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Book Review of Another Faust (Marlowe School, Bk 1)

Another Faust (Marlowe School, Bk 1)
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Helpful Score: 1


In towns across Europe, ten-year old children - Belle, Christian, Victoria and Valentin - are greedily wishing for things they do not have: beauty, fame, money, success. One night, the children mysteriously disappear and no one, not even their parents, remember that they even existed. Years later, the teenagers, along with Belle's twin sister Bice, reappear in New York City. Led by the beautiful and mysterious Madame Vileroy, the teenagers enroll in the prestigious Marlowe School and use their special gifts to soar to the top.

Written by a brother and sister team, Daniel and Dina Nayeri, "Another Faust" is a modern take on the old German legend of a man who trades his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge. "Another Faust" spins an addictive tale of backstabbing, covetousness and pure evil, and adds layers upon layers of details to each character and his or her gift. We see the full spectrum of the teenagers' abilities, the effect of their tricks on others and the frequent backfiring of their actions.

"Another Faust" does lack in some aspects: there is a lot of build-up to certain revelations, which are hastily glossed over; the secrets revealed at the end are given little attention and would have better served if they were at least hinted at throughout the novel. However, the novel's faults are quickly forgotten as it comes to a dramatic, hold-on-to-your-seats type of finale that will make for some excellent scenes if "Another Faust" is ever made into a movie.