What doyouthink?
Rate this book
Descendants#2
Return to the Isle of the Lost
The sequel to the #1 New York Times best seller The Isle of the Lost Mal's an expert at intimidating her enemies, but she's broken the habit since leaving her villainous roots behind. So when she and her friends Evie, Carlos, and Jay all receive threatening messages demanding they return home, Mal can't believe it. Sure, she's King Ben's girlfriend now, and she's usually nice to her classmates, but she still didn't think anyone would be silly enough to try to push her around. The thing is, it kind of worked. Especially since she and her friends have a sneaking suspicion that their villainous parents are behind the messages. And when Evie looks into her Magic Mirror, what she sees only confirms their fears. Maleficent's just a tiny lizard after her run-in with Mal at Ben's Coronation, but she's the worst villain in the land for a reason. Could she have found a way to escape? Whatever's going on, Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay know they have to sneak back to the Isle and get to the bottom of it. Without its infamous leader, the island's even worse than when they left it, but the comforts of home--even a home as gloomy as the Isle of the Lost--can be hard to resist for recently reformed villains. Will the kids be able to beat the evil bubbling at the Isle's wicked core, or will the plot to destroy Auradon succeed?
309 pages, Hardcover
First published May 24, 2016
About the author
Melissa de la Cruz
147books15.3kfollowersMelissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh off the Boat.
Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.
She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.
Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).
She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.
Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.
She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.
Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).
She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.
Ratings&Reviews
Friends&Following
Create a free accountto discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 919 reviews
June 1, 2016
2.75 stars
If you pick this up at Target, the backside of the jacket has this map:
As you can see with these areas, there’s a quest that needs to happen for our 4 young heroes. Mal, daughter ofMaleficent,must find a dragon egg. Jay, son of Jafar, needs to find a golden cobra. Evie, daughter of Snow White’s Evil Queen, is tasked with finding a poison apple (which borrows more from the story of the Garden of Eden than what happened with the apple in the fairy tale). And Carlos, son of Cruella, needs to get a ring of envy. While the first 3 are children of sorcerers, it’s bizarre that Cruella’s progeny needs something magical because she doesn’t have powers (unless we’re going by theOUATcontinuity, but that still doesn’t mesh with the supposed magic of the ring here). I’vesaid it beforeand I’ll say it again: Carlos is a useless character. It would have made more sense for him to be the son ofUrsulaor another villain who was magical because it would round out the cast’s utility.
This quest doesn’t even take place until the last 80 pages of the book, but the rest is entertaining. There are some red herrings that allude to Maleficent being the villain, but when the author introduces Merlin it’s fairly obvious that the protagonist is
Another issue I have with the story is the technology. It feels anachronistic to have phones and computers and televisions in a fairytale kingdom. I get that this is supposed to appeal to teens but it sacrifices the timelessness of the original stories to such pandering; maybe enchanted scrolls and portable magic mirrors (which Evie uses) would have fulfilled this purpose better than having apps and video games? All it does is make the reader question why certain things are updated to reflect modern times while others as left in antiquated conditions. [Note: Yes, I’m aware this isn’t the author’s decision as this is a tie-in with a pre-existing Disney franchise; all I’m saying is that it doesn’t make that much sense for the world.]
The book has technical errors too. Page 271 hastalismanmisspelled as “tallisman", because the editors couldn’t be bothered to run spellcheck. Page 38 finds PrinceNaveenmisspelled as “Naveem”.
All in all, while this is a fast popcorn read and a little bit entertaining, I’m still saddened by the watered-down vision of the classic Disney oeuvre. This wholeDescendantsthing just feels like innocent fanfiction (as opposed to slash), in that it doesn’t capture the tone or essence of any of the original characters but uses their likenesses anyway. To me, it just isn’t canon.
[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>
If you pick this up at Target, the backside of the jacket has this map:
As you can see with these areas, there’s a quest that needs to happen for our 4 young heroes. Mal, daughter ofMaleficent,must find a dragon egg. Jay, son of Jafar, needs to find a golden cobra. Evie, daughter of Snow White’s Evil Queen, is tasked with finding a poison apple (which borrows more from the story of the Garden of Eden than what happened with the apple in the fairy tale). And Carlos, son of Cruella, needs to get a ring of envy. While the first 3 are children of sorcerers, it’s bizarre that Cruella’s progeny needs something magical because she doesn’t have powers (unless we’re going by theOUATcontinuity, but that still doesn’t mesh with the supposed magic of the ring here). I’vesaid it beforeand I’ll say it again: Carlos is a useless character. It would have made more sense for him to be the son ofUrsulaor another villain who was magical because it would round out the cast’s utility.
