Status
Available
Call number
Publication
HarperTeen (HarperCollins)
Pages
288
Description
Having moved to Annapolis, Maryland, with her medievalist parents, high school junior Ellie enrolls at Avalon High School where several students may or may not be reincarnations of King Arthur and his court.
Description
To newcomer Ellie, Avalon High seems like a typical American high school, complete with jocks, nerds, cheerleaders, and even the obligatory senior class president, quarterback, and all-around good guy. But it doesn't take Ellie long to suspect that something weird is going on beneath the glossy surface of this tranquil hall of learning. As she pieces together the meaning of this unfolding drama, she begins to recognize some haunting Arthurian echoes, causing her to worry that she has become just a pawn in mythic history. A powerful novel by the author of The Princess Diaries.
Series
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2005-12-27
Physical description
288 p.; 8 inches
ISBN
9780060755881
Similar in this library
Lexile
800L
User reviews
LibraryThing member reading_crystal
I was looking through my stacks of books yesterday for just a quick, fun read and I found it in my library stack. Avalon High is a young adult novel featuring Ellie, a high school junior who finds herself in a new school and in a new town while her parents are on sabbatical in Annapolis, Maryland.
Meg Cabot writes a really good young adult story in this one, it's clean and fun. Ellie is one of those ordinary girls who doesn't expect to stick out in a new school. She figures she will join the track team and just be an ordinary girl. But that isn't what happens. Within days of starting at Avalon High she is thrust in with the most popular boy in school, his best friend and his girlfriend. But things aren't always what they seem in this popular crowd.
As Ellie tries to navigate her newfound somewhat popular status, the book develops and other questions begin to form. And all of this moves the book to it's conclusion.
Characterization isn't deep - this is more plot driven, but you do learn about Ellie. The other characters are also enjoyable, Will, Lance, Jennifer, Marco and Mr. Morton all make great characters.
All-in-all, it's a great fast-paced quick young adult read. I enjoyed it and will read more of Ms. Cabot's young adult titles (I believe I have read a lot of her adult titles). In fact I have The Princess Diaries in my library stack also. Read this one afternoon that you just want to read something quick and easy - no death, destruction or deep teenage thinking involved. And sometimes you need a book that is just that.
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What she didn't expect was to be thrown into a story she was more than familiar with in the current time.Meg Cabot writes a really good young adult story in this one, it's clean and fun. Ellie is one of those ordinary girls who doesn't expect to stick out in a new school. She figures she will join the track team and just be an ordinary girl. But that isn't what happens. Within days of starting at Avalon High she is thrust in with the most popular boy in school, his best friend and his girlfriend. But things aren't always what they seem in this popular crowd.
As Ellie tries to navigate her newfound somewhat popular status, the book develops and other questions begin to form. And all of this moves the book to it's conclusion.
Characterization isn't deep - this is more plot driven, but you do learn about Ellie. The other characters are also enjoyable, Will, Lance, Jennifer, Marco and Mr. Morton all make great characters.
All-in-all, it's a great fast-paced quick young adult read. I enjoyed it and will read more of Ms. Cabot's young adult titles (I believe I have read a lot of her adult titles). In fact I have The Princess Diaries in my library stack also. Read this one afternoon that you just want to read something quick and easy - no death, destruction or deep teenage thinking involved. And sometimes you need a book that is just that.
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LibraryThing member lrobe190
Having moved to Annapolis, Maryland, with her medievalist parents, high school junior Ellie enrolls at Avalon High School where several students may or may not be reincarnations of King Arthur and his court.
I really liked this book. I'm a fan of everything King Arthur, and this was a particularly
I really liked this book. I'm a fan of everything King Arthur, and this was a particularly
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fun rendition of the legend. After Cabot wrote this book, she developed an ongoing "Avalon High" series called "The Merlin Prophecy", but she's doing the series as a graphic novel. I am SO disappointed, because there is very little depth to the story. I can read the graphic novel version in about 15 minutes. Show Less
LibraryThing member Awesomeness1
Okay, I will start off by saying this isn't my first Meg Cabot book. I knew what I was getting into. I knew I wasn't about to engage in literary gold when I opened this book. Anybody who would expect that needs a reality check because....well, look at the cover. It's pink and purple for crying out
This book was very quick and entertaining. It's fluffy, girly brain candy. I always have trouble rating books like these because my wanna-be intelligent self is like "you're too good for these books, go read Chaucer instead", while my teenage girl self enjoys them. Alas I am a conflicted soul.
