Review: Alexa Stone and the Lake of Fire by Megan Boudreau

Alexa Stone and the Lake of Fire

By Megan Boudreau

Publication Date:  December 1^st 2012

Publisher:  Simon & Schuster
Source: Author

Find This Book: Alexa Stone
Rating: 4.9/5 (never thought I’d come across a book I wanted so badly to be a 5!)

A copy of this book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.


*****I REEEAAAAALLLLLY wanted to give this book 5 stars, easily could have given it 5 stars, but there were just a couple of minor points I wanted to make sure I got across*

So this book is about Alexa Stone (obviously since her name is in the title). She’s your typical high school outcast. Her Foster Family, the Mochries, lives in a small town called Green Creek, where she gets excluded from basically everything. She’s not allowed to do afterschool activities because her foster parents make her work ungodly hours at their pawnshop and they only keep her around for the check they get from the government for housing her. Her foster family consists of an older sister named Abbey, a brother the same age as her named Tripp, and a little brother named Bradley. It’s a bit Cinderella-y really, except the Bradley is her friend and tries to help her out with all of her chores. Tripp and his friends bully her in school all the time (mostly this kid named Dillon Powers) and her only consolation is swimming. The original reason why everyone hates her is because she kicked Dillon’s butt in a swimming race and everyone says she cheated (how that’s possible, I don’t know). 
Her drab land life drastically changes when a new kid shows up to school one day and sticks up for her against Dillon. Landon comes in and sticks up for her when Dillon stuffs Alexa’s locker full of cafeteria trash. Why is this newbie being nice to her? It’s obvious he’d just make the whole school his enemy…

Landon is the key to her freedom. He has quite the crazy story, but it will give her a new life, in a new home, with new friends. Alexa is an elemental. Aquarians manipulate water, Terranians manipulate earth/metals, Avians manipulate air, and Pyranians manipulate fire. All of the elementals are separated into their own realms and this separation and control over their element achieved harmony on earth. Now Alexa discovered her love and skill in the water is because she is an Aquarian, and Landon Knight is going to take her to Obsidian, in the Atlantic Ocean. That’s a lot for a girl to take in all at once. She’s going to learn how to use her powers just like every other Aquarian kid, but they’ve grown up knowing whom they were and what they could do. None have ever been on land before, on Terranian terf, and Alexa is quite behind. To make matters worse, this evil dude Mortaroff, wants her for the destiny she inherited from her parents. The one he knew she would have since she was born. The one that he would kill for.

I REALLLLY want to give this book 5 stars. I loved all of the cool ideas brought into the book for life under the sea. Their unique clothing, wanting the latest shellphone models, their different ways of transportation even within the society…. It was all really interesting to read. There are just these little quirky elements deeply incorporated into the book, so that you can immediately tell that Alexa sticks out as a human. 

Negatives I would like to point out
There were a couple of spelling errors, such as Alexa’s hometown being called “Green Creek” throughout the book, yet mentioned as “Greek Creek” in the ending. But most importantly, the book felt like the plot was climbing but it never reached the climax, which left me feeling a bit unfulfilled. The book is called Alexa Stone and the Lake of Fire, so i thought the Lake of Fire would be a bit more important. it didn't really feel like it was part of the book much at all. She is at the Lake of Fire for a short scene where she finally comes face to face with Mortaroff who wants her source of power, which he easily takes from her, and she just RUNS AWAY. And that’s it… I mean, turns out she doesn’t need her ring to use her powers anyway, but she just gave the strongest person in the ocean the means to completely utilize his powers, and she just leaves it with him and the book continues! It just seems like the book is building up to this intense moment and then nothing huge ever really happens. So the plot wasn't perfect, but I really enjoyed the direction it was going in. Just not the way it was carried out.

Most importantly, I LOVED LOVED LOOOOOVVVVVED the characters in this book! (Which is really why I want to give this book 5 stars). They were all realistic and believable. There weren't any exaggerated traits, just ordinary people that you and know and love. 

I adore Landon as a character. Honestly, that moment after the Ring Ceremony between Landin and Alexa made me cry. With Landon I was really conflicted because he DID have a valid point in his argument but at the same time as was like ‘noooo you’re wrong, don’t you DARE do that!’ (read the book to understand what I’m talking about, because honestly it’s a great read and once I started I could NOT put it down. Literally, I was making up excuses to stay inside and read this book!). Landon just seems like such a sweet guy, but he feels the need to protect his feelings and his ‘image’ so he keeps things under a layer of ice. Landon seems totally crush-worthy, I am really looking forward to a book 2!

Carley is the first friend (other than Landon who Alexa met on land) that Alexa makes in Obsidian. Alexa isn’t exactly liked by many other apprentices either because in this realm, they’re all jealous of her (again, read the book and find out why!) Carley be-friends her before any secrets get out and is pretty gentled hearted, but Carley is also proud, has a healthy does of competitiveness, and is protective of her friends. She is the prefect girl to gossip with and really helps Alexa learn the ropes of being an Aquarian and acting like one too. Being born on land is unheard of for Aquarians and if the people knew about where Alexa was from, it would cause an uproar. 

Chase is her other key friend that Alexa makes and who Carley accepts immediately even though Carley and Chase are complete strangers to each other. Chase is from a talented Aquarian family, They own factories across the Atlantic and have high expectations for their son. Although Chase has talent in manipulating water (and even helps tutor Alexa), all he really wants is to have fun with life and he CERTAINLY doesn’t want to inherit his parents’ factories. Alexa meets Chase in one of his rebel stunts where he failed at making a floating orb and fell onto a rock and cut his arm. Alexa hadn’t been able to use her magic on command at the point and needed to make a flare orb to signal for help and save him form dying of blood loss (thank god because this adorable boy is a keeper if I do say so myself). I'm also really happy that this book didn't turn into a love triangle between Landon, Alexa, and Chase. Chase just comes across as the hilarious best friend, not the sexy boyfriend role, you know?

Although the book didn’t really climax, it was very satisfactory in many ways. The information about her parents was very intriguing and had me just as curious as Alexa. A key reason I loved this book that I should point out is that, for once, the female main character seems capable of taking care of herself. Landon Knight ( her Knight in shining armor) has so far come in and saved the day multiple times, but that was before she could handle her own powers. She is a very stubborn and determined girl (which I love) and I hope to see even more character development from her in the future. The book ends on a bit of a cliff hanger where you just learn some new information. She gets to spend some limited time with someone special and that was awesome to read, and then the book ends with her needing to talk to someone who has quite the new identity! Predictable if you ask me, but it confirmed my suspicions and had me wishing for more. Definitely a series I will read till the end!