This quest doesn’t even take place until the last 80 pages of the book, but the rest is entertaining. There are some red herrings that allude to Maleficent being the villain, but when the author introduces Merlin it’s fairly obvious that the protagonist is
Another issue I have with the story is the technology. It feels anachronistic to have phones and computers and televisions in a fairytale kingdom. I get that this is supposed to appeal to teens but it sacrifices the timelessness of the original stories to such pandering; maybe enchanted scrolls and portable magic mirrors (which Evie uses) would have fulfilled this purpose better than having apps and video games? All it does is make the reader question why certain things are updated to reflect modern times while others as left in antiquated conditions. [Note: Yes, I’m aware this isn’t the author’s decision as this is a tie-in with a pre-existing Disney franchise; all I’m saying is that it doesn’t make that much sense for the world.]
The book has technical errors too. Page 271 hastalismanmisspelled as “tallisman", because the editors couldn’t be bothered to run spellcheck. Page 38 finds PrinceNaveenmisspelled as “Naveem”.
All in all, while this is a fast popcorn read and a little bit entertaining, I’m still saddened by the watered-down vision of the classic Disney oeuvre. This wholeDescendantsthing just feels like innocent fanfiction (as opposed to slash), in that it doesn’t capture the tone or essence of any of the original characters but uses their likenesses anyway. To me, it just isn’t canon.
[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>[ "br" ]>
July 25, 2016
"Anti-heroes can be crude and ugly and selfish, but they are heroes nonetheless. As flawed as an anti-hero is, they're still trying to do the right thing. You are all anti-hero, and I'm proud of you."
WeEvilsAnti-Heroes Lives and I love you!
Much better than the first one.Wow so many new interesting characterswhich I couldn't wait to see if they going to appear in the movie. That's Ginie Jordan! and Camelot! *ahem* Merlin and Antie *ahem* More roles of King Ben ( Our Ben ) Yeah He is not the prince anymore, and that's mean Mal is the queen? Not yet, I think. But who care? she is the King's sweetheart. xD
Friendship is magnificent in this one.and I love them all! Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos. How they help each other and gone through adventure Quest? together. The friendship is just powerful. They have to return to Isle of the Lost for a reasonMysterious reason..You should find out by your self.;)
The Last Words I still insist..MORE ROMANCE PLEASE!!!!!
We
Much better than the first one.Wow so many new interesting characterswhich I couldn't wait to see if they going to appear in the movie. That's Ginie Jordan! and Camelot! *ahem* Merlin and Antie *ahem* More roles of King Ben ( Our Ben ) Yeah He is not the prince anymore, and that's mean Mal is the queen? Not yet, I think. But who care? she is the King's sweetheart. xD
Friendship is magnificent in this one.and I love them all! Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos. How they help each other and gone through adventure Quest? together. The friendship is just powerful. They have to return to Isle of the Lost for a reasonMysterious reason..You should find out by your self.;)
The Last Words I still insist..MORE ROMANCE PLEASE!!!!!
Read
August 26, 2016I'm not going to rate this book or really review it. I put it on here because my daughter wanted to see what I did on GR and she wanted to read this book together. That said, this is cute. I can't wait for the movie to come out but to rate this would be ridiculous. My daughter loved it so for her she wants a 5 star. Me, I thought it was cute but to mark down to a 3 wouldn't seem fair seeing as I'm not 9. And that is the audience that is currently reading this, so they should rate the book. Do I recommend it for your kids, nieces/nephews, cousins or whoever else in the 3rd 4th grade? Absolutely.
Do I think I should be reading this book on my own. No, I'm sorry but it's clearly for elementary school kids. Were there some errors? Yes, of course but honestly a lot of books have errors. Yes, some names were misspelled but my daughter wasn't freaking so I didn't either. She laughed, she oohed and she did her I told you that would happen speech. The thing I loved most was enjoying this with her. I loved her big cheesy smile and her giggles over a character. I even enjoyed her getting mad over some of the characters she doesn't like. For that experience alone it's well above a 5 star book.
