The Hound of Rowan: Book One of The Tapestry

5 Responses to “The Hound of Rowan: Book One of The Tapestry”

1. Emily D. Rocha says:

   September 7, 2010 at 1:26 am

   I don’t know how this book is. I didn’t read it but I met Henry Neff and he was nice and I am getting my book signed by him. I only read the first like 5 pages so far.
   Reader’s Rating: 5 / 5
2. Jo Flemming says:

   September 7, 2010 at 3:51 am

   This book was okay. It tried way too hard to be like Harry Potter and because of this there was a dull quality to it. It is a much simpler book than the Harry Potter books. Character development is not very strong and it was hard to find interest in the supporting characters.

   There were some appealing things in the tale though. It held my interest enough to end it. I wish I’d waited for the paperback edition to save a small money. I might read the next installment when it comes out in paperback.
   Reader’s Rating: 3 / 5
3. Reviewer says:

   September 7, 2010 at 4:35 am

   I have no thought how this book won a Bluebonnet award. It is the leader’s 1st book and, after reading it, I can only assume Henry Neff is building a sad attempt at cashing in on J.K. Rowling’s fame and chance by copying her book-writing formula. I will list only a few of the similarities this book has with the Harry Potter series:
   
   *Young child (11/12) with no thought he had special “powers” until a weirder came and brought him to a magical school.
   
   *School is hidden and has magical protective spells around it to keep others out.
   
   *Kids are called “First Years” “Second Years” etc. At least his school only goes to 6, so we can be spared a book 7.
   
   *Part of course work includes caring for a “magical creature”
   
   *He really uses EXACT words/phrases used in Harry Potter such as “thin, slanty writing”, “snogging”, and “heavily-lidded eyes”….not very common phrases used in any additional childrens’ books.
   
   *A trusted teacher turns out to be on the terrible side
   
   *The terrible guy is really called “Lord” and lost power a long time ago and has followers who are trying to bring him back
   
   *There is mention of a prophecy and that there is only one boy who can defeat the terrible guys
   
   *There is an obnoxious boy who, for no apparent reason, is immediately on main character’s terrible side, teases him and caused distress (Malfoy/Harry).
   
   *Main character lives in dorm with additional boy(s)
   
   *There is a game-keeper, only he isn’t a huge guy…but the cook is a huge guy (Ogre).
   
   *At the end of the tale, the head mistress of the school clarifies everything to main character, Max (just like Dumblebore does with Harry)
   
   *Kids were held hostage in a “chamber” & the terrible characters used a knife to cut the arm of the main character when they caught him (like Wormtail did to Harry in #4)
   
   *Main character doesn’t have a mother
   
   *Main character is chummy with 2 additional classmates, 1 is smart and facts out the “evil plot”
   
   *A classmate dies because he is meerly in the incorrect place at the incorrect time (like Cedric)
   
   *The school kids are allowed to go into a neighboring village on a special day and, guess what, there’s a “sweets shop” (Hogsmeade, anyone?)

   I could go on and on with how this is just too much like Harry Potter, only much more poorly written and less engaging. It would be ok reading only for persons kids who never got into the Potter series.

   Reader’s Rating: 1 / 5
4. Patrick Sexton says:

   September 7, 2010 at 5:53 am

   ok so i read this book and it quickly caught my attention within the first few pages. I read and read until i realized that the leader was just copying Harry Potter. I kept on reading and realized this book was dull and really predictable. I quickly stopped reading a selected up a different book. don’t waste your time woth this book, and as a replacement for read a book that’s really worth your time; Inkheart.
   Reader’s Rating: 1 / 5
5. McClean says:

   September 7, 2010 at 8:47 am

   I am appalled that anyone would use this as an example of excellent writing. Its faults range from unfortunate to persons that make it ENTIRELY UNSUITABLE FOR YOUNG READERS: passive voice, everything happens ’suddenly’, ludicrous characterizations, many scenes are window dressing and have no narrative linkage, the terrible guy is introduced on page 377 of a 414 page book, the traitor is a character with only one scene and that is handled terribly but how is it even remotely acceptable that a 12 year ancient boy is described as allowing a perfect weirder into his home to perform ’special tests on him’ with an assurance that if he fails the tests the boy need not worry as the weird man (“the Recruiter”) he has allowed into his home WITHOUT PERMISSION OR KNOWLEDGE OF HIS PARENT assures the boy that he will “have forgotten all about me and this afternoon’s unpleasantness”. The weirder also arranges things so that the adults who are supposed to be looking after the child overnight do not and then stays overnight at the boy’s home as a replacement for. And then the boy’s father is deceived about this having occurred; rumor has it that we are to accept that lying to the parent about having had a weird man stay overnight in the house is an acceptable plot development. Later Max is told that he cannot return home for the holidays by a school director who is being less than honest with him about why and is warned that if he doesn’t accept that, as she puts it, “It breaks my heart to keep a child from their parent” then his father will come to harm. When the father objects and there is a threat to take Max away, the school magically alters the father’s perceptions and he accepts that it is better that Max be held by the school. Later, when the father does turn up unexpectedly the ‘Recruiter’ reassures Max that his father will see “nothing more than a posh small prep school”. This theme of a child being complicit in deceiving his parent, of being powerless to place the school where the adults have the means to deceive the parent of the right scenery of what is happening to a child is maintained well into the narrative. Further, the scene where Max is physically overpowered by a man he fears, and of whom he has been warned is treacherous, is a completely unacceptable turn of events. That any young reader should be persuaded that perhaps scary weird men who attack you in the dark school grounds during a dance might not REALLY be terrible guys after all (even though you have been warned about them) is, to me, a breach of trust by the leader. That this is followed up by another scene where Max sneaks away for a clandestine meeting with the suspicious man (who has been passing him notes, therefore demonstrating a close and secret access to Max inspite of the security at the school) is a terrible inclusion in the plot but reasonably characteristic of the world being shaped in this tale. As a role model character, Max repeatedly ignores the advice of adults, puts himself in harm’s way and there is a consistent theme of dishonesty, deception and dealing with rage by resorting to violence. If this book’s faults were only unfortunate descriptions such as: p. 58 – “An ancient fashioned movie theater rolled past, followed by a town green and a coffee house” (are we to gather that these were on wheels?) then one could be amused by the ineptitude but ogres that pull their own teeth out with pliers and similar unpleasantries go it beyond amusing to outright unrecommendable. Unlike in Harry Potter this special school is not being kept a secret from Muggles, its curriculum and intentions are kept secret from the parent, and the child is complicit in the deceptions. I would not want my child to read this book and I am concerned for any young reader who might read this in the hope of finding wisdom not available from adults in their world. Young readers do not need to be fed a stream of politically right pap but tales that show weird adults having coercive power and who act to deceive a loving parent and keep that ’special child’ away from the parent’s care do not take a recommendation from me. The only thing it has over Harry Potter is that the kids in this school take time to bathe.
   Reader’s Rating: 1 / 5