I went into this all haughty, believing it to be all too predictable, and it was for the most part. Meg Cabot leaves little hints before hand so you know what's going to happen before the narrator does and then repeats it often enough for the especially dense. But then came the twist....those things always make me feel like an a-hole.
The narrator is likeable enough. I didn't want to drown her, which is something special considering most of the heroines in YA nowadays. But then she committed the Ultimate Offense in my mind- claiming some guy is your soulmate after two days. Ugh, I HATE characters like that, especially when they are in high school. Hey, the guy who sits next to me in math class is pretty hot, but that doesn't mean I want to spend eternity with him. I guess I let it slide this time because these characters are reincarnated and have know each other for centuries, which is plenty of time to get to know someone (but do we ever really know someone hmmm?).
Some of the plot points were pretty ridiculous and had me holding back chuckles of disbelief. I know...you guys are probably like "Well, it is a fantasy set in highschool, what did you expect?". To that I say IT'S MY REVIEW AND I GET TO COMPLAIN IF I WANT TO.
The characters weren't as fleshed out as they could have been. Particularly Lance. Poor Lance, he is practically brushed aside in this retelling. And did Jennifer HAVE to be a cheerleader? (guess what color her hair was). I also would have liked to see some other Arthurains characters and more (dare I say it) education. This book barely touches the surface of the tale it's based on. And for those who enjoyed the book and want to read more Arthurian fiction- whilst still be entertained- I recommend The Once and Future King
The writing is nothing challenging and is meant to be read quickly. No moments of beauty here. Just straight-to-the-point-prose with the occasional dash of humor.
I have to give it up to Meg Cabot. She sure knows how to get people to read her books. I knew I wasn't going to love this book before I went into it, and yet I read it anyway. God help her fans.
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loud. This book was very quick and entertaining. It's fluffy, girly brain candy. I always have trouble rating books like these because my wanna-be intelligent self is like "you're too good for these books, go read Chaucer instead", while my teenage girl self enjoys them. Alas I am a conflicted soul.
I went into this all haughty, believing it to be all too predictable, and it was for the most part. Meg Cabot leaves little hints before hand so you know what's going to happen before the narrator does and then repeats it often enough for the especially dense. But then came the twist....those things always make me feel like an a-hole.
The narrator is likeable enough. I didn't want to drown her, which is something special considering most of the heroines in YA nowadays. But then she committed the Ultimate Offense in my mind- claiming some guy is your soulmate after two days. Ugh, I HATE characters like that, especially when they are in high school. Hey, the guy who sits next to me in math class is pretty hot, but that doesn't mean I want to spend eternity with him. I guess I let it slide this time because these characters are reincarnated and have know each other for centuries, which is plenty of time to get to know someone (but do we ever really know someone hmmm?).
Some of the plot points were pretty ridiculous and had me holding back chuckles of disbelief. I know...you guys are probably like "Well, it is a fantasy set in highschool, what did you expect?". To that I say IT'S MY REVIEW AND I GET TO COMPLAIN IF I WANT TO.
The characters weren't as fleshed out as they could have been. Particularly Lance. Poor Lance, he is practically brushed aside in this retelling. And did Jennifer HAVE to be a cheerleader? (guess what color her hair was). I also would have liked to see some other Arthurains characters and more (dare I say it) education. This book barely touches the surface of the tale it's based on. And for those who enjoyed the book and want to read more Arthurian fiction- whilst still be entertained- I recommend The Once and Future King
The writing is nothing challenging and is meant to be read quickly. No moments of beauty here. Just straight-to-the-point-prose with the occasional dash of humor.
I have to give it up to Meg Cabot. She sure knows how to get people to read her books. I knew I wasn't going to love this book before I went into it, and yet I read it anyway. God help her fans.
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LibraryThing member storyteller1020
A great "clean" teen romance to give to parents who are concerned.
LibraryThing member lynnm
Not my favorite Meg Cabot YA title. The story premise was so rich, yet it felt like Cabot barely scraped the surface. And by the end of the story, I was never sure if it was a fantasy/paranormal exploration or a book about a bunch of bizarre coincidences and misunderstandings that just so happened
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to point to something paranormal. Too, the secondary characters were so one dimentional - pretty much names on a page close enough to Lancelot and Guinevere as to serve as place holders - a lot of the story fell flat. Kind of disappointed, especially after having enjoyed Teen Idol and All-American Girl so much. Show Less
LibraryThing member la_librarian
Decent novel about a girl's summer in which she gets wrapped up with a guy who she thinks she's known before. It's chock full of authurian legend. Nothing spectacular.
