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More copies of this ISBN:This title in other formats:Other titles in the Cronus Chronicles Trilogy series:The Shadow Thieves: The Cronus Chronicles, Book One (Cronus Chronicles #01)by Anne Ursu
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:See that girl, the one with the bright red hair, overstuffed backpack, and aura of grumpiness? That's Charlotte Mielswetzski. And something extra-ordinary is about to happen to her. Oh, it's not the very cute kitten that appears out of nowhere and demands to go home with her. It's not the sudden arrival of her cousin Zee, who believes he's the cause of a mysterious sickness that has struck his friends back in England. It's not her creepy English teacher Mr. Metos, who takes his mythology lessons just a little too seriously. And it's not the white-faced, yellow-eyed men in tuxedoes, who follow Charlotte everywhere. What's so extraordinary is not any one of these things... It's all of them. And when Charlotte's friends start to get sick one by one, Charlotte and Zee set out to find a cure. Their quest leads them to a not-so-mythical Underworld, where they face rhyme-loving Harpies, gods with personnel problems, and ghosts with a thirst for blood. Charlotte and Zee learn that in a world overrun by Nightmares, Pain, and Death, the really dangerous character is a guy named Phil. And then they discover that the fate of every person — living and dead — is in their young hands. In her dazzling debut for young readers, Anne Ursu weaves a tale of myth and adventure, danger and magic that will keep readers engrossed until the very last secret is revealed. Review:"Ursu (Spilling Clarence, for adults) tantalizingly tells her tale, the first entry in the Cronus Chronicles, out of order, building suspense and integrating Greek mythology as she goes. In the first section (entitled 'We begin in the middle') a sardonic narrator introduces 13-year-old Charlotte. The red-headed misfit begins to experience popularity when her cousin Zee arrives from London, making her cool by association. As part one concludes, students at their school start to get sick at an alarming rate; here the story jumps back six months to tell the tale of Zee, a star athlete whose beloved grandmother prophetically whispers 'me-tos' to him on her deathbed. Mr. Metos, it turns out, teaches Charlotte and Zee mythology, and aids the cousins in their mission to go to Hades and stop the strange sickness plaguing the students. Underworld-born Philonecron and his Footmen are stealing children's shadows to mount an army and unseat the Lord of the Dead, and Charlotte and Zee (with his unique birthright) may be the only ones who can stop him. Readers will likely find this entertaining in the most pleasingly frenetic of ways, and the narrator's breezy sense of humor (e.g., 'The Ferryman for the Dead is widely considered, in both legend and life, to be rather, well, greedy. But really, if you look at all the facts, you can't blame him. He has a family to feed') keeps the book from cracking under the weight of its Byzantine structure. Ages 8-12." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review:"The Shadow Thieves...genuinely creates excitement not only about itself but about what might follow....The plotting is zippy, male and female middle-schoolers are at the center, and the issues of personal responsibility and community that are raised are intriguing." Chicago Tribune Review:"With a wit and cynicism that will enchant most readers, Ursu weaves an extraordinary tale....The Shadow Thieves is a great addition to this newly popular Greek-myth genre." School Library Journal Review:"This story is charmingly silly, but has enough serious moments to carry the plot forward. It unwinds with such unabashed cheerfulness and gusto that readers will find much to enjoy..." Booklist Review:"Snarky wit and authorial asides, though occasionally intrusive, keep the adventure lively. A fun and funny tale of youthful heroism." Kirkus Reviews Review:"While delivering a fast-paced action adventure...this Greek-themed frolic is set apart by the voice of its omniscient narrator, who addresses the reader in an irreverently casual tone and establishes a ridiculous exaggeration that pleasantly leavens the danger." Horn Book About the AuthorAnne Ursu is the author of two adult novels, Spilling Clarence and The Disapparation of James. Both books were Book Sense 76 Picks. Spilling Clarence was awarded a Minnesota Book Award, was a Barnes and Nobles Discover Great New Writers selection, and nominated for a Bay Area Book Reviewers Association Award. Anne has written on theater and the arts for newspapers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Portland, Maine, and her work has recently appeared in Glamour magazine. She lives with her husband and their cats in Minnesota. Table of ContentsPart One: We Begin in the Middle 1: Charlotte 2: Mr. Metos 3: Zee 4: Doors 5: Get Ready 6: Get Set Part Two: Now, the Beginning 7: The Last Summer of Grandmother Winter 8: Grandmother Winter's Last Words 9: A Brief History of the Underworld as It Pertains to Charlotte Mielswetzski 10: Creative Problem Solving 11: Zee and His Shadows 12: The Footmen Part Three: The End of the Beginning 13: Go 14: Mr. Metos Explains it All 15: Good Kitty 16: Life Lessons From Charon 17: Waiting for Mr. Metos 18: Journey to the Underworld Part Four: The Beginning of the End 19: Descent 20: Oops 21: Zero 22: Into the Land of the Dead 23: The All-Seeing One 24: A Surprise 25: The Shadows Come 26: Battle of the Shadows 27: Daylight Epilogue Grandmother Winter's Last Adventure Bestiary What Our Readers Are SayingAdd a comment for a chance to win!
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