Disney at Dawn by Ridley Pearson Review

 Hello Everyone :)

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian Friends :) And Happy Monday to everyone reading from somewhere else.

My family actually had our celebration yesterday, so today I will be going into work for a few hours, then catching up on some housework, and finally curling up with some great reads to finish out the day.

What are your plans for the holiday? 

I pray that today you're all doing well, and I want to thank you all for joining me for another book review here on The Preppy Book Princess.

I mentioned in a previous post that I've been embarking on a reread of Ridley Pearson's Kingdom Keepers series.

This series has been a favorite of mine since I read the first book back in 2007, and I've actually already reread it a few times. However, I did decide to embark on this reread before my opinions of Disney drastically changed, and so, I don't see myself rereading any further than this book.

This series will continue to be a old favorite, but I don't see myself reading the new spin off series or whatnot as Disney has just grown too dark for me to justify supporting.

However, I still wanted to share my review of this second title with you all today. 

You can check out my review of the first title below:

Disney After Dark.

Now let's jump right into today's review:

Disney at Dawn by Ridley Pearson:

Source: Christmas Gift From My Husband

Publisher: Disney Editions

Publication Date: August 26th, 2008

Genre: Middle Grade/Fantasy

Series: Kingdom Keepers

Synopsis:

It's supposed to be a happy day at the Magic Kingdom-the return of the teenaged holographic hosts. But things go very wrong when a sudden lightning storm disrupts the celebration, and Amanda's mysterious sister, Jez, disappears. The only clue is the sighting of a wild monkey in the Magic Kingdom during the storm. The mystery deepens as Finn is contacted by Wayne, an old man he hasn't heard from in months. Wayne tells Finn that there's trouble at the Animal Kingdom: the evil Overtakers have gained control of one of the computer servers that will be used to operate Daylight Holographic Imaging there. That means that if any of the holographic hosts fall asleep, they will go into comas-permanently. Filled with action and brimming with the same meticulous detail as The Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark, this second book in the series-Disney at Dawn-is the result of hands-on research behind the scenes at Disney's Animal Kingdom Park. Young and older readers alike will get a glimpse into a second Disney kingdom. The wild rides have only just begun; and the clock is ticking. How long can the teens keep themselves awake in their quest to find their friend-and what happens if they fail?

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

Disney at Dawn is the second installment in Ridley Pearson's Kingdom Keepers series, and it's one of my personal favorites. I read this one for the first time shortly after it's release back in 2008, and it continues to be one of my favorites from the entire series. I'm sure this is largely due in part to the fact that it takes place in one of my favorite Disney parks (Animal Kingdom), but also due to the fact that I really enjoy how the characters grow much closer together throughout this title, and also all show much growth and maturity in their role as DHI's. 

If you're a Disney parks fan, you'll love all the in depth details of Animal Kingdom's beloved attractions, and the many included backstage info bits about the caretaking of the park's many diverse animal species.

The plot in this one takes place a short while after the first book ends, and includes the Kingdom Keepers reuniting for the first time since the catastrophic events from the Overtakes that the Keepers were thankfully able to stop. However, they soon find themselves pulled back into another battle for the kingdom, when they discover that their friend Jez has been kidnapped by none other than the dastardly Overtakers, and it will take all of them working together to outsmart the villains and rescue their friend.

With adventure, suspense, and a heavy focus on friendship, Disney at Dawn is another beloved story by Ridley Pearson, and a great read for fellow fans of the Disney parks.

I do have to mention, however, that my one main complaint with this book is in the various discrepancies from the first one. In Disney After Dark, Maybeck is described as being a computer whiz, and yet from this title on it's clearly indicated that Philby is the computer genius in the group, and Maybeck is never mentioned like this again. Also, in the first book there's a couple of mentions about Maybeck being a Baptist, and telling the other Keepers that he is. In this title, Maybeck makes a comment about needing to have faith (in what they're doing, not about his personal religious beliefs), and Finn makes a comment about how it's out of character for Maybeck to believe that. There's also a few differences in the way a couple of the characters are described appearance wise, and it just seems a little strange that none of this was caught during editing.

However, this book remains a favorite, and I love how nostalgic it now is for me. 

Final Rating: 5/5.

Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)

This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners.