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Werken van Cameron Dokey

Golden: A Retelling of "Rapunzel" (2006) 552 exemplaren
How Not to Spend Your Senior Year (2003) 220 exemplaren
Here Be Monsters (2000) 196 exemplaren
Haunted by Desire (2000) — Auteur — 162 exemplaren
Once Again: Snow; Beauty Sleep (2015) — Auteur — 122 exemplaren
Charmed 11 / Het vergeten gezicht (2003) 101 exemplaren
Hindenburg,1937 (1999) 92 exemplaren
The Summoned (2001) 83 exemplaren
Washington Avalanche, 1910 (2000) 48 exemplaren
Katherine: Heart of Freedom (1997) 18 exemplaren
Charlotte: Heart of Hope (1997) 15 exemplaren
The Prisoner (2001) 14 exemplaren
Lost and Found (Enchanted Hearts) (1999) 14 exemplaren
Eternally Yours (Nightmare Club) (1994) 12 exemplaren
Stephanie: Heart of Gold (1998) 12 exemplaren
Carrie: Heart of Courage (1998) 12 exemplaren
TOGETHER FOREVER (Love Stories) (1997) 11 exemplaren
Love Me, Love Me Not (1995) 11 exemplaren
Blue Moon (1995) 10 exemplaren
Heart's Desire (1995) 9 exemplaren
The Talisman (1994) 8 exemplaren
Everything I Want (2004) 8 exemplaren
Winning Is Everything (1998) 7 exemplaren
Boys Camp: Zack's Story (2013) 4 exemplaren
Be Mine (1997) — Medewerker — 3 exemplaren
Once Upon a Time 2 exemplaren
De Rode Vloek 1 exemplaar
New Year, New Love (1996) 1 exemplaar

Gerelateerde werken

Demigods and Monsters (2008) — Medewerker — 387 exemplaren

Tagged

Algemene kennis

Pseudoniemen en naamsvarianten
Dokey, Mary Cameron (birth name)
Geboortedatum
1956-08-14
Geslacht
female
Nationaliteit
USA
Geboorteplaats
Stockton, California, USA
Woonplaatsen
Seattle, Washington, USA
Opleiding
Sonoma State University
Beroepen
children's author
YA author

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Besprekingen

For the record, my favorite of the series
 
Gemarkeerd
lexilewords | 1 andere bespreking | Dec 28, 2023 |
I'll freely admit I have no love for the original Jack and the Beanstalk tale. It bothered me that Jack could be so thoughtless when he knew so much was at stake. Plus I felt it taught a bad moral lesson; do irresponsible things and things turn out better! However I'm a big fan of the Simon and Schuster line of "Once Upon a Time" novels, and Cameron Dokey as an author in specific, so I was content to read this novel.

I wouldn't say The World Above blew me away, or made me rethink how I felt about the original tale, but I enjoyed Dokey 's interpretation of the events. Told through the eyes, and practical nature, of Jack's twin sister Gen, we learn the 'truth' behind the fairy tale. Jack isn't much different from his normal self; still flighty, still a day dreamer, still thinking of the next big thing instead of mundane matters. Gen is the practical one, the one who plans and lists and strives to keep the family together through all their hardships. Along the path of the novel the two learn to compromise their extreme bi-polarity in natures, but in the end its Gen's practical, planning side that wins the day.

Mixed in with the Jack and the Beanstalk tale is also pieces of Robin Hood's legend. He has his merry band, he lives in the forest and robs from the rich to give to the poor. I thought this was a nice touch, gave Gen's love interest something other then being that guy who you think the worse of at first. The scenes in the forest are some of my favorite I think for this reason. Robin's interactions with his 'people' are charismatic, firm and tinged with hope. He doesn't lie to them or lead them falsely.

My only complaint is that the characters as a whole felt shallow. Shannon and Sean are compassionate people, who try their best to keep the people's spirits alive as their father did, but very little is said beyond this. Perhaps because of the small nature of the novel (just over 200 pages), this is the reason, but I would have liked to know more about Duke Guy--for such a ruthless, cut throat man he caves awfully quickly. I can't believe 16 years changed him from a blood thirsty, power hungry usurper to a terrified old man easily bested by a slip of a girl.

