Synopses & Reviews
About The Book:
In the midst of his mother s struggle with cancer, fifteen-year-old Alexander Cold has the opportunity to take the trip of a lifetime. Accompanying his fearless grandmother, a magazine reporter for International Geographic, Alexander sets off on an expedition to the remote world of the Amazon. On this mission he meets Nadia, the young daughter of their local guide and together they begin a magical and mystical adventure.
Questions For Discussion: Alexander goes into a destructive rage after witnessing his father chopping off his mother s hair. How does this reaction help the reader understand the pain that he is experiencing? How do his reactions to his mother s illness compare to those of his sisters?
Kate Cold purposely isn t waiting at the airport for Alexander when he arrives in New York. How does this help to prepare him for their journey to the Amazon? Discuss the mistakes he makes and what important lessons he learns from them.
Describe the relationship between Alexander and his grandmother. How is this relationship different from the typical relationship between a grandmother and her grandson? How does their relationship help Alexander cope with both his mother s illness and the journey into the Amazon? Are there any instances in the story when the relationship changes?
Describe how the male chauvinistic ideals of Mauro Carias and Ludovic Leblanc s clash with the strong-minded women on the journey.
What are totemic animals? Describe the circumstances of how Alexander and Nadia s totemic animals are revealed to them.
How do Alexander and Nadia s strengths and weaknesses complimentone another? Give examples from the book of how they help each other overcome their personal weaknesses by relying on the other s personal strengths.
How does Dr. Omayra Torres deceive the other members of the group? How are her motives ironic?
What is the symbolism of the crystal eggs and the water of health? Why do Nadia and Alexander risk their lives for these things? What do they give up in order to attain them?
Explain the irony surrounding Ludovic Leblanc. How does his public image and reputation contrast with his personal actions? How do his opinions about the Indians and the Beast change as the story evolves?
Who is Walimai? What role does he play in the story?
Describe the Beasts. What is unique about them? How do they compare to the image that the members of the expedition had projected?
About The Author:
Isabel Allende was born in Peru and raised in Chile. She is the author of these international best-sellers for adult readers: "Portrait in Sepia, Daughter of Fortune, The Infinite Plan, Eva Luna, Of Love and Shadows, and "The House of the Spirits, the short story collection "The Stories of Eva Luna, the memoir "Paula, and "Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses. She lives in California.
Review
"Adventure seekers will find plenty of thrills in Allende's first novel for young readers....Reluctant readers may be intimidated by the thickness of this volume, but the plot moves at a rapid pace, laced with surprises and ironic twists....[M]any readers will find the author's formula successful with its environmentalist theme, a pinch of the grotesque and a larger dose of magic." Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
Fifteen-year-old Alexander Cold has the chance to take the trip of a lifetime. Parting from his family and ill mother, Alexander joins his fearless grandmother, a magazine reporter for
International Geographic, on an expedition to the dangerous, remote world of the Amazon. Their mission, along with the others on their team -- including a celebrated anthropologist, a local guide and his young daughter Nadia, and a doctor -- is to document the legendary Yeti of the Amazon known as the Beast.
Under the dense canopy of the jungle, Alexander is amazed to discover much more than he could have imagined about the hidden worlds of the rain forest. Drawing on the strength of the jaguar, the totemic animal Alexander finds within himself, and the eagle, Nadia's spirit guide, both young people are led by the invisible People of the Mist on a thrilling and unforgettable journey to the ultimate discovery....
In a stunning novel of high adventure, internationally celebrated novelist Isabel Allende leads readers through the intricacies of two personal quests, and on an epic voyage -- teeming with magical realism -- into the wonder-filled heart of the Amazon.
Synopsis
When fifteen-year-old Alexander Cold accompanies his individualistic grandmother on an expedition to find a humanoid Beast in the Amazon, he experiences ancient wonders and a supernatural world as he tries to avert disaster for the Indians.
About the Author
Born in Peru, Isabel Allende was raised in Chile. She is the author of the novels Portrait in Sepia, Daughter of Fortune, The Infinite Plan, Eva Luna, Of Love and Shadows, and The House of the Spirits, the short story collection The Stories of Eva Luna, the memoir Paula, and Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses. City of the Beast is her first novel for young readers. She lives in California.