Do I think I should be reading this book on my own. No, I'm sorry but it's clearly for elementary school kids. Were there some errors? Yes, of course but honestly a lot of books have errors. Yes, some names were misspelled but my daughter wasn't freaking so I didn't either. She laughed, she oohed and she did her I told you that would happen speech. The thing I loved most was enjoying this with her. I loved her big cheesy smile and her giggles over a character. I even enjoyed her getting mad over some of the characters she doesn't like. For that experience alone it's well above a 5 star book.
February 6, 2020
Between the end ofThe Isle of the Lostand the start of this book, the first Descendants movie took place, in which our four ruffian main characters got sent to school on the Auradon mainland. They learned (in an aimless, Disney Channel way) to reject the evil of their parents, and prevented Maleficent from taking over the kingdom. Now they're all accepted by most of their peers at school, and doing quite well.
But there are still rumors of bad things to come. There have been tremors and earthquakes, and even sightings of a purplish dragon snagging sheep and burning things up near Camelot (which exists in this universe thanks toThe Sword in the Stone). Everyone suspects Maleficent, but that can't be--she's stuck in tiny lizard form in a cell in the Auradon Prep library (hardly a secure prison for such a being, but never mind).
As Ben goes cross-kingdom to investigate, Mal and her friends head back to the Isle, lured by ominous messages from someone who goes only by the initial M...
Content Advisory
Violence:A girl who can't swim gets thrown off a peir and is saved just in time. A dragon burns buildings and carries off a few sheep. Some instances of magical combat with no one really getting hurt. A madwoman dares her son to kill her, but he doesn't and.
Sex:Nothing, really. It's mentioned that Ben takes Mal on some of his cross-country tours, but they appear to be chaperoned.
Language:Nothing.
Substance Abuse:Nothing.
Nightmare Fuel:A boy is briefly menaced by a cobra.
Politics and Religion:Nothing clearly applicable, although there are some definite Biblical allusions in one chapter, that's ostensibly based onAladdinbut has more in common withThe Prince of Egypt.
So, About the Movie...
Melissa de la Cruz' Descendants novels are not a complete series in and of themselves.The Isle of the Lostis a prequel to the Disney Channel movieDescendants,this book andRise of the Isletake place between the first and second movies, andEscape from the Isle of the Losttakes place between the second movie and the third, final film. So I'll have to critique the movie a bit to explain some of my frustrations with this book.
You might expect that Mal, Evie, Carlos and Jay would be bullied, shunned, or at least avoided and misunderstood by most of their peers at first. That they would have to prove to their schoolmates that they're good people. And you would be expecting way too much character development out of this franchise. Nope, the only people who gave them any trouble at school were two narcissistic royals named Audrey and Chad. Everyone else was warm and welcoming from the start, which speaks well of their characters, but doesn't exactly make for an interesting story.
Mal actually learned a good lesson, in what managed to be a cute story arc despite its sloppy writing. The lesson was, it's easier and more fulfilling to be good than to be evil. Love and friendship and kindness are worth more than power, vengeance and pride.
She learned this mostly through being courted by Ben, the young king, who believed in her innate goodness long before she did. Mal did a number of unethical things to Ben--including driving off his previous girlfriend, feeding him magic food with a love potion in it, and using him in hopes of stealing a magical artifact. Any other guy would have scorned her, but Ben showed unearned mercy, and Mal eventually became the person he believed she was.
Alas, there was no such luck for Mal's three pals. Evie learned that the nerdy boy was nicer than the blond prince, which might be interesting to someone who has literally never seen a movie before - it doesn't help that both Chad and Doug are completely lacking in charm. (They should have given Evie a non-romantic plotline in the first movie and paired her with Harry in the second). Jay's big character epiphany is that "sports are fun", and Carlos does nothing for the whole movie except get over his fear of dogs.
Now on to the actual book...
Conclusions
Return to the Isle of the Lostreads like the publishers gave de la Cruz a month to write the whole thing, and barely polished the first draft before sending it to press. The first book was kind of messy too, but it at least had a few effective character moments and a vague plot.
The villain should have been
But there are still rumors of bad things to come. There have been tremors and earthquakes, and even sightings of a purplish dragon snagging sheep and burning things up near Camelot (which exists in this universe thanks toThe Sword in the Stone). Everyone suspects Maleficent, but that can't be--she's stuck in tiny lizard form in a cell in the Auradon Prep library (hardly a secure prison for such a being, but never mind).
