City of Masks by Mary Hoffman

Book one in the Stravaganza trilogy

Plot: a young cancer patient discovers a new world filled with adventure, mystery, and, best of all, health. Lucien can travel to this magical Venice-like city while he sleeps, and he is miraculously free of sickness as long as he stays in the new world. But there is always the risk that he won't be able to get back home...

Comments: This book is good for fantasy-lovers, a fun and magical story for light reading. I like the characters; they seem very realistic and easy to imagine. Different characteristics, and they don't seem exactly like the average Joe, but they fit together well, and I like the way they interact. The descriptions of the scenery is good. I can easily imagine the city as it's described, so beautiful, with elaborate decoration, the shining canal. Though the city is apparently a lot like Venice, I've never been to Venice, so I'm not merely using those images to supply my information. Sometimes the clothes were hard to imagine, but that's probably because they're old-fashioned and I'm not familiar with them. The plot is creative, and interesting. I've never read anything like this before, and the way the story line twisted was well done. I was sad at the ending, and I wish it hadn't ended like that. Maybe it makes more sense for the next two books or something, or maybe the author just wanted a dramatic surprise. I don't know, but I still didn't like it. This book made me laugh, and I recommend it for a boring afternoon or a sick day in bed.

Rating: I rate this book a six and a half out of ten.