LibraryThing member kikianika
Fun, fast-paced and fluffy. I sort of enjoyed the Arthurian themes. It's one of those books that you happily read half-way through only to realise nothing has happened yet. Her chatty style makes the quick read a breeze.
LibraryThing member Jenson_AKA_DL
I have to say starting out that I had reservations about how seriously you can take about a book which reincarnates King Arthur and Company as teenagers. But, I have to admit, Meg Cabot certainly pulled it off! This story starts off with Elaine (named for the little known, ill fated first love of
Part of the reason I enjoyed this so much is because of the twists and turns made with this story within a plot line that just about everyone is familiar with. Although it follows the legend there is enough play here to keep it fresh. I really enjoyed the characters of Will and Elaine which is especially surprising because I don't usually go for characters that are just so "good". I think it is because they are depicted as totally believable teens with feelings and circumstances that really make you sympathetic to them.
The only thing I was a bit disappointed in was that I kind of hated to see the story end. Checking it out to see if this was part of a series, it turns out there is a sequel. However, it is a manga as opposed to a novel. Now, don't get me wrong, I really enjoy manga, but I'm not so sure about writing a sequel to a story in such a different format from the original. Something about that just doesn't seem right.
I certainly thought this was a wonderfully entertaining book which I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to fans of both contemporary and fantasy teen lit, it could go either way depending on how you look at it.
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Sir Lancelot) moving to Como Park when her professor parents go on sabbatical to write novels. Devoted to spending her time lounging on a water raft in their new swimming pool Elaine is ambivalent about attending her new school until she meets Avalon High's star quarterback and most popular nice guy, Will Wagner. Oddly, Will seems equally drawn to her despite the fact he has Jennifer, his beautiful cheerleader girlfriend. As one could guess the lives of these ordinary teens start to get a little strange as the parallels between them and the historical figures grow. But, could the powers of darkness really be using Will's step-brother Marco against him, as their teacher Mr. Morton (a.k.a. Merlin?) thinks, or is it all just a coincidence of legendary proportions? Part of the reason I enjoyed this so much is because of the twists and turns made with this story within a plot line that just about everyone is familiar with. Although it follows the legend there is enough play here to keep it fresh. I really enjoyed the characters of Will and Elaine which is especially surprising because I don't usually go for characters that are just so "good". I think it is because they are depicted as totally believable teens with feelings and circumstances that really make you sympathetic to them.
The only thing I was a bit disappointed in was that I kind of hated to see the story end. Checking it out to see if this was part of a series, it turns out there is a sequel. However, it is a manga as opposed to a novel. Now, don't get me wrong, I really enjoy manga, but I'm not so sure about writing a sequel to a story in such a different format from the original. Something about that just doesn't seem right.
I certainly thought this was a wonderfully entertaining book which I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to fans of both contemporary and fantasy teen lit, it could go either way depending on how you look at it.
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LibraryThing member stephxsu
Prolific YA author Meg Cabot introduces something new in her amazing stand-alone book, AVALON HIGH: the reincarnation of an old legend into a modern world.
Everyone has more or less heard of the legend of King Arthur. For Ellie Harrison, however, she practically LIVES surrounded by it. Both her
A. William Wagner is the high school’s star quarterback, valedictorian, class president, and overall well-respected good guy. The day Ellie runs into Will at the park, they smile at each other like they have seen each other before…only Ellie is sure that she’s never met him before in her life (she would’ve definitely remembered otherwise). Much to her surprise, Will ends up showing up at her poolside after the first day of school and hanging out with her.
Of course, Ellie knows that nothing can after happen between her and Golden Boy. After all, he has a girlfriend, the beautiful, blond cheerleader Jennifer. Ellie’s just the friend who can make him laugh, that’s all.
However, there seems to be something strange going on at Avalon High, things that are strangely coincidental to what happened to King Arthur all those centuries ago. It can’t be that Will is the reincarnation of Arthur and that his life is in danger…could it?
And what part does Ellie play in saving the life of the man she loves?
AVALON HIGH is a perfect combination of humor, romance, and suspense. It had been on the edge of my seat as I breathlessly rushed to the finish in order to know what happens…and this is the second time I’ve read it.
Everyone has more or less heard of the legend of King Arthur. For Ellie Harrison, however, she practically LIVES surrounded by it. Both her
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parents are professors of the medieval ages, and have taken a year off from their jobs to write books about their shared passion. That means that for Ellie’s junior year of high school, she’s moving from Minnesota to Annapolis, Maryland, mere miles away from the Naval Academy. Ellie’s last days of summer are spent floating in her backyard pool and running in the nearby park…and that is where she runs into Will.A. William Wagner is the high school’s star quarterback, valedictorian, class president, and overall well-respected good guy. The day Ellie runs into Will at the park, they smile at each other like they have seen each other before…only Ellie is sure that she’s never met him before in her life (she would’ve definitely remembered otherwise). Much to her surprise, Will ends up showing up at her poolside after the first day of school and hanging out with her.
