Trapped in Gondwana (Trapped in Gondwana #1) by JB Rowley

Trapped in Gondwana (Trapped in Gondwana #1) Reviews

• 
  Jemima Pett

  This is the first of an adventure series for Middle Grade readers, set in a magical land based on the ancient continent of Gondwana. I was attracted to the idea of our heroine, Nellie, falling through a ‘crack in the Earth’ into Gondwana and not being able to get out until she had played ‘the game’ set by Gondvan, ruler of the Gondwana realms. I don’t think it qualifies as time travel, although time is certainly an element of the adventure.
  
  The land is a wondeful mix of primaeval forest, rocks and streams, genuine plants and some animals as evidenced by fossil remains, and composite or mythical creatures such as troll-like people and spirits. There are also descendents of extinct animals, such as pygmy possums and lyrebirds. It is brilliantly described, and colour plays a huge part in it.
  
  Nellie meets a boy who has failed to get out of the forest in the past, and her positive mental attitude helps to turn his negative approach into friendly help. I like the way that Nellie comes from Australia, and Meg, the friend, from India, both of which continents are thought to be remnants of the original Gondwanaland. There are connections throughout this book that make it feel coherent and real, despite the unreality of the spirit world. Sliding down a rainbow sounds great fun!
  
  The challenge Nellie is set to enable her to escape from Gondwana is enjoyable and not over-taxing for the reader, but the descriptions of her adventures are vivid. Most young readers would be able to imagine themselves in those situations and admire her ways of getting out of trouble. I wasn’t sure I appreciated the immediate decision to damage the giant grasshopper, though, when peaceful methods had been the first choice most other times (unless they had been attacked first). However, I think the New Zealand Weta is not what I think of as a grasshopper, so the decision might have been justified.
  
  Nellie now has the status of Visitor to Gondwana, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens to her in the next book.
  
  All in all, a very enjoyable book and one that I was keen to get back to when I had to take breaks! I think any kid (big or small) interested in adventures in the wild will enjoy this, especially if they have a passing interest in pre-historic worlds.
• 
  P.S. Winn

  The wizard of Oz meets Alice in wonderland in a grand adventure. Eleven year old Nellie Russell finds her self lost and it would appear far from home when she lands in Gondwana. Trying to escape and get back home, Nellie finds a few friends and several enemies. She also finds she had to solve riddles and fight strange creatures in her search for home. This is a great novel for young people and those with young hearts who love fantasy adventures.
• 
  Angela Oliver

  This was a charming little adventure novel, aimed at a fairly young age group. So, I suppose my average rating is mostly due to the fact that I am an adult reading something aimed at probably the 7-10 age range, perhaps the sort of book that a girl could move onto when she was bored with the Rainbow Magic series. I do not feel it had so much boy appeal, although it does have a male character, it's a little too "clean". The story itself is very basic - which is probably why I compared it (lightly) to the RM books - a young girl finds herself trapped in a "Game" within the world of Gondwana, a land based on the once-continent. However, the animals she meets with along the way are not quite your typical Gondwanan creatures - well, some are, but others (like the weta) are somewhat over-sized. Anyhow, to get home she must play the game which involves going on a sort of scavenger hunt (where the boy, Meg, helps her solve all the clues) to find a number of gems. Once they find them, she has to take them to the center of Gondwana before sunset - which is a bit weird because time flows differently in Gondwana. The tale held few surprises, although some of the animals were pretty nifty, and in fact the only bit that DID surprise me was when the girl decided they should chop off the weta's leg. Seemed rather brutal to me. All up, I imagine it would be a perfect story for someone 7-9 that liked shorter, whimsical reads.
• 
  Brenda

  Young Nellie was sitting on part of a tree trunk, just thinking, when suddenly she fell through a crack in the Earth! Suddenly she was in Gondwana, a little frightened, wondering how to get home. When she met Meg, a young Indian boy who had himself been trapped in Gondwana, and his little animal friend Pari, he explained how things worked in Gondwana, and how she had to ‘play a game’ to be released from the mysterious land. It involved retrieving a series of gems which were guarded by the creatures of Gondwana, and taking them to the centre before sunset.
  
  As Nellie journeys through forests with huge trees, much undergrowth and the occasional mists, she encounters monsters in the guise of trolls, creatures she could hear but not see; will she manage to succeed in her quest of finding the gems, and solving the riddles to take her to the next one? With Meg and Pari helping her on her way, would she make it to the centre of Gondwana before sunset? Would she see her home and family again?
  
  This was a delightful story for young people, and I really enjoyed it myself. The adventures of the two children were fun, the facing of the creatures a challenge, and the light suspense extremely well done. I will definitely read book two when it is released!
  
• 
  Sally906

  A very quick read, and the first in a series, TRAPPED IN GONDWANA is aimed at the younger end of Young Adults. The start is similar to Alice in Wonderland in that Nellie falls down a crack (hole) in the earth; but the magical adventure that follows is in a class of its own. Nellie is a brave and selfless young girl, who thinks problems through and is not afraid to stand up to monsters and bullies. She does doesn’t spare the bad critters either – one is killed and she chops off the leg off another, seemed a bit mature; but there was no blood or guts to upset the young audience. A perfect adventure for girls in the 8 to 12 age group, but can be enjoyed by those who have not seen the age 12 for many a decade. I am not sure boys would enjoy it as the male character is a bit of a dweeb and needs protecting all the time.
• 
  Lamia

  This story is about a girl who gets trapped in Gondowana by a crack in earth. I like the part when Nellie met Pari and Meg.
  I think this book is very interesting and mysterious. My favourite chapter of the story was the final chapter 21 when Nellie went running back to Gondowana. I really want to read book 2 of Trapped in Gondowana. I think that this is the right level book for me. There were a few words that I did not understand but I think this book is the right level for me, but I prefer reading in a format of book either than in a laptop or computer. I think this book will be one of my favourites. I rate this book 4/5.
  
  Zahreen Morshed
  Born March 2004
  A student of Kumon, Clarinda Centre,
  Victoria, Australia
  
  
  28 June 2012
  
• 
  Dan Rogers

  What an absolutely enjoyable story. There was just enough danger and action to keep young readers interested and yet not so much that they be turned off to the story. I really enjoyed getting to know all of the main characters as the story evolved. I will definitely read the second book sin the series.