As Ben goes cross-kingdom to investigate, Mal and her friends head back to the Isle, lured by ominous messages from someone who goes only by the initial M...
Content Advisory
Violence:A girl who can't swim gets thrown off a peir and is saved just in time. A dragon burns buildings and carries off a few sheep. Some instances of magical combat with no one really getting hurt. A madwoman dares her son to kill her, but he doesn't and.
Sex:Nothing, really. It's mentioned that Ben takes Mal on some of his cross-country tours, but they appear to be chaperoned.
Language:Nothing.
Substance Abuse:Nothing.
Nightmare Fuel:A boy is briefly menaced by a cobra.
Politics and Religion:Nothing clearly applicable, although there are some definite Biblical allusions in one chapter, that's ostensibly based onAladdinbut has more in common withThe Prince of Egypt.
So, About the Movie...
Melissa de la Cruz' Descendants novels are not a complete series in and of themselves.The Isle of the Lostis a prequel to the Disney Channel movieDescendants,this book andRise of the Isletake place between the first and second movies, andEscape from the Isle of the Losttakes place between the second movie and the third, final film. So I'll have to critique the movie a bit to explain some of my frustrations with this book.
You might expect that Mal, Evie, Carlos and Jay would be bullied, shunned, or at least avoided and misunderstood by most of their peers at first. That they would have to prove to their schoolmates that they're good people. And you would be expecting way too much character development out of this franchise. Nope, the only people who gave them any trouble at school were two narcissistic royals named Audrey and Chad. Everyone else was warm and welcoming from the start, which speaks well of their characters, but doesn't exactly make for an interesting story.
Mal actually learned a good lesson, in what managed to be a cute story arc despite its sloppy writing. The lesson was, it's easier and more fulfilling to be good than to be evil. Love and friendship and kindness are worth more than power, vengeance and pride.
She learned this mostly through being courted by Ben, the young king, who believed in her innate goodness long before she did. Mal did a number of unethical things to Ben--including driving off his previous girlfriend, feeding him magic food with a love potion in it, and using him in hopes of stealing a magical artifact. Any other guy would have scorned her, but Ben showed unearned mercy, and Mal eventually became the person he believed she was.
Alas, there was no such luck for Mal's three pals. Evie learned that the nerdy boy was nicer than the blond prince, which might be interesting to someone who has literally never seen a movie before - it doesn't help that both Chad and Doug are completely lacking in charm. (They should have given Evie a non-romantic plotline in the first movie and paired her with Harry in the second). Jay's big character epiphany is that "sports are fun", and Carlos does nothing for the whole movie except get over his fear of dogs.
Now on to the actual book...
Conclusions
Return to the Isle of the Lostreads like the publishers gave de la Cruz a month to write the whole thing, and barely polished the first draft before sending it to press. The first book was kind of messy too, but it at least had a few effective character moments and a vague plot.
The villain should have been
July 20, 2017
Return to the Isle of the LostbyMelissa de la Cruzfollows after the movie happens. Mal and the other descendants are getting settled in at aurodon but evil is calling them back.
CHARACTERS-
I love all these characters and I just need them in my life.
I love all their personalities and I love their sense of fashion as well.
ROMANCE-
So,, I don't ship Mal and Ben. I've tried but it's just not my thing. Opposites attract but not this far, Mal is made from pure evil and Ben is 100% good so this relationship is doomed.
PLOT-
Plot is still interesting and intriguing.
Ending-
Left off great! Can't wait til next one.
Characters-8/10
Romance-4/10
Plot-10/10
Ending-8/10
CHARACTERS-
I love all these characters and I just need them in my life.
I love all their personalities and I love their sense of fashion as well.
ROMANCE-
So,, I don't ship Mal and Ben. I've tried but it's just not my thing. Opposites attract but not this far, Mal is made from pure evil and Ben is 100% good so this relationship is doomed.
PLOT-
Plot is still interesting and intriguing.
Ending-
Left off great! Can't wait til next one.
Characters-8/10
Romance-4/10
Plot-10/10
Ending-8/10
Want to read
June 3, 2016[June 2016 edit]Yes! I got it!
***********************************************
***********************************************
Want to read
December 26, 2015It seems to be an interesting way to continue the story. but if I don't see something from Mal and Ben I'll be really disappointed
June 4, 2016
This book was great.
I liked how it took place in both Auradon and the Isle of the Lost. It even briefly explored other places like Camelot, Neverland, and Charmington Cove (where Cinderella lives).
