Let's Have Some Fun

"Miss Vesper Holly has the digestive talents of a goat and the mind of a chess master. She is familiar with half a dozen languages and can swear fluently in all of them. She understands the use of a slide rule but prefers doing calculations in her head. She does not hesitate to risk life and limb- mine as well as her own. No doubt she has other qualities as yet undiscovered. I hope not."
-The Illyrian Adventure, by Lloyd Alexander

I finished reading The Illyrian Adventure by Lloyd Alexander last night.  I started it several days ago, but stopped when I found out it was the first book in a series.  Or the last.  I didn't really know.


Anyway, last night, I picked it up where I left off.


The book has very little characterization, and very little description.  She's not telling the story, her guardian, Professor "Brinnie" Garrett is telling the story.  And she's smarter than he is, or her mind works faster anyway.


Despite the flaws, it was still so much fun to read.  I was reading some Goodreads reviews on it (although, most of the reviews were for the entire series), and a lot of people said, "Indiana Jones for girls."  I've never seen an Indiana Jones film (quit throwing stuff!), but I know enough about it to say it's a good description (as good as any, I guess).


It kind of reminded me a lot of the Girl Talk, Baby-Sitters' Club, Little Sisters...


Only a lot of action and only one central character.  The conflict is way bigger too.  And those writers aren't half as clever in their writing as Alexander is, in my opinion.


Indiana Jones for girls...only written by a man, which is weird.  But that's okay, because it's awesome.