What We Think -- "Stravaganza"

I came across the Stravaganza books by Mary Hoffman while browsing the Y/A section of the library. At the time there were two: City of Masks and City of Stars. I liked the writing, I liked the characters, I liked the setting. (Darren didn't find it engaging enough to read, probably because Y/A plots are streamlined and don't produce books big enough to shore up a house foundation.) The third book, City of Flowers, came out shortly after I discovered the series.

The general premise is that English teenagers, usually unhappy, and all attending the same school, come upon "talismans" that allow them to travel to an alternate Italy. Each book deals with a different protagonist and a different city, so each book is distinct from the others, although they are connected. It's nothing very profound -- I actually can't even remember the third book very clearly -- but good light reading.

Darren got me the series for Christmas, including a fourth book I didn't know had come out. City of Secrets was disappointing: it read as if Hoffman was merely revisiting her characters for her fans' benefit. The end of it seemed so rushed that I almost could see the scratch-out marks she left on her notes before transcribing them into the manuscript. It also left open the opportunity for a fifth book, whee. If you look up the series, stick to the first three. They form a complete enough story without the disappointment.

That exception aside, this is one of my favorite series. So you should go find it and read it, too.

-- SJ