There were some new characters as well as characters from the movie. Also Ben had a larger role in this book than he did in the previous one.
I enjoyed the plot and the quest and everything fit together nicely.
The ending sets up a new movie and/or book perfectly. I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
Overall, a solid book in the Descendants franchise.
I liked how it took place in both Auradon and the Isle of the Lost. It even briefly explored other places like Camelot, Neverland, and Charmington Cove (where Cinderella lives).
There were some new characters as well as characters from the movie. Also Ben had a larger role in this book than he did in the previous one.
I enjoyed the plot and the quest and everything fit together nicely.
The ending sets up a new movie and/or book perfectly. I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
Overall, a solid book in the Descendants franchise.
March 10, 2020
Mal, Evie, Jay, Carlos from the Isle of lost have been at Auradon for a year now, they found their places there after the coronation with the whole maleficent attacking them and Mal turning her into a lizard situation. They started getting anonymous messages saying that they should go back to the isle where "they belong". Carlos hacked into the dark web and discovered a site that is called "Anti Heroes Club" and there is a picture of the four of them with a huge X on it. I really liked that the author used characters that people are familiar with from old fairy tales like Belle, the fairy-godmother, maleficent, etc. I would recommend this book to people who like fairy tale books and are in grades 4-7. I would give this book a four because it was a pretty good book but some parts weren't as interesting.
May 9, 2022
I had this sort of vaguely on my radar, because I really liked the first one, and I think the movies are darling. But then I discovered who the villain is and that there's a large purple dragon involved, and I had to read it ASAP. These characters really are so darling, and I do enjoy reading about Auradon. I find the actual Isle of the Lost kind of gross and depressing, and could really read whole books that are set entirely at Auradon Prep and involve studying and sports ball games. I was indeed delighted by the villain (or at least, the villain really behind the plot), and wish the ending had been a bit longer.
June 20, 2016
Anti-herois the villain that you root for in the story. An anti-hero is a hero who isn’t perfect. An anti-hero doesn’t ride up in a white horse, or have shining golden hair and wonderful manners. In fact, an anti-hero doesn’t look like the typical hero of a story at all. Anti-heroes can be crude and ugly and selfish, but they are heroes nonetheless. As flawed as an anti-hero is, they’re trying to do the right thing. You are all anti-heroes, and I’m proud of you.
My favorite anti-heroes are back.
Return to the Isle of the Lost is a great follow up. I really like it compared to The Isle of the Lost. The writing, and characterization drastically improved!
Favorite parts:the camaraderie of Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos
You get to see more of Mal and Evie supporting each other. Yo.
I love that King Ben has firm roots in the plot.
Even though, there's a romance undertone, it didn't reigned over the plot. The main focus was been solving the mystery, and the bond of the four kids.Perfect for young readers, especially who love the first book and Disney's adaptation.
Actual rating:It's hovering between 3.7 to 4 stars.
Explanation:I skipped the parts were there were snakes on it.
March 6, 2017
I liked the first book, however I didnt enjoy this book that much.. first you should know that even this is the second book the storie picks up after the movie. If you didnt see the movie you sure miss the first part of the book to understand what happend in the movie. It didnt grip me, I didnt care about the plot or the characters anymore. This should have been a standalone with the movie.. although I kind of kept reading because I like disney so yeah 2.5*
June 4, 2021
i loved these idc
June 24, 2016
3.25 stars
This book was actually a very pleasant surprise! As I did enjoy the first book, I still felt the second book would be just "meh". Boy, was I wrong! Despite my 3.25 stars, this book was an exciting and compelling middle grade novel.
The plot was really fun! The children of popular villains have to return back to the Isle of the Lost, they have received notes saying they have to return. We watch them sneak out and arrive and their journey and discoveries. This is such a nice adventure novel, it has short chapters and multiple perspectives. I felt some lines were cringe-worthy and cheesy though.
The characters are all really interesting! Mal, Maleficent's daughter, is one of my favorite- probably my favorite. She is strong, kind of snarky, and looks out for her friends. Evie, the Evil Queen's daughter is cool, she also has her friends backs. Carlos, son of Cruella De Ville is another favorite, he is snarky and just an interesting perspective to follow. Jay, son of Jafar, is the same as the others, funny and overall helpful to his friends. We also got Ben's point of view, who is the prince and Mal's boyfriend. I REALLY liked him! So kind, respectful and caring but not clingy. He's so charming and supportive, I thought him and Mal were great together. I really liked the four friends and their bond. They grow closer in this book, and it's nice to see friends who support one another and trust each other.
