Avalon High

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4.7 (43)

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Author(s)

Meg Cabot

Publisher

HarperCollins Publishers

Genre(s)

General Fiction

Age Range

12+

Release Date

December 27, 2005

ISBN

0060755865

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To newcomer Ellie, Avalon High seems like a typical American high school, complete with jocks, nerds, cheerleaders, and even the obligatory senior class president, quarterback, and all-around good guy. But it doesn't take Ellie long to suspect that something weird is going on beneath the glossy surface of this tranquil hall of learning. As she pieces together the meaning of this unfolding drama, she begins to recognize some haunting Arthurian echoes, causing her to worry that she has become just a pawn in mythic history. A powerful novel by the author of The Princess Diaries. Has been made into a full length film by Disney on Disney Channel.

Editor reviews

2 reviews

Is it destiny? Or choice?

September 24, 2006

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5.0

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Id heard so much talk about Avalon High that I figured it was high time I read it. I was a little leery after all, there are *so* many re-tellings of the King Arthur tale that its hard for one to stand out but Im very pleased with this one. Besides, told in Cabots patented plucky-quirky-girl-voice, you know its going to be fun (and happily, Ellie isnt as full of self-doubt as some other Cabot heroines).

Ellie (who was named by her Medievalist parents after Lady Elaine, aka The Lady of Shalott, aka the chick who went to a watery death when Lancelot picked Guinevere over her) is dragged off to live in Annapolis while her parents take a sabbatical (her mother to write a book on The Lady of Shalott and her father to write a book on a rusty old sword).

At first, the only saving grace is that their temporary home has a pool. Ellie *loves* to float around in it all day, but that pastime comes to an end (mostly) once school starts up again. Ellies new alma mater is Avalon High and one particular guy catches her eye right away. To Ellies surprise, she also seems to have somewhat caught his, even though Will (thats the heartthrobs name) already has a perky blonde girlfriend named Jenny.

But something strange is going on at Avalon High and, in particular, with Will, Jenny, and Wills best friend Lance. Then theres Mr. Morton, the English teacher, who seems determined to throw Ellie and Lance together. Why would a teacher even care about the love lives of his students? And whats the deal with Marco, Wills stepbrother?

Ellie keeps getting dragged into the middle of things, even though Mr. Morton and Marco keep dismissing her by telling her that her part in things makes no difference anymore. After all, Lady Elaine isnt even supposed to know Arthur&

Even though Ellie is finding it hard to believe, all evidence seems to point to the fact that Will (whos first name is actually Arthur) is King Arthur reborn. Lance is Lancelot, the fellow who is doomed to betray his best friend by falling in love with Guinevere (aka Jenny). And Marco? Historically, evil half-brother Mordred caused the downfall of Arthur.

The group Mr. Morton belongs to, The Order of the Bear, has been watching out for the return of Arthur over all these years. If Will succeeds and lives on, he could bring in a new golden age of peace. If he doesnt&its the dark ages all over again.

I absolutely love the twist that occurs with Ellies character and Im not going to give it away here since you need to discover it for yourself. There are lots of clues in the book, so make sure you pay attention as you read because it is Ellies true nature and not the nature of her namesake that will save the day in the end.

Will is also a great character. Hes almost too good to be true, but hey, he is King Arthur, after all. Though Jenny and Lance are the least developed characters, theyre also interesting in their own right and not always exactly what you would expect. Even Marco isnt totally evil (much like Mordred); hes just got a lot of baggage.

Recommended for readers aged 12 and up. Theres enough romance to keep any girl happy and enough courtly intrigue to keep just about anyone turning the pages. Shoot, if I hadnt already promised this one to my niece (she begged), Id be keeping it for myself.

Kimberly Pauley Top 50 Reviewer 393 reviews

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43 reviews

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Better than the movie!

September 10, 2015

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4.7

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I liked the movie,but I loved the book! I literally finished this book in 2 hours! It was amazing! It wasnt Meg Cabot's best but, it was still wonderful!

