The world Watkins has created is addicting and fascinating, and I was disappointed to find out that Atlantis Child is a standalone book. I genuinely want to read more of Nallan’s adventure, and I hope Watkins has plans to release more of her books in the future.
I recommend Atlantis Child to fans of YA action/adventure, especially those with an interest in ninjas or alternate worlds. Honestly, anyone who read and enjoyed The Hunger Games or The Maze Runner will definitely enjoy this book as well. Even with all of the grammar mistakes, it was a fantastic read. I would definitely rank it in one of my top reads for 2016, and the year is almost over!
******
Atlantis Child
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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4 out of 4 stars
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Nallan Ino has trained hard and long for a chance to enter the School – a place that allows only a selected few to enter and become Protectors of their territory. In a world that has been ravaged by nuclear war, Nallan knows that becoming stronger is the only way for her to survive and make her mark on the world. She must battle with other competitors for her place in the School, but Nallan is not afraid of losing. She’s afraid of going too far, or seriously injuring her competition. There is something inside her that she is trying to stamp out – something that can control the elements and gives her abilities that frighten her.
K.L. Watkins’ Atlantis Child is the story of Nallan’s adventure. Nallan -- who can barely trust herself, much less strangers – must integrate herself into a team. She makes friends, makes enemies, and even finds someone who accepts her descriptions of crazed dreams without batting an eye. However, the stronger she becomes, the less control she has over the power inside her. The last time she lost control… Well, she doesn’t want that to happen to her teammates.
Atlantis Child is the perfect blend of many different genres. It’s as if Watkins studied world-famous YA series such as The Hunger Games, Naruto, and The Maze Runner and incorporated the best elements from each. The reader follows Nallan throughout all of her trials, learning as she learns, and is tricked just as she is. I honestly loved watching Nallan grow as a person. The moments where she nailed a move in practice or shared a heartfelt moment with her teammates honestly put a smile on my face.
The tone of the novel changes over time as Nallan and her teammates experience personal growth. This was what I enjoyed most about the novel. While I was reading, I sometimes had to remind myself that I was still reading the same book. Watkins packed so much into one 400-page book, and yet the pacing was always perfect. Nothing ever felt rushed or drawn-out. At times I looked down at the page numbers in dread, feeling like I had to pace myself so I could enjoy the novel without ending too quickly, despite wanting to read faster so I could drown myself in Nallan’s world.
My one major complaint with the novel is the lack of editing. It is very obvious that the novel was not professionally checked, because there are minor mistakes on every other page. The biggest culprits are improper use of punctuation, typos, and the misspelling of homonyms. For example, “composer” was used at least twice in place of “composure.” Also, there were many sentences where key words had been left out. While Watkins’ writing style kept my eyes glued to the story, that just meant that these mistakes stood out even more than usual.
Overall, I give Atlantis Child 3 out of 4 stars. I honestly wanted to give it four stars, but the grammar and spelling mistakes were too numerous. The world Watkins has created is addicting and fascinating, and I was disappointed to find out that Atlantis Child is a standalone book. I genuinely want to read more of Nallan’s adventure, and I hope Watkins has plans to release more of her books in the future.
I recommend Atlantis Child to fans of YA action/adventure, especially those with an interest in ninjas or alternate worlds. Honestly, anyone who read and enjoyed The Hunger Games or The Maze Runner will definitely enjoy this book as well. Even with all of the grammar mistakes, it was a fantastic read. I would definitely rank it in one of my top reads for 2016, and the year is almost over!
******
Atlantis Child
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like katiesquilts's review? Post a comment saying so!