I feel that the ending was satisfying but I definitely feel there is more room for a third book!
This book was actually a very pleasant surprise! As I did enjoy the first book, I still felt the second book would be just "meh". Boy, was I wrong! Despite my 3.25 stars, this book was an exciting and compelling middle grade novel.
The plot was really fun! The children of popular villains have to return back to the Isle of the Lost, they have received notes saying they have to return. We watch them sneak out and arrive and their journey and discoveries. This is such a nice adventure novel, it has short chapters and multiple perspectives. I felt some lines were cringe-worthy and cheesy though.
The characters are all really interesting! Mal, Maleficent's daughter, is one of my favorite- probably my favorite. She is strong, kind of snarky, and looks out for her friends. Evie, the Evil Queen's daughter is cool, she also has her friends backs. Carlos, son of Cruella De Ville is another favorite, he is snarky and just an interesting perspective to follow. Jay, son of Jafar, is the same as the others, funny and overall helpful to his friends. We also got Ben's point of view, who is the prince and Mal's boyfriend. I REALLY liked him! So kind, respectful and caring but not clingy. He's so charming and supportive, I thought him and Mal were great together. I really liked the four friends and their bond. They grow closer in this book, and it's nice to see friends who support one another and trust each other.
I feel that the ending was satisfying but I definitely feel there is more room for a third book!
October 25, 2022
As a longtime fan of Disney Channel productions, this book was right up my alley. Fans of theDescendantstelefilms will definitely enjoy this novel.
Read
June 30, 2017This is an adventure. The reformed "villain kids" embark on a mission to save the world as they know it.
September 21, 2017
This was an amazing read. I loved how the story took place in both Auradon and the Isle of the Lost. Also, it also gave us a look into Camelot Heights, Netherlands, and Charmington Cove. Also, we learn more about what happened after the dome broke in the first Descendants movie. I love the characters all the same. These four villains are the villains that we root for. They each have their individual talents. Also, I absolutely love Ben. He is a great King of Auradon. I thought he ruled fair and justly. The ending prepares us for the next book or movie in store. I am still wondering if the second Descendants movie will be the sequel to this book or a sequel to the third book. I can't wait to find out. Overall, an incredible read.
March 28, 2021
Anti heroes are the heroes you root for in the story.
Wow. Amazing.
This book, like the previous one is really good.
Plot and Story
The plot was perfect. I don't know what else to say about that. The story and suspense of this book was really good. There were a lot of plot-twists too, increasing the interestingness of the book.
The characters were awesome, along with the opening and writing.
The book also teaches us that being perfect is not necessary. You do not have to be perfect. Be just the way you are. Nobody is perfect. You are a hero in your own story.
I enjoyed a lot reading this.
P.S - Really? Zapp? InstaRoyal? There were much more. Kind of creative and funny too.
Wow. Amazing.
This book, like the previous one is really good.
Plot and Story
The plot was perfect. I don't know what else to say about that. The story and suspense of this book was really good. There were a lot of plot-twists too, increasing the interestingness of the book.
The characters were awesome, along with the opening and writing.
The book also teaches us that being perfect is not necessary. You do not have to be perfect. Be just the way you are. Nobody is perfect. You are a hero in your own story.
I enjoyed a lot reading this.
P.S - Really? Zapp? InstaRoyal? There were much more. Kind of creative and funny too.
July 27, 2016
Just like the first one I actually liked it.
These are just fun quick reads that are entertaining but are not suppose to be taken seriously.
I found myself enjoying these stories and would recommend to anyone who wanted a fun read.
These are just fun quick reads that are entertaining but are not suppose to be taken seriously.
I found myself enjoying these stories and would recommend to anyone who wanted a fun read.
August 29, 2016
This quick, light read was perfect to get me out of my reading slump while satisfying my Disney craving (after my vacation I miss Disney World okay?)
