BOOK REVIEW: CITY OF RATS

CITY OF RATS
Emily Rodda
Scholastic
2000

Available: paperback, Kindle

     Three unlikely friends, sixteen-year-olds Lief and Jasmine, plus the man Barda, are on a quest to find the third stone for the magic Belt of Deltora and are headed for the legendary City of Rats. They've been walking what seems like forever. They're tired. their feet hurt. And
they are more than just a little edgy. The road runs through a bramble thorn wasteland in what they deem to be enemy territory. When Jasmine hears strangers approaching from behind, they're spooked and energised to surge onward. When their stalkers appear, none of them is prepared. 
     This story had a lot of action and is a little reminiscent of the OZ books with a twist. The three travelers are flung from one adventure to another. the mystery is to discover the whereabouts of the stone and to survive. this is the third book in the Deltora Quest series.

Target audience: Grades 5-7

Mystery / Suspense: High suspense

Kid appeal: boys especially