For as long as she can remember, Megan Bradshaw has imagined herself as the heroine of Vindor, her own secret world populated with mermaids, centaurs, samurai, and more. When school pressures and an upcoming move make life unbearable, Megan wishes she could escape to Vindor for real.And then she does. Megan finds herself trapped in Vindor, with flesh-and-blood versions of her imaginary … characters. Dreaming about being a hero and actually fighting monsters are two very different things–especially when the Shadow, the frightening creature now tearing Vindor apart, is one Megan doesn’t remember putting there.
Megan, playing the part of her alter ego, Selena, embarks on a dangerous journey, accompanied by a know-it-all centaur and a goblin she’s not sure she can trust. Will the Shadow destroy her before she can find a way to save her world?
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What I think you should know:
Escape to Vindor is a Young Adult Fantasy by Emily Golus. It is the first book in the Worlds of VIndor series.
What I think about this book:
As a Reader of YA Fiction I am in Love with the World of Vindor, Golus has done a spectacular job of creating a world and a story that quickly captures your imagination. I love the diverse characters and the interactions between them. The Shadow was a unique antagonist, that made for a story that I could not completely predict! I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
As the Mom of a Young Adult reader and educator I think this is a great book, it is not only interesting but has the ability to have teachable moments in it. Megan is an excellent heroine and could be used to help reach kids who are struggling with self esteem. I would not hesitate to allow my 6th grader to read this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit, this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.
My Thoughts on Escape to Vindor:
Did you have an imaginary world that you escaped to as a child? A world where all was right and good and you were the hero? I know I did! I read books as a child to escape. Maybe my reality was as bad as it could have been, but I needed that escape to give me a break from the stressors. Often I would daydream that I lived in some of those far away places I read about, in a world far away.
For Megan, that world is Vindor. She’s made up this world with all these imaginary characters where she is the hero. When she wishes to truly escape her real world and suddenly does life will never be the same again!
This is a young adult fantasy book. I’m not normally a huge fan of them but my oldest daughter age fifteen loves them so I was reading it to preview for her. So many books geared to young adults are not what I would consider of a quality that I would want my daughter to read. After reading this book I decided it was definitely one I’d let her read. It’s cute. I enjoyed reading it and didn’t see anything horrible in it.
I recommend this book. This was a new to me author but I enjoyed reading her words and will probably read more of her books in the future.
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
Right from the start, I knew that this was going to be a great read. Growing up, I never really fit in (and still don’t), and I was usually the kid who always had her head stuck in a book. I had a very active imagination and could thus easily relate to Megan. I always had an ongoing dialogue in my mind, which became the stories that I wrote; today these are usually book reviews! Often with fiction intended for or meant to include younger generations, there is a noticeable distinction in writing style that detracts from the allure of the story, for me at least. However, that is not the case here, and I love it!
With “Escape to Vindor,” Emily Golus skillfully combines elements from such classics as The Chronicles of Narnia in order to create her own unique world and plotline. I honestly never imagined that I would enjoy this book as much as I have, and for readers who desire a little more background and a map of this curious world, both can be found at http://www.worldofvindor.com in a delightful format. “Escape to Vindor” draws upon the fantasies we all exhibited as children and flips them around, placing us inside them as the hero/heroine, but one who is seemingly inept and obviously flawed.
In at least some way, we can all relate to Megan, thrust into a situation or circumstance that we weren’t prepared for: “She didn’t want to do this. She wasn’t an adventurer. She was shy, plain-vanilla Megan Bradshaw, who was used to a class speech being the most stressful thing she had to worry about all day”. Sooner or later we all face things we don’t want to, and if we learn to rely on God and reach out and allow others to help us, we can weather the storms.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.
Please allow me to gush over this story for a bit. I was so surprised at how incredible the author is at writing with perfect imagination that soars through the minds of many. I was that girl that was very unpopular at school. I was bullied and had few friends. Yes I imagined that I would be swept away and live in a place where I was loved. Megan represents each of us that has felt left out, forgotten, bullied, pushed aside and unloved. The author has given me hope in a story that will penetrate those broken hearts and abandonment and give them hope and inspiration.
Centaurs , goblins, mermaids and heroes oh my. The book offers a chance to journey to a land of mystical creatures and a chance to find your courage and worth. The story is filled with adventure and I loved following Megan as she seeks to accomplish her mission. There are times you could feel her doubting herself, but something kept her going. She began to believe in herself in this fantasy world where she made friends and found that she was somebody.
The story is an adventure that will have readers drifting off into Megan’s world will you feel like you are beside her as she takes up a difficult task to defeat The Shadow. I really enjoyed reading about The Shadow. I won’t spoil anything but the discoveries in the book are phenomenal. Megan will come face to face with the very thing that has tormented her for years. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.