September 23, 2019
Me ha gustado, pero siento que sigue la misma línea del primer libro en lugar de superarlo:/
May 30, 2016
Disney books are just amazing!! And I loved this one
April 15, 2021
Decent. It was a fun read, but nothing spectacular. Carlos is still my favorite in the books. Jay I feel barely gets any credit in the series and finally got a bit of a feel for here. There are things relating to their parents and what happens toward the end that didn't make much logical sense to me. I really want to see them confront their parents (Mal and Malificent excluded obviously). Oh and huge question about Mal and potential siblings due to later movie connection! Either info must be given in a later book or movie to explain this or it is a huge disconnect that has me annoyed...
I still don't get Ben being a king while a teenager. How about working WITH his parents on these issues? Although he pulls through in the end. I want more about Yen Sid!
I still don't get Ben being a king while a teenager. How about working WITH his parents on these issues? Although he pulls through in the end. I want more about Yen Sid!
October 15, 2019
I'm really enjoying the Descendants series by Melissa De La Cruz. Return to the Isle of the Lost takes place after the first movie, but before the second movie. This is a great series and I would recommend it to anyone one who's a Disney fan. ~ Koala ^-^
December 29, 2018
Another confession: Once again, I thought this would correlate to the second movie and, once again, I was sorely mistaken.
Though while I ended up enjoying the first book, there was something off about this one that I can't quite put my finger on...
I really enjoy the growing friendships between our characters and the development of most of them in tern. What was slightly irritating though...which really upset me...was Mal.
I love Mal in the movies...but not so much in the books. It has nothing to do with her being rotton and mean (because that's pretty much the point) but I don't enjoy her inner monologue most of the time. I'd much rather focus on any other character than her in the books at this point.
The adventure in this book wasn't as fun for me as in book one. It felt cheapened by the writing which I triedsohard to constantly remind myself "This is a book targeted at children! You are not the target audience so it is not written for you!" but...BUT...BUUUUT....
Eh. Just not my cup of tea, this one. It's turned me off of the last book which is super irritating because I wanted to just zip right through all of them but oh well.
Final rating: 1.5/5 stars
Though while I ended up enjoying the first book, there was something off about this one that I can't quite put my finger on...
I really enjoy the growing friendships between our characters and the development of most of them in tern. What was slightly irritating though...which really upset me...was Mal.
I love Mal in the movies...but not so much in the books. It has nothing to do with her being rotton and mean (because that's pretty much the point) but I don't enjoy her inner monologue most of the time. I'd much rather focus on any other character than her in the books at this point.
The adventure in this book wasn't as fun for me as in book one. It felt cheapened by the writing which I triedsohard to constantly remind myself "This is a book targeted at children! You are not the target audience so it is not written for you!" but...BUT...BUUUUT....
Eh. Just not my cup of tea, this one. It's turned me off of the last book which is super irritating because I wanted to just zip right through all of them but oh well.
Final rating: 1.5/5 stars
August 11, 2016
"Denk eraan: bij twijfel denk je aan mooie, fijne dingen, dan vind je vanzelf je weg." ~ p186
Met volle teugen genoot van ik van "Dwaaleiland". Ik was dan ook heel enthousiast toen mij gevraagd werd of ik dit tweede deel wilde recenseren. Maar zodra ik in het eerste hoofdstuk aan het lezen was, had ik het gevoel dat ik een een stuk miste. Het verhaal gaat niet verder waar het vorige boek eindigde. Tussen deel 1 en 2 zit een (voor zover ik uit de verwijzingen kan opmaken zonder te spoileren) hele belangrijke gebeurtenis die ik als lezer geel graag had willen lezen. Ik heb de film niet gezien, en naar wat ik heb begrepen snap je het dan wel beter, maar ik had echt het gevoel dat ik in het 3e deel was begonnen en ze het 2e deel waren vergeten te vertalen. Dit heeft het gehele boek aan me lopen knagen, en absoluut mijn leesplezier beïnvloed. Ook omdat er steeds naar verwezen werd, zonder echt iets te vertellen.
"Goedheid werkt op geheimzinnige wijze. Zelfs in de diepste duisternis zul je een lichtpuntje ontdekken dat je erdoorheen helpt." ~ p190
Los gezien van mijn teleurstelling is het verhaal qua opbouw net zoals het eerste deel. Er word ruim de tijd genomen om de verhaallijn neer te zetten, en naar de queste toe te werken. Het is leuk om te zien hoe de 4 schurkenkinderen zich hebben weten te settlen tussen de goede mensen in Auradon. Wat absoluut leuk is aan dit deel is dat de wereld wat beter verkend word, en je op die manier een groter beeld krijgt van de Disney wereld. Alles komt weer aanbod, puur jeugdsentiment!
