Wild Born

Wild Born is the first of a middle-grade fantasy series where at 11, children drink nectar to see if they can call a spirit animal to be their companion. At the start of the story, however, children start calling The Great Beasts, who are more than just spirit animals. They were the original warriors in a battle that happened long ago to protect the world from evil. It looks as though that dark force is rising up and this group of children have to band together to stop it once again.

I was not expecting to like this book as much as it did. I thought it’d be a quick read, a nice palette cleanser before I went off to a more serious/interesting book. I was completely surprised by how much I enjoyed myself. While it was a quick read, Mull show more expertly set up the fantasy world; it is at once complex and easily understood. The magic system is interesting and I’m looking forward to learning more about it. I love the idea of a coming-of-age ritual that results in having an animal companion that boosts your skills. There is also an organization that takes in people with spirit animals commonly called “The Green Cloaks,” which supposedly helps to protect the balance of the world.

The characters are each so different, and I appreciated that we were able to get each of their perspectives. It was also interesting to have one character be recruited for the “other” side so that we got an inside look of that. Each character is so relatable and awesome; I only was irritated by one character, but I was still interested in her story, so it didn’t take me out of the story too much; I’m excited to see them work together more, so we can see how their strengths interact with each other.

What’s interesting about this series is that a different author writes each book, so Maggie Stiefvater wrote the second one. I’m a bit hesitant, because this one was so good, so I wonder how the style will differ, but I’m looking forward to returning to Erdas and reading more about the characters!

Also posted on Purple People Readers. show less

My ten-year-old came downstairs all on fire about this book and insisted that I read it. Not seeing any good reason to refuse, I agreed.

It was fine? I mean, it used some lazy stereotyping to set up the characters, but there was a lot of world-building and characterization to set-up in a short space, so I guess I can see why it would be easy to use some shortcuts. (Set on a non-Earth planet with unique continents, but of the four main characters, one is clearly Chinese, one African, one British, one American). There was one incident with Native-Americans-who-werent-Native-Americans-but-clearly-were that was a little eye-rally, but mostly it was fine. But really the entire thing felt like a setup for the series more than a complete book show more on its own.

The central concept of being able to connect psychically to a magical animal is certainly most of what got my son interested in this book. There are interesting bits to the characters. I did like the emphasis that each of the kids has different strengths, but they all feel less-than and tend to focus on the things that they DON'T do as well. Plot seemed had-waved and rushed in places.

I know, this book isn't FOR ME. But even as a middle grade novel, I was underwhelmed. show less

When I open a book that has a map on the first page, I tend to run screaming in the other direction, but kids who enjoy exploring mythical lands and referring to fake maps will probably get a kick out of this. This series, like 39 Clues, has a different author for each book, and there are some pretty impressive names attached (Maggie Stiefvater, Shannon Hale, Garth Nix). There is an online component, and readers are invited to log in and play the game on their computer using special codes found in the books. They do require an email address. There was a rather violent death scene at the end of book 1 (very descriptive...the words "blood" and "gurgling" were used in the same sentence), so sensitive kids might be overwhelmed by that. I show more almost teared up a little, and I didn't even LIKE the characters! Despite my personal dislike, I would still recommend this. Here's my review:

In the land of Erdas, all children who are turning 11 participate in a ceremony where they attempt to call their spirit animal. Not all children summon spirit animals, but those who do are invited to join the semi-secret society called The Greencloaks. Greencloaks get certain powers and enhanced abilities from their spirit animals, and they're just cooler than everyone else. During this particular year, evil is brewing in Erdas and a very scary sounding creature called The Devourer is on the loose again after having been defeated many years ago. When the Devourer was originally defeated, four of the most impressive spirit animals lost their lives. When four ordinary kids summon their spirit animals in Wild Born, they happen to summon those legendary fallen spirit animals, hurtling them into the middle of a frightening war, terrifying enemies, and the mysterious Greencloaks. These four brave kids must struggle to bond with their wild and very famous spirit animals, while deciding who they can trust and who is out to deceive them. Full of action and animals, Spirit Animals Wild Born is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat! (Recommended for grades 4-6. The action and war will definitely appeal to boys, but there are cute animals and lots of girl power to keep adventurous girls interested too.) -EC show less

I'm sure this book series is going to be the next big thing in middle grade/YA fiction. Each book in the series, published by Scholastic, will be written by different authors who will inject their brilliance into each book, spinning a new and exciting tale every time. The first book is written by Brandon Mull. Get ready for the second book, which is sure to be amazing by the one-and-only Maggie Stiefvater!

I will come right out and admit that I was hesitant with this book. The title alone was enough to make me grimace. In my head, I was worried I was going to have to read a story about kids who turned into animals or a less intense version of something like having an animal soul like in The Golden Compass. What I did not expect was the show more story to have a real reason behind one's ability to have a spirit animal. I like the thought put into how you get a spirit animal. I also like the fact that not everyone gets one. This is not a world where every kid at the age of 11 gets a spirit animal.

To be able to "produce" a spirit animal, children at the age of 11 drink a special nectar. If they are chosen, an animal will appear out of the sky in a dramatic and awe-inspiring way, in front of the entire community. The animals radiate power. They are independent and must have their trust earned by their respective humans. The four creatures you see on the cover are four of the "Great Beasts"--ancient spirit animals who were destroyed a long time ago, and have been "resurrected" by these four kids.

