By AVA GOETZ, Age 9
The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst by Jaclyn Moriarty is a fantasy book that follows an adventurous, curious and “normal” girl named Esther Mettlestone-Staranise. Esther, an often-ignored middle child enrolled in boarding school, discovers a number of strange and unsettling changes upon her return to school. Her best friends are missing, and her new teacher is rumored to be an ogre. As events turn from unfortunate to outright dangerous, Esther may be the only one who can protect herself and her school.
My favorite part about this adventure novel is that you can never expect what is going to happen next. The author is very skilled at bringing unexpected twists into the story. It’s a page-turner, at 434 pages. Fantasy readers and fans of the Harry Potter series would definitely enjoy this book. This is also a must-read for people looking for a female character starring in a fantasy adventure, as this is rare.
