Blind Reads Review: The Map to Everywhere by Carrie Ryan & John Parke Davis

Author: Carrie Ryan & John Parke Davis
Series: The Map to Everywhere #1
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 423
Format/Source: ARC/From Publisher via BEA
Wherever you need to go–the Map to Everywhere can take you there.
To Master Thief Fin, an orphan from the murky pirate world of the Khaznot Quay, the Map is the key to finding his mother. To suburban schoolgirl Marrill, it’s her only way home after getting stranded on the Pirate Stream, the magical waterway that connects every world in creation. With the help of a bumbling wizard and his crew, they must scour the many worlds of the Pirate Stream to gather the pieces of the Map to Everywhere–but they aren’t the only ones looking. A sinister figure is hot on their tail, and if they can’t beat his ghostly ship to find the Map, it could mean the destruction of everything they hold dear!
In New York Times bestselling author Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis’s first installment of a fantastical new series, adventure, magic, and hilarity collide in the treacherous skies and dangerous waters of the Pirate Stream. Heart-pounding escapades and a colorful cast of characters will have readers setting sail through this wholly original and unforgettable tale. (Cover and synopsis from Goodreads.)
**I read this book as a part of my Blind Reads feature. Go here to see my post from before I read the book, where I list the (very few) things I knew going in and my theories on what the book would entail.**
My Favorite Blind Read Yet…
Okay, you guys, I just have to start this review off by saying I LOVED THIS BOOK. If you like Middle Grade books, you need to read it. If you have kids who like Middle Grade books, they need to read it. It is just that fantastic. But before I get into my actual review, let’s go over the Blind Reads aspect, shall we?
Were Any of My Theories Correct?
Some were, some weren’t. Back in my Blind Reads pre-post for The Map to Everywhere, I guessed that it was about pirates. I was definitely correct on that one. I also guessed that there were talking animals. Now, there were definitely sentient, intelligent animals, like the rats with glasses on the cover, but the rats never actually spoke. There were some talking trees, however. And my last theory was that the book was about a brother and sister who find a map to everywhere. The characters weren’t brother and sister (THAT WE KNOW OF) but they did spend the entire book looking for the “Bintheyr Map to Everywhere.” So, basically, I did an okay job at guessing, but most of my guesses were pretty obvious.
Back to My Regularly Scheduled Review…
So, back to the gushing. I LOVED THIS BOOK, you guys! It has probably one of my all-time favorite villains now. It’s this guy called The Oracle and he reminds me of a mixture between No-Face from Spirited Away and the creatures in the Doctor Who episode called “The Girl in the Fireplace.” Let me show you:
THIS (via GIPHY)
PLUS
THIS (via GIPHY)
Creepy, right? Anyway, The Oracle is definitely one of my new favorite villains. In fact, I think I have to give Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis 1,000,000,000 of my Bonus Points for the character of The Oracle. I also just loved so much more of this book. Fin, who is forgettable, is just a very cool character. And I really loved the Naysayer, although I think I wrongly pictured Bing Bong from Inside Out as the Naysayer… He’s definitely not a sweet character like Bing Bong, but he’s still a cool character.
Love ya, Bing Bong (via GIPHY)
I also loved some of the locations in The Map to Everywhere, like the Gibbering Grove (with all the talking trees) and the Khaznot Quay. And I also just loved the overall theme of the story: Friendship. Marrill and Fin are such fierce friends and I totally ship their friendship.
I really don’t know what else to say about this book except that YOU SHOULD ALL GO READ IT NOW. I can’t wait to read the sequel, City of Thirst, which came out last month. And I’ll definitely have to read my other Carrie Ryan books soon!
Oh, and in case you didn’t know, I give The Map to Everywhere by Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis:
5 HUGE stars. It is definitely one of my favorite reads of the year!

Leave a Reply