Review : The Oracle by K.B. Hoyle (YA)

Goodreads

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Book Blurb

One year has gone by since Darcy Pennington's life changed forever. A year ago she'd thought that magic only existed in fairy tales. A year ago the existence of parallel realms would have seemed preposterous to her. A year ago she'd had no real friends. Now all that has changed. It is the summer before freshman year and a return to Cedar Cove Family Camp also means a return to Alitheia for Darcy and her five friends. The return to Alitheia is bittersweet for Darcy, however, as her elusive purpose and uncertain future in the magical realm continues to evade her. Egged on by the boy prince she is supposed to someday marry, Darcy invokes the mysterious Oracle, an entity that can answer any question. In the end, however, Darcy may discover that the answer to her question is not worth the cost of asking it.

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Toot's Review by Stacy Sabala

This is the second book in the Gateway Series. Darcy is going back again to the camp where she met her five friends and they travelled to the other world full of magic. She is anxious to go and see how things have changed. She is ready to see her friends and enjoy her time in Alithesia. She still worries about her hand, the Tselloch and what it means for her.

She is a year older and wiser. She, Sam and Lewis remained close friends through the school year. They are all excited to get back to Cedar Cove and their adventure.

However, things do not go as smoothly as Darcy would hope. Her family was late getting to camp and she has to sit by Colin Mackaby for the first night at dinner. No one likes Colin and he hints to Darcy that he knows what they have been doing in Alithesia.

Darcy and her friends have to worry about Colin, who is following them, and her father and brother, who tag along for the hike to Gnome Heaven. When they get to the gnomes, the one they need is missing. How are they to get through the gateway? They find a way to the gate, leaving the three others behind.

Once back in Alithesia, the six return to learning from Rubidius and practicing their gifts. Darcy and Tellius team up to find out if the prophesy is completely true. History says that the original was destroyed and the lines about their marriage may have been added or misinterpreted. Looking to find answers, Darcy invokes the Oracle. She asks her question and quickly believes that she has been denied when nothing happens. In reality she has not and now she must make a dangerous journey to find the Oracle. This journey takes Darcy, Perry and Dean with their escort across Alithesia for a majority of the year. They meet magical creatures, new friends and old enemies. Once Darcy finds the Oracle, she has to make a huge sacrifice to receive the answer she seeks. Darcy is devastated when she leaves Alithesia and walks into an even bigger surprise when she returns to Cedar Cove.

I really like this series so far. It has a lot of adventure and magic. The twists and turns that the characters make are surprising at times to the reader, which makes you keep reading. The characters are likable and the author does a wonderful job of showing their reactions to what happens around them. The relationships that the six main characters have with each other is great to see evolve over time and through their shared experiences. I also like how the author creates realistic relationships among the six and their families. These characters are fourteen and obviously need to act like realistic fourteen year olds which the author does beautifully. I can picture the talks that Darcy has with her dad about treating her brother nicely. It portrays typical teens and is written in a sense that we all relate. 

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I give this a 4.5 out of 5