Stravaganza: City of Masks (Stravaganza (Paperback))

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Summary: Read This Book!
Review: Ok now this book may seem thick and hard to read but its not!Its a great story!It may become confusing if you don't read it right but as long as you read it thouroly then you should understand it perfectly.It may take a little while to read but it makes for a great right before bed book.I love to read it when its dark outside and all there is is the light on the book and it gets so exciting and you can't put it down.You will stay up into the early hours of the morning reading this one.Read this book you won't be disapointed!

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Summary: Stravaganza: Extravagantly Written
Review: Stravaganza: City of Masks, by Mary Hoffman, is a novel featuring fantasy, intrigue, romance and time-travel as it follows the adventures of a young boy named Lucien Mulholland and the captivating inhabitants of Bellezza.
In his 21st century home in London, Lucien must undergo chemotherapy treatment in order to overcome his ever-increasing brain tumor. His father gives him a notebook in which to write in when his throat is too sore to speak and when Lucien falls asleep clutching the book, he is transported or "stravagated" to another world, a world in which beauty and pleasure mesmerize the beholder, while danger and deception lurk precariously among the shadows.
Bellezza, comparable to a 16th century Venice, is a colourful city, rich with magic and political conspiracies and is the backdrop for this other world. When Lucien arrives in Bellezza he is as full of strength and life as he had been before cancer interrupted his lifestyle. But, there is danger from the very moment Lucien steps on to the island and he soon realizes that his life is in jeopardy. When he uncovers a plot to murder the Duchessa and overthrow Bellezza, both of his worlds get mixed up in the process and there is no turning back.
A suspenseful yet fun read, Stravaganza is a book that I would recommend to most teenagers, even young adults. As page after page flew by, I realized how real this strange world had become in my mind. Mary Hoffman describes Bellezza in such a wonderful, riveting way that it almost became natural to me to think of women walking down the streets wearing elaborate masks tied back with satin.
Although rather predictable, the well stated descriptions captured my attention and imagination and threw well rounded characters at my feet. The fact that this is the first part of a trilogy brings excitement to me and I am therefore encouraged to keep reading. A complex plot, an intriguing setting and characters overflowing with life make Stravaganza a book to be applauded.

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Summary: A Whole New Fantasy Idea for All Ages- City of Masks
Review: This is a new and exciting fantasy book about a boy named Lucien living in England. He is coping with brain cancer and chemotherapy treatment. His father tells him stories about far away lands and cities. He gives him a book not knowing it is a talisman for stravangating, or travelling between worlds.
Whenever Lucien falls asleep holding it, he is transported to a parallel universe and city much like present day Venice called Belezza. He meets Arianna; a 15 year old girl who is looking for adventure.
Soon after a mysterious chain of events is set in place around the Duchessa and the city. Lucien (or Luciano in Belleza) gets wrapped up in a adventure he could never dream of in his cancerous body, but finds out that being a Stravangate is a dangerous and powerful thing.