The Druid Stone

Rating:
Summary: Good reading here
Review: Kelly Monaghan is 14 and lives in New York City. Today, though, she is going to travel to the land of her ancestors, Ireland, to visit her aunt and uncle and cousins, Michael and Sean, who still live there. Upon arriving in Ireland, Michael has some strange tales to tell, about an old man that only he and Sean (and now Kelly) can see and a stone found just outside the Druid's circle. Something evil has been aroused by Jack Mullen, a man who sees visions, and it looks like it will be up to the three cousins, with the help of elder Hugh O'Donnell to see that this evil is sent back where it came from. Hopefully in the process they can also rescue one of their ancestors who was placed under an evil spell.

... This story has much Irish history in it and some of the legends. Once again the author uses an old diary to tell some of the story. The Druid Stone is definitely a book for older teens as there are scenes in this story that would be inappropriate for younger children. This is a spooky story that should keep the reader interested until that last page is turned. I did have a problem with it as it justifies keeping secrets from parents.

Rating:
Summary: Druid Stone Offers Two Top-Quality Novellas
Review: The Druid Stone is about a girl who goes to Ireland to visit her aunt, uncle and cousins. She and her cousins discover that they have all been seeing an old Druid, who had cursed one of their ancestors a long time ago. Their visions and encounters started when Michael, one of the cousins, took a stone with indecipherable writing on it. They soon discover that they must help their ancestor and rid the world of the Ancient Druid.

This was a well-written story with strong characters and a definite plot. The combination of Irish culture and history really captured my attention. The author has excellent descriptive skills, she helps you paint a very clear picture of both the scenery and the characters.

The conflict between pro- and antagonists was clear enough to be followed easily, but complex enough to keep the reader going. Personally, I thought this was an excellent book. I highly recommend it for someone with an interest in magic, history or Ireland.

The dialogue had a casual tone, which helped add to the book's attraction. The dialect fit the characters and was in just the right amounts. In some places you could almost hear what the characters were saying.

Overall this was a great book. I couldn't put it down. The characters and the plot pull you in from the start and keep you interested till the very last word.

The Isle of Mist starts off with a young girl named Maggie grieving over the loss of her father. She and her mother get an invitation to move to Scotland with the deceased's family. They inherit a home and bookstore. Maggie begins exploring the history of her new home with her cousins. She soon learns about an ancient curse put on her father's side of the family and a way to end it.

The main characters in the story were well developed and very fitting of their age group. They were interesting and quite believable. The author painted a good picture of them that sticks with you.

The plot was clear and easy to keep track of. The author stuck to it and focused on the important things. The historical aspects were correct from my experience with Scottish folklore.

I liked this book for several reasons. You didn't have to spend much time trying to figure out the plot, and it wasn't overdone. I would recommend this book to just about anyone who likes to read. I really enjoy reading this author's work. The dialect and dialogue were well done and fit the characters, and the overall story was excellent.