War is breaking out everywhere and these four kids, with the help of these ancient animals, can make all the difference. They set out on an epic adventure to train and hopefully to help save the world. This book is fast-moving, exciting, and full of danger and of the unexpected. The book is told from the alternating points of view of the characters, giving the reader the chance to identify with each of the characters and to experience their very different adventures as they learn to work with the animals.

Although the book is set in a mythological far off world, the kids deal with social issues that readers will certainly be able to identify with. Issues such as self-doubt, confidence, identity issues, loyalty, morality, learning to trust, learning to fit in, and learning to be a leader and to work with others are all prevalent.

Unlike many stories today of heroic children, I liked that this book does not ignore the importance of adults/parental figures. While the children must mature quickly and they have the fate of the world resting on their shoulders, the adults are present to guide them on their journey. The kids are learning to be heroes and survivors, but they do so under the watchful eyes of the adults who are very much needed. The kids are equal with the adults and are very important to the mission. Readers will enjoy the freedom, the adventures, and the necessity of the children's presence. Parents can appreciate that these fictional children need their parents/need adult guidance just as children do in reality. This is not a story of rebelliousness or carelessness.

I love how realistic and logical this seems--you can't just throw kids into the world and have them come out as invincible. What a refreshing take! These kids are given a lot of responsibility and have the freedom and independence all kids crave, but there are still adult protectors; there are still people to give guidance and to lend a hand.

I also noticed there is a diverse group of characters: a street-boy/orphan, the wealthy daughter of a military man, a palace servant, and a middle-class/youngest daughter. This book celebrates diversity, and I love that. Rich or poor, important or common, anyone can be a hero!

The characters are good role models for other kids. For example, when one of the heroes, Abeke, gets led astray, she must decide what is right and wrong--who is good and who is evil. From Abeke, readers can learn to trust their instincts. These children learn to sense right and wrong as they continue to develop their own moral compasses. Moreover, in this dystopian world, the characters make the decision to sacrifice personal happiness for the greater good, for their friends, for others' happiness. They learn to take the hard road, because it will lead to a better world. There's certainly a lot of good life lessons to be taken from these characters!

If all these good things are not enough to persuade you, the book is also an interactive online game! There's a code with each book to register and live the adventure yourself. Very cool! Embrace a kid's love of technology while ALSO getting them reading and off the computer. Brilliant!

Spirit Animals is everything in an adventure you've ever wanted and more. Fans of Animorphs and Pokemon will enjoy this story. The books are sure to be a huge success, particularly with boys who love fantasy/magic, and adventure stories, with a bit of [age-appropriate] danger and violence. Who knows... maybe we'll even see a TV series out of this? I honestly wouldn't be surprised. show less

Our story takes place in the world of Erdas with spirit animals and people being the most dominant species there. So, our story starts with our four main characters receiving the “Nectar Of Ninani” getting their spirit animals with Conor a wolf, Abeke a leopard, Meilin a panda, and Rollan a falcon plus Abeke getting captured by the enemies of the Greencloaks, or who the Nectar givers are. They then start training with their Spirit Animals and learn about a new thing called a Talisman which will help them win the war if it happens. The enemies convince Abeke to join them and hunt for the Talisman with both going for the “Granite Ram” which is protected by Arax the Ram either by spies for a vision. After a fight which Meilin won show more they meet Arax who denies them the Granite Ram with a massive fight ensuing between the Greencloaks and their enemies. After a bunch of fighting Abeke gets the Granite Ram with a man who saved her life from Arax getting killed by a member from her own party. She then turns on them with the enemies fleeing and Abeke deciding to join the Greencloaks.

Personally, I thought that this book was much better than I anticipated and look forward to reading the second book “Hunted”. I also thought that this book was greatly paced unlike some other books I’ve recently read. I’ve also gained a lot of respect for Brandon Mull because the first book I read by him wasn’t that good in my opinion. I also thought it was kind of ironic since Conor is a sheepherder originally and he got a wolf as his Spirit Animal. I’d say that the saddest part of the book is when Abeke is almost about to get knocked of a cliff but an enemy saves her, only to get stabbed in the back a minute or so later. Though overall, I’d say that there is a lot of promise for this series and hope the rest of the series is as good as the first one. show less

In children's eleventh year, they undertake a ceremonial transformation into adults by calling their "spirit animals." Most children fail to call any animal at all, but none in history have ever called one of the Great Beasts. So when four children call the spirits of the four Great Beasts who died years ago in a brutal war to save humanity, the kids are quickly swept up into an adult world of conspiracies and danger.

This is an adorable first book in a series. It is appropriate, both in maturity and reading level, for an 8-10 year old - and it would be equally enjoyable to boys and girls. The children's adventures are exciting, but not violent or scary. Some interesting questions of ethics are brought up: for instance, should we show more support the people who have always been in power and who appear to fight for "good," even when they haven't ever helped us?

I look forward to the rest of the books in the series. show less

I read this book because I'm a Brandon Mull fan, otherwise I probably wouldn't have given it a try. I ended up really liking it. I was worried that this book wouldn't be as good as Mull's other books because he only wrote the first in the series, but it is definitely his style. The characters are great, the plot is interesting, and the pace is good. However, I did feel like the last chapter (all 2 pages of it) was weird and probably not under Mull's control. However, I'm excited to read the next book in the series!