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| The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel | 
 enlarge | Author: Michael Scott
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Category: Book
List Price: $8.99
Buy New: $4.64
You Save: $4.35 (48%)
New (46) Used (12) from $4.40
Avg. Customer Rating:  74 reviews
Sales Rank: 778
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 400
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.7
ISBN: 0385736002
EAN: 9780385736008
ASIN: 0385736002
Publication Date: June 24, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW COPY, NO UGLY REMAINDER MARKS.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Good story, poorly-written August 17, 2007
12 out of 15 found this review helpful
It's clear that Scott knows what he's talking about when it comes to mythology, however his writing style certainly needs work. It's patterned, over-explanatory, over-dramatic, and uses far too many things that keeps it dated, such as mentions of Ebay, Wikipedia, iPod, etc. I disliked being told the same thing more than once within 10 pages as well as being unable to infer anything.
It's an interesting story, but I was sick of reading about halfway through the book and resorted to skimming. Definitely could be told in 150 pages, as opposed to 391.
 Great for mythology nerds! September 19, 2007
8 out of 10 found this review helpful
OK, I read the reviews before I picked this book up and I knew I'd really enjoy this because I'm a big nerd about mythology, anthropology and religion. Michael Scott has done a fantastic job with the research and character development- I'll say that much- also, he has a brilliant imagination. This book is good for us older folks who are aching for a replacement for HP, although I definitely would NOT recommend it for younger readers- the army of the dead in the end might be a little too scary. This is not a book for a person looking for something that will encourage their religion- Mr Scott used many forms of mythology and legend as basis for this story, and if you don't like to read things that don't validate your spirituality, this is not for you. I had the feeling that Christianity was skirted around in the story so as not to offend most of America along the lines of the Da Vinci Code. If you do like religion and mythology, this is definitely one of the best novels of 2007, so far!
What a horrendous book August 12, 2008
8 out of 10 found this review helpful
I always skim reviews from Amazon before deciding to read a book so I was immensely disappointed when I started reading this book. First of all, the immortal Nicholas Flamel doesn't seem like he lived for hundreds of years. He seems painfully helpless and the way he talks does not convince me that he's someone who's lived for a very, very long time. And the two siblings, Sophie and what's-his-name, don't show any personality. They're annoyingly bland and bicker at each other for immature reasons. I wanted to give this book a chance because it received such glowing reviews from people but I had to stop at about 200 pages. So, if you do not want to ask yourself "Why am I reading this?" while reading a book, don't read this.
Fun, Fun, Fun. May 22, 2007
7 out of 10 found this review helpful
This book is the most fun read I've had in a long time. It's geared for the young adult, but no matter, it's even fun for old adults. The plot and the characters will grab you by the neck and not let go until the end, which leaves you gasping for more. I read it in one sitting, just because I couldn't stop. Mr Scott's interweaving of multiple mythologies is amazing. I've been reading fantasy/SF for over 30yrs, and still had to look up a couple of characters. The use of actual historical characters is brilliant, and opens up a huge context for the future.
Darker, stronger, perfect for the graduate of the Potter books. Takes it to the next level in fantasy. Highly recommended for everyone.
I want the sequel now. I wanted the sequel right after I finished.
 A Clever book, fun to read June 7, 2007
7 out of 10 found this review helpful
My son picked this up at the bookstore (the cover is quite fetching) and I, his mother, couldn't resist reading it. He is a big Lightening Thief fan, so the possibility of more mythology was a big hit. How funny that both books pick Mount Tamalpais in Marin as an area of god-like importance.
The book hooks you from the start with a suspenseful scene. Later, I thought rough spots were a little too conveniently solved by a suddenly appearing power, so that you never felt they were actually in danger. When "soldiers in the tattered blues and greys of Civil War uniforms" popped out of a cemetary in California, I was a little disappointed. I'm no student of history, but I live in California and haven't seen too many Civil War battle sites around here. Um. None actually.
But I still enjoyed the book and look forward to the sequel.
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