Hound of Rowan
This is a story about a boy with magical powers who goes to boarding school and ends up taking on a big bad evil guy in the end. Sound familiar? I am an uber Harry Potter fan, and, initially, I liked the similarities to Rowling’s story. But it only took a few chapters for the similarities to go from “hmm, that’s neat” to “oh my god, is this legal?” Okay, I’m not asserting that Neff broke any copyright laws, but the book reads as if he took the best parts of the Harry Potter books and movies, changed them just enough not to constitute copyright infringement and then smashed them together to make this book.
Let’s take a look at a FEW of the many similarities:
1. Harry goes to a boarding school for wizards – Max goes to a boarding school for kids with magic powers
2. Harry has the Sorting Ceremony – Max has the room configurations
3. Harry befriends Seamus Finnigan (Irish) – Max befriends Connor Lynch (Irish)
4. Feasts in the Great Hall – Feasts in the Great Hall
5. A half giant named Hagrid works at Hogwarts – Bob the former ogre works in the kitchens at Rowan
6. Harry plays Quidditch – Max plays Euclidean soccer
7. Harry is forced to attend the Yule Ball – Max is forced to attend the All Hallow’s Eve ball
8. Harry suspects Snape of being on the enemy’s side – Max suspects Miss Boon of being a traitor
9. Voldemort needs Harry’s blood to become corporeal – Astaroth needs Max’s blood to escape a painting
It’s sad, because this story did pack some suspenseful moments. However, the characters and plot were not as fully developed as their “mother story,” i.e. Harry Potter. A good read-a-like for younger kids who just want to read another book about a boy who goes to wizard school, but nothing original here.
DweebMeter: 2/5
But hey, some people were able to see past the similarities and give this one a decent review:
Dec 16, 2008 at 11:26 pm
I think this book is much better than harry potter, with amazing detail, and a much more interesting story line. I am a harry potter fan, but i think this is better.
Jan 9, 2009 at 7:57 pm
GOT THAT RIGHT
Feb 25, 2009 at 12:56 am
[...] I am glad I did. There are a couple reviews out, some that praise (KidsRead) and some that blast (Book Dweeb). I don’t agree completely with [...]
Mar 23, 2009 at 10:56 pm
Uh, no. Some sentences just.. my Gawd, has the author even heard of having a VOICE? Actions are all right and all, but there’s no narration, no style, no glue to hold the events together. And.. interestingly enough, I’m reading Good Omens too right now.. let’s compare a few quotes..
“You are a prince. Blah blah blah. Must save the world from darkness. You have gifts….”
“..It may help to understand human affairs to be clear that most of the great triumphs and tragedies of history are caused, not by people being fundamentally good or fundamentally bad, but by people being fundamentally people.”
Exactly. Now which has more style and wisdom in it?
Seeing as I’m 70 pages in on both books, I might change my opinion. Might.
But there are lots of things wrong with characterization as well. So far, Maxwhatshisname has absolutely no unique traits whatsoever. I mean, if he’s average, why’s he chosen? And kids that age might be gloomy, they might be all angst on the outside (and care deeply on the inside) but they have little.. things that make them human. Like.. hobbies, for instance, or maybe an obsession with politics. (-cough- like some people I could mention.) This kid is just boring.
So he’s gifted? Certainly not in the intelligence department. For Pete’s sake, Author, read Ender’s Game to get a real reading into what gifted kids experience day-to-day. There’s no thought to his actions, either, because we simply don’t get into his head that much.
And no reactions toward the.. magic.. mystic? I mean, the first I would do would call the police and haul the insane man OUTTA MY HOUSE. One thing people don’t like to do is change their perspective on the world entirely. I would be really, really shocked and traumatized forever if absolute evil actually existed, for one thing.
Ok. Enough venting. It’s just that, compared to the awesome Terry Pratchett and Diana Wynne Jones, this book is really, really bland. And boring. And did I mention bland?
May 2, 2009 at 10:02 pm
I am a Harry Potter fan, but, I like this book way more than Harry Potter. There was more action, suspense, and it was more down to earth. They could still use electronics and the room he and his roommate got was awesome. Max McDaniels would beat Harry Potter any day, any way, at any time. David, his roommate, is way smarter and efficient than Harry’s friends and roommates. Also, their is a broader spectrum of people from around the world. Harry Potter got very annoying with mostly people from England. Besides, Rowan has better faculty than Hogwarts, and a better name. Rowan Academy sounds like a studious and well-mannered school. Hogwarts School for Witch Craft and Wizardry sounds like a kids fun house.