Of course, Ellie knows that nothing can after happen between her and Golden Boy. After all, he has a girlfriend, the beautiful, blond cheerleader Jennifer. Ellie’s just the friend who can make him laugh, that’s all.
However, there seems to be something strange going on at Avalon High, things that are strangely coincidental to what happened to King Arthur all those centuries ago. It can’t be that Will is the reincarnation of Arthur and that his life is in danger…could it?
And what part does Ellie play in saving the life of the man she loves?
AVALON HIGH is a perfect combination of humor, romance, and suspense. It had been on the edge of my seat as I breathlessly rushed to the finish in order to know what happens…and this is the second time I’ve read it.
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LibraryThing member acl
King Arthur mythology, tween-style. The concept is fun, and the writing itself isn't terrible. Occasionally, it's even funny. However, Cabot tries far too hard to emulate how she believes teenagers speak. In earlier chapters of the book, all statements begin with "I mean," and the dialog is heavily
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peppered with "like's", "not's", and "whatever's." This eases off as the tension builds, but I still found it rather condescending to the target audience. All of the characters are fairly straight-forward stereotypes, save the narrator, who is slightly more well-developed. The plot is mostly devoid of surprises or unexpected twists, everything being either laid-out or obvious from the beginning. Even so, Cabot's stories do have a vapid sort of charm. Nothing you'd want to do a book-report on, but if you have a few spare hours it might be worth a read. Show Less
LibraryThing member purpledragon42
This review is for the audiobook version of this title, and was originally written for a public library's YA blog.
When an audio book is done right, the voice of the actor will pull you into the story so completely that you won't even realize it's one person reading all of the parts; that is exactly
The book itself, while not my typical cup of tea, was very enjoyable. It revolves around Ellie, a high school student who has recently been uprooted from her home by her professor parents. She finds herself in a new school were some of the student body may or may not be the reincarnated souls of King Arthur and his court. Not only that, but Ellie discovers that she herself may be an old soul, one who's only destiny is death.
When an audio book is done right, the voice of the actor will pull you into the story so completely that you won't even realize it's one person reading all of the parts; that is exactly
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what Debra Wiseman does. Her voices are fresh and unique, and her portrayal of the main character, Ellie, is perfectly rendered. You really feel like you're inside the character's head, thinking and feeling the same things she does. The book itself, while not my typical cup of tea, was very enjoyable. It revolves around Ellie, a high school student who has recently been uprooted from her home by her professor parents. She finds herself in a new school were some of the student body may or may not be the reincarnated souls of King Arthur and his court. Not only that, but Ellie discovers that she herself may be an old soul, one who's only destiny is death.
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LibraryThing member lunanshee
An entertaining and enjoyable read. Ms. Cabot does a very good job or writing from the perspective of a teenage girl. The secondary characters are not as well developed as they could be and the ending occurs rather abruptly, but this does not detract too much from the reader’s enjoyment. The
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possibility of another book at Avalon is left open, so keep your eyes pealed. Show Less
LibraryThing member SunnySD
Ellie isn't thrilled when her professor parents take a sabbatical that lands her in Virginia for the year -- a new school, new friends, new routines.... The only good thing about the 12 month relocation is the pool where she spends her days floating peacefully. Tranquility ceases when school
Lots of teen drama, and a bit of legend makes a good combination. A quick, entertaining read.
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starts. Avalon High's reigning royalty, quarterback Will, takes an interest in Ellie, sucking her in to his circle -- girlfriend, head cheerleader Jennifer, fellow football player, Lance, and Will's stepbrother Marco. Gradually Ellie comes to realize that the circle at Avalon has far too much in common with a much more ancient and fabled circle: the Round Table. If reincarnation is possible and history repeats, can Ellie break the chain and avert a replay of the catastrophic events of ages past?Lots of teen drama, and a bit of legend makes a good combination. A quick, entertaining read.
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LibraryThing member essa868
King Arthur in the present day setting of a high school. Believe it or not, it's quite the page turner near the end.