Good Points

I liked the movie,but I loved the book!

Anna's Bookshelf Top 500 Reviewer 17 reviews

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Avalon High

October 24, 2012 (Updated: April 23, 2013)

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5.0

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A couple years ago a movie came out on Disney Channel called Avalon High. Since I was in sixth grade and obsessed with being cool, I did not watch it, so I wouldn’t be “the girl who still watches Disney.” Last year, I did a report on England’s most famous king, King Arthur Pendragon. While looking for a good book to read to extract some info from, I came across a book called Avalon High, by the well-known author of the Princess Diaries series, Meg Cabot.
After reading the book in its entirety, I decided to finally watch the movie. The next time it played on television, I made sure I was parked on the couch right in front of it with the controller in hand. After seeing the film, I noticed how much of the book was changed. The entire movie was completely different from the book! The only thing that was the same about them, was the fact that they both had the same name! I would suggest to those who watched the movie to read the book, because it is a great, fast and easy to read. However for those who read the novel, don’t ruin it for yourselves by watching the movie. Do yourself a favor.
The book starts off a little slow, and you don’t get a feel of what the story is really about, unfortunately, until the end. But, it does allow the reader to warm up to the main character, Elaine, and her strange ways. There are some difficult-to-understand parts, but if they are read again, the entire book makes more sense. The book flows really nicely, and by the end, you’re very satisfied.
The characters in the book were just so good, and relatable, I cannot choose a favorite one. The main character is Elaine Harrison. She moves to Annapolis from Minnesota with her parents for a year because they are professors and they are on their sabbatical. At her new school, Avalon High, she makes some new friends, and some feel like they have an otherworldly connection to her, as if they had already met long ago, in a forgotten life. The entire character plot was believable, and they reminded me of real teenagers.
One of my favorite scenes is in the first chapter when Elaine talks about moving. Her friend Nancy says “You’re so lucky,” because she could start over in a new school, but Elaine didn’t feel that way, until Nancy told her this. But it proved to be true because she made new friends with the track team, and the school’s popular quarterback, Will Wagner.
When Mr. Morton, her teacher, starts to act funny, Elaine tries to figure out what was going on. She comes to the conclusion that she thinks that they were all reincarnated forms of the King Arthur characters. It creates a major twist.
When I read some books, and websites, for my King Arthur report, I learned a lot about his history, and the history of the people around him. Meg Cabot brings these characters into the present, while keeping their Camelot counterparts alive as well.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction, fantasy, legend, romance, and drama. However, this book is great for everyone. I have read the book at least fifty times, and it keeps getting better each time. Even though the movie was a letdown (don’t watch the movie to write your school report on the book), the novel is a great read.

And if you're an Arthur lover, you'll adore this!!!

Ellie Bivins Top 500 Reviewer

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Funky Arthurian Book

April 29, 2010

Overall rating

4.0

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Reader reviewed by Ruthie

This was one funky Arthurian YA story. I really enjoyed it and the way everything was represented was very unique. The downside to this book is that it's continued by 3 manga books. Personally I read the first two manga-style ones and it was terrible. You cannot start a written series and then twist it into manga. It didn't work. If you don't mind somewhat of a cliff hanger ending then I reccommend for you to just read this book.

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King Arthur never get's old

February 01, 2010

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5.0

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Reader reviewed by Hatice

Meg Cabot never disappoints.

Ellie Harrison has just entered Avalon High, and there she
meets new people like Will, the boy she'll eventually fall in love with. But
things are a little weird around there. For one thing, the story has a lot to
do with King Arthur's legend. Ellie, Will, Jennifer, Lance, Marco, and Mr.
Morton are all reincarnations corresponding to the ancient legend. At first
everyone thinks Ellie represents the Lady of Shalott, but it becomes clear at the
end that she was anything but. What makes this book all the more better are the
short lines from the famous poem about Elaine the Lady of Shalott.