Still, this version of the tale is the version I want to believe. I don't want to believe that Jack is as careless as the original tale would have us believe after all.
… (meer)
 
Gemarkeerd
lexilewords | 1 andere bespreking | Dec 28, 2023 |
More accurately, Kai says he wishes to marry Grace not that he declares his love to her. Neither declares their love--though Kai accuses Grace of not loving him enough. I always eagerly look forward to each new 'Once Upon a Time' story from Simon and Schuster; aside from the well known tales there have been lesser known fairy tales and legends that have gotten spotlighted. When I heard about this one, by Dokey who I have admired for a while, I knew it had to be about the Snow Queen. I suggest heading over to SurLaLune Fairy Tales to read up quickly about the original tale before moving onwards here.

Dokey's rendition of Hans Christian Anderson's lesser known fairy tale The Snow Queen keeps pace well with the original tale, but adds flavor to it to attract new readers. This isn't to say that she follows the story completely and this may yet be one of the farthest from the outcome of the original tale yet to come in this serial of novels.

Like the original tale Dokey splits the story itself into fragments to follow after one or more of the protagonists of the story. Each 'part' is told in first person point of view from either Kai, Grace or Deidre (the Winter Child)'s perspectives and they weave in and out of each other companionably. The short nature of the novel cuts down on a lot of the adventure and spirit that other renditions have (The Snow Queen by Mercedes Lackey is very well done in this), but it keeps the focus on what's important. I felt the worst for Deidre, she deserved the fate handed to her not at all and she still remained light. I would have liked more about her journey as she mended hearts, but space didn't allow for that it seemed.

Kai and Grace are so well matched you know, almost from the start, it can't be. As a romance this novel doesn't hold up its end at all; there is little chemistry between any of the couples and one romance happens literally in the blink of an eye. Grace worries over marrying Kai, who she has known all of her life (literally), but then in a blink decides to marry someone else she has only just, formally, met? I wanted Deidre to be happy, so the ending fit that at least, it just did not meet any other expectations.

This is one of the weaker 'Once Upon a Time' stories yet produced (I think we're edging close to 20 books now in the series?), but I have hope for the next book in the series, Violet Eyes which is a re-telling of 'The Princess and the Pea'.
… (meer)
 
Gemarkeerd
lexilewords | 5 andere besprekingen | Dec 28, 2023 |
Wild Orchid is part of the YA Romance line of books 'Once Upon a Time' from Simon & Schuster. I've been with this series since the very beginning (The Storyteller's Daughter, Cameron Dokey 2002) and so far only two books have let me down in any great way. Wild Orchid holds a special place for me because in 1998 I fell in love the Disney Animation 'Mulan', and while realizing even then that Disney liked to romanticize their movies a great deal, the story itself fascinated me. To be certain I read the english translation of the originator (Ballad of Mulan) and laughed myself silly over the changes.

I went into the book with similar expectations as that of the Disney counterpart. Its short, just over 199 pages and the first half is almost exclusively about Mulan's childhood and how she was different from other girls her own age. I got worried when the next quarter of the book dealt with her father returning home and yet there was still no mention of Mulan running off to war. Her actual time in the army was short, couldn't have been over a month (in the ballad she was in the army for 12 years!) and almost immediately she singles herself out for notice. This portion of the book--that of her army exploits and meeting Prince Jian--seemed very rushed and hurried.

We meet Jian's two older brothers--Ying the oldest and Guang the second oldest--but very little time is given to either one. We are told that Ying is a subtle thinker and less warrior then scholar. We are told and briefly shown that Guang is a manipulative person, very deep in court intrigues and secrets. I would have liked to see the two more, especially Ying since I didn't understand why his brothers respected him enough to halt their bickering.

Then also the romance between Jian and Mulan is quick and almost literally love at first sight for Mulan (then in the guise of Hua Gong-shi). Later when Jian admits he feels as if their hearts beat as one, still believing Mulan is a male foot soldier under his command, I couldn't help but wonder that he didn't seem at all worried by this. Is it so normal then for a commander and foot soldier be so attuned with each other? Over an archery match no less?

Still I enjoyed this novel. It wasn't exactly what I wanted as a retelling of of the Ballad, but it at least built up her background much better then I could have hoped for. Incidentally reports vary about Hua Mulan--her origins, when she fought etc. Some report that she was trained in warfare early on in life, as was normal for daughters of ranking military officiers. The book however makes it clear that its considered unladylike. Also some reports say that Mulan told her father outright her plans. So I wonder at what pieces Dokey took from which sources to make up the fabric of the story.
… (meer)
 
Gemarkeerd
lexilewords | 12 andere besprekingen | Dec 28, 2023 |

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Statistieken

Werken
46
Ook door
1
Leden
6,022
Populariteit
#4,088
Waardering
½ 3.6
Besprekingen
137
ISBNs
150
Talen
7
Favoriet
11

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