Review "A Measure of Disorder" by Alan Tucker

"A Measure of Disorder"
Alan Tucker


3

Pub Date: April 30, 2010
Pages: 352

Synopsis: High school will be a breeze for Jenni Kershaw - if she lives long enough to enroll, that is. Jenni's ordinary, eighth grade life becomes a thing of the past when her science class goes on a field trip. Armed with only their notebooks, MP3 players, and wits, Jenni and her classmates are unknowingly transported to another world. There they encounter amazing creatures, some of which think a kid shish kebab would be a tasty treat. But they soon find the greatest dangers they face may come from themselves ... Follow Jenni and her class on their extraordinary adventures in their fight to discover who - and what - they really are.

I wasn't sure what to expect when reading "A Measure of Disorder" because the description is pretty vague and I hate to say that I'm not really a fan of the cover, but the book pleasantly surprised me. Tucker created a magical world and characters that I cared about. I loved how they were able to find their true identities in another world and I felt this was a really concept. I kind of wonder how Jenny's identity will play out in the rest of the series. I know that probably didn't make much sense to most people, but I'm trying not to spoil anything. I also liked how Crank's character explores the idea of "The Other" (basically someone who doesn't fit into the parameters of the society they live in), which is a topic I love to explore in books.

I didn't really like how the book was told through multiple perspectives and I had trouble keeping up with all the characters at the beginning. By the end of the book I was used to it and stopped noticing, but it did slow down the book for me. I am curious to see what roles the characters will play in the series. Even though it started off a bit slow because of all the characters, the plot really kept me hooked and I flew through the last hundred pages. I just had to know what was going to happen next.

I really enjoyed "A Measure of Disorder" and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy and adventure books. This is a book that I think would have appeal to readers of all ages. The ending of the book really surprised me and I am excited to read the next book in the series. Click here to learn more about the series and read a excerpt from the book.
* I did receive this book free of charge for review purposes.