LibraryThing member TeenBookReviews
An entertaining and enjoyable read. Ms. Cabot does a very good job or writing from the perspective of a teenage girl. The secondary characters are not as well developed as they could be and the ending occurs rather abruptly, but this does not detract too much from the reader’s enjoyment. The
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possibility of another book at Avalon is left open, so keep your eyes peeled. Show Less
LibraryThing member pastapril
Another wonderful Cabot young adult. I still maintain that she writes young adult novels wonderfully. This one went by really quickly, although I wished she had explored the "fantastical" elements a little more. I also wish she would write a more sympathetic character to me - someone who is awkward
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and shy and can't play sports - but that's just a personal preference. A light, funny young adult novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member alanna1122
I listened to the Audio version of this book.
I love the idea of this book - i love it when author's modernize classic stories for a young audience. However this particular idea fell a little short in its execution.
It turn out that the Arthur story is a really messy one to try to adapt for modern
I definitely enjoyed the first half of this book more than the second half - I think due to the fact that the second half was really concerned in tying things up neatly according to arthurian legend - and the story telling suffers.
All in all a pretty good read - though in parts it lost my interest and i had to press on despite a desire to put it aside.
The reader was fine - my one complaint was the voice she used for the character Marco - which was really beyond silly.
I love the idea of this book - i love it when author's modernize classic stories for a young audience. However this particular idea fell a little short in its execution.
It turn out that the Arthur story is a really messy one to try to adapt for modern
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reading - and by trying to create a totally parallel story - the result to me was pretty strange and far fetched. I definitely enjoyed the first half of this book more than the second half - I think due to the fact that the second half was really concerned in tying things up neatly according to arthurian legend - and the story telling suffers.
All in all a pretty good read - though in parts it lost my interest and i had to press on despite a desire to put it aside.
The reader was fine - my one complaint was the voice she used for the character Marco - which was really beyond silly.
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LibraryThing member thc_luver6
This was pretty good. If you know Camelot then you'll catch a lot of Camelot stuff in this book. Pretty cool. :) I liked it.
LibraryThing member midnighttwilight101
Avalon High by Meg Cabot has everything, drama, romance, reincarnations of kings and mythical creatures. I love how Meg Cabot worked the supernatural element into a real feeling high school setting.
LibraryThing member Polo.Pony
When the main character of the story finds herself in yet another new school for the year because of her parents profession's she doesn't expect to be included in all of the crazy happenings that she is in for. She falls in love, she learns who else she is (but does she actually believe it?), and
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she saves her boyfriend's life. I really liked reading this book, and hope you will to! Show Less
LibraryThing member metamorph
I have three reasons why I bought this book:
a) I love mythology in all shapes and forms.
b) I have a fondness for YA.
c) The cover is hot pink and sparkles.
The story is: teenage girl moves to new town, meets hot boy, have some wacky adventures, discovers that something strange is going on.
I found the
a) I love mythology in all shapes and forms.
b) I have a fondness for YA.
c) The cover is hot pink and sparkles.
The story is: teenage girl moves to new town, meets hot boy, have some wacky adventures, discovers that something strange is going on.
I found the
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first part very charming and delightful, the second part less so but still enjoyable. The main character and her love interest were both likeable and I really wanted them to get together. Show Less
LibraryThing member chibimajo
Listened to the audiobook version. Reminded me a lot of Princess Diaries, it was rather vapid to start with, but the premise is awesome. King Arthur has been reincarnated and goes to Avalon High with his girlfriend Jennifer (modern form of Gweneviere) and Lance. His step-brother, Marco has always
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been a troublemaker. Ellie stumbles upon this convoluted plot where her lit teacher is trying to prevent the forces of darkness from interfering with Will (aka Arthur). Nearly everyone has a historic role to play, including Ellie, but still set in a modern day setting with ipods and cell phones. Cheeky and effervescent. Show Less
LibraryThing member GaylDasherSmith
Not one of the stronger Meg Cabots, but interesting take on the King Arthur love triangle.
LibraryThing member kikilon
Fun, fast-paced and fluffy. I sort of enjoyed the Arthurian themes. It's one of those books that you happily read half-way through only to realise nothing has happened yet. Her chatty style makes the quick read a breeze.
LibraryThing member Nevris
This is quite a fun book. Nothing serieus, just a nice quick read that's great if you're looking for something simple. I finished it in one day, and although the voice of the narrator was not always to my liking, still she was likable enough to keep me reading. Also, I was curious how the author
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would spin out her take on the Arthurian legends, so that kept me going as well. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award (Nominee — 2009)
Kentucky Bluegrass Award (Nominee — Grades 6-8 — 2007)
Lincoln Award: Illinois Teen Readers' Choice Award (Nominee — 2010)
Florida Teens Read Award (Nominee — 2009)
South Carolina Book Awards (Nominee — Young Adult Book Award — 2009)
Call number
YA A Cab