Helaas weegde de teleurstelling met het lezen zwaar, en heb ik me gevoelsmatig echt door het boek moeten worstel... vandaar maar 2,5 ☆
Met volle teugen genoot van ik van "Dwaaleiland". Ik was dan ook heel enthousiast toen mij gevraagd werd of ik dit tweede deel wilde recenseren. Maar zodra ik in het eerste hoofdstuk aan het lezen was, had ik het gevoel dat ik een een stuk miste. Het verhaal gaat niet verder waar het vorige boek eindigde. Tussen deel 1 en 2 zit een (voor zover ik uit de verwijzingen kan opmaken zonder te spoileren) hele belangrijke gebeurtenis die ik als lezer geel graag had willen lezen. Ik heb de film niet gezien, en naar wat ik heb begrepen snap je het dan wel beter, maar ik had echt het gevoel dat ik in het 3e deel was begonnen en ze het 2e deel waren vergeten te vertalen. Dit heeft het gehele boek aan me lopen knagen, en absoluut mijn leesplezier beïnvloed. Ook omdat er steeds naar verwezen werd, zonder echt iets te vertellen.
"Goedheid werkt op geheimzinnige wijze. Zelfs in de diepste duisternis zul je een lichtpuntje ontdekken dat je erdoorheen helpt." ~ p190
Los gezien van mijn teleurstelling is het verhaal qua opbouw net zoals het eerste deel. Er word ruim de tijd genomen om de verhaallijn neer te zetten, en naar de queste toe te werken. Het is leuk om te zien hoe de 4 schurkenkinderen zich hebben weten te settlen tussen de goede mensen in Auradon. Wat absoluut leuk is aan dit deel is dat de wereld wat beter verkend word, en je op die manier een groter beeld krijgt van de Disney wereld. Alles komt weer aanbod, puur jeugdsentiment!
Helaas weegde de teleurstelling met het lezen zwaar, en heb ik me gevoelsmatig echt door het boek moeten worstel... vandaar maar 2,5 ☆
June 26, 2016
Me declaro fan de los descendientes. Me da igual que sean libros Middle Grade y que te guste sea considerado infantil.
Creo que desde el momento en el que vi la pelicula me enamore de la historia, ya que soy de esas que siempre habian sido fan de Disney y esto no era una excepción.
El libro nos lleva a lo que ocurre justo despues de la pelicula de Los Descendientes de Disney Channel.
No os voy a decir que ha sido el libro de mo vida, porque no ha sido así pero si es verdad que es muy entretenido y muy rapido de leer.
Le voy a dar 4 estrellas, porque es simplemente muy interesante y entretenido
Creo que desde el momento en el que vi la pelicula me enamore de la historia, ya que soy de esas que siempre habian sido fan de Disney y esto no era una excepción.
El libro nos lleva a lo que ocurre justo despues de la pelicula de Los Descendientes de Disney Channel.
No os voy a decir que ha sido el libro de mo vida, porque no ha sido así pero si es verdad que es muy entretenido y muy rapido de leer.
Le voy a dar 4 estrellas, porque es simplemente muy interesante y entretenido
June 22, 2016
Ok, I pick this up out of curiosity (and because I have been consuming disney movies like crazy these days) and I actually enjoyed. It's lighthearted and soft, but if you liked the movie (you must see it if you're planing to read this) I'm pretty sure you would like this too. Also Ben and Mal are sweeeeet. I know, is a couple from an disney channel original movie, but I don't care. I'm a foolish romantic who love cheesy couples ^^
May 27, 2017
I liked this one way more than the first book:D I don't know what it is with me, but I have really been liking the second books in series more lately it feels like lol:P Maybe because I already know the characters and everything? Plus the characters grew more in this one. You could tell they were trying to do better at being good and not following in their parents footsteps...I just thought it was so much better than the first in my opinion:)
November 29, 2016
In tegenstelling tot Dwaaleiland had ik bij dit boek meer moeite om in het verhaal te komen. De eerste pagina's had ik me erdoorheen moeten sleuren. Maar rond bladzijde 50 was ik vertrokken en kon ik het boek niet meer wegleggen. Het verhaal is mysterieus en spannend, de personages zijn goed uitgedacht en de cover is prachtig! Dit was voor mij weer een geslaagd YA/fantasy boek!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 919 reviews