This book is a great read anytime in the year, whether its
on the beach or tucked in your warm blankets during a snowstorm.

Guest #1 Reviewer

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Great Mix of history and modern times

August 08, 2009

Overall rating

4.0

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Reader reviewed by Holly

Avalon high by Meg Cabot is a great book and it is about a girl named Ellie and all the characaters are a reincarnated version of one of the people in King Arthurs Court. During the book events are unfolding like they did in the story of King Arthurs Court but with a modern twist. it a great story and it always keeps you interested. And if you are not familiar with the characters from King Arthurs Court don't worry they have a little background on each person in the back of the book.

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appaled

July 13, 2009

Overall rating

5.0

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Reader reviewed by christie

this book is awesome.it really got me into history specifically rhe king arthur period.this book is about ellie who moves to minneapolis because her proffesor parents have to go on a sabbitacal.then eelli meets jennifer and will and lance.ellie then fallls for will and is heart bvroken when she finds will is going out with jennifer and then shes even more heartbroken when she finds out that jennifer is with lance and cheating on will but jennifer and lance dont want to hurt wil.ellie promises them not to tell on them if they tell will but will finds out before lance and jennifer has a chance to tell him but will gets mad at ellie for not telling him.then marco wills crazy step brother comes to kill will with a gun....

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Fantastic

July 12, 2009

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5.0

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Reader reviewed by Lea

One of Meg Cabots best novels. When Ellie moves, her whole life changes drastically. She's not only popular, she's caught the eye and friendship of Will. She gets mixed up in the drama between him, his girlfriend, and his best friend. A fantastic retelling of King Arthur's story, and Ellie is the perfect protagonist. She has you believing in everything, even before she does. This is one of Cabots best works, both writing style and creatively.

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A little surprising

July 09, 2009

Overall rating

4.0

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Reader reviewed by Anon

When I first picked up this book, I wasn't really sure what it was about. I've read books by Meg Cabot before and I liked them, but I didn't know what Avalon High was, really. For some reason, I thought it was about flying or something, or one of those little High School novels. But, it turned out that it hugely revolved around the old story of King Arthur, which was more exciting than I thought it would be. I had never really known about King Arthur, only little things like about Excalibur and that magician Merlin. But the story was about Ellie, a girl with two embarrassing professor-parents. I loved Ellie because I felt that I could relate to her. She meets a boy named A. William Wagner, the most popular boy at school (and the football captain, and the class President). But it turned out that he had a hard home life, and that he was actually nice. Their relationship turned out a little cliche, but nice all the same. Later, with even more surprise, he is the reincarnation of King Arthur, his girlfriend Jennifer the new Guinivere, and his best friend Lance is the new Sir Lancelot. After reading the book, I decided to learn more about the King Arthur story and it was more interesting with these characters now in my mind.

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Better Than I Expected

July 05, 2009

Overall rating

4.0

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Reader reviewed by Ashley

Elaine's family moves and she goes to school at Avalon High. But at Avalon High, everyone is not who they appear to be. Things start getting strange when the Arthurian legend seems to be repeating itself. Elaine refuses to believe what Mr. Morton tells her, but it soon becomes clear that he's not crazy. King Arthur really is coming back.

This book was a lot better than I though it was going to be, because I was expecting cheesy. Really cheesy, actually. But the direction Meg Cabot took with it really kept me interested. I didn't want to put it down until I finished it.

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Weird Twist

July 01, 2009

Overall rating

3.0

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Reader reviewed by Lauren

When I read this book, I thought it was going to be like a regular romance story, but as I kept reading it more, it go more and more different. I figured that there would be some little drama from family or friends, but I was way off. The facts laid down, and after they started coming one after another, you finally got that Will was like King Arthur, it just was time before you put it all together. I pictured the whole book like a movie and I thought it was really good. I loved this book. Meg Cabot is a really good author, so it doesn't surprise me that I like this book. If you are looking for some summer romance mystery type of book, I would go with this one, no questions asked.

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