Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Adventure syory that is full of action packed. It feels like a wonder woman. Love the plot. Not one minute I could put this book down and it is definitely a fast paced plot that you can read in one sitting!

I absolutely loved this book. The beginning was a bit difficult for me to understand the whole eworld and wrap my self into character. But other then that I enjoyed how it was very fast paced after that. Diana has always been a supper hero to me, so after reading this book, I enjoyed her charterer even more! Thank you

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for sharing this book I exchange for an honest review. I love Wonder Woman and I really enjoyed how this novel by Aisha Saaed explored her story! Fantastic book.

There is always something very refreshing about reading an MG take on a story so geared towards a mature audience in mainstream media and even YA books. I really loved the simple complexity of Diana and the Island of No Return and cannot wait for more!

I'm an adult and I absolutely loved 'Diana and the Island of No Return'. We learn about Diana's origins before she became wonder woman. Diana and her friend Sakina are shocked to find a boy on Themyscira. He tells them a story of a demon attack on his island Saz. The three kids bravely band together & blindly go towards danger to save innocent people. I love wonder woman, but I was weary of reading a middle grades novel. I'm so glad I did, because this book is fantastic. The adventure in this book ended, but there is still so much suspense on who "he" is and why he wants Diana so badly. I am eagerly awaiting the 2 follow up books.

Even as an adult, this was such a fun read! I am already a fan of Aisha Saeed's work, so I couldn't wait to read her take on the early years of Wonder Woman. Her portrayal of Diana as a young girl was believable and a breath of fresh air for a sometimes stale comic book character. Saeed does a great job covering very real world themes of friendship, trust, and loyalty - all while keeping the classic feel of superhero invincibility DC is known for. I think this will be a fun addition to our collection, and a great bridge between Fiction and Comics!

Yet another book I wish had existed when I was younger. It's a great story of adventure and friendship that'll have readers jumping into the story and looking forward to find out what comes next.

Characters
The characters were fairly simple in the beginning and had clear wishes and dreams. Both Sakira and Diana were headstrong and ambitious. Diana wanted to become a warrior, Sakira wanted to work in the library and Augustus wanted to make potions. However, I do think that the characters didn’t develop much over the course of the book and I felt like the discoveries surrounding Diana’s strength wasn’t as impactful as I would have liked. Saeed glossed over the discovery of her powers.

I do think that Diana’s sense of right and wrong and her bravery stood out to me. I also loved Sakira’s ability to talk to animals.

5/10

Writing Style
I struggled a lot with the writing in this book. The writing felt like it was better suited for a YA novel in some instances but then in others the writing was suitable for the target audience. It was jarring sometimes. I don’t expect someone reading middle grade to understand words like “incapacitated” and “constricted”. The more difficult words could have easily been replaced by more commonly used alternatives. This book could have definitely benefitted from a vocabulary list at the back of the book.

4/10

Plot
The plot is very fast paced and action-packed. It would be perfect for the target audience. I do think by adding some quieter moments of recuperation, it would have flowed better. I felt like they jumped into dangerous situations without proper planning and a lot of it felt super coincidental. She coincidentally read a book on demons. He coincidentally knows the potion recipe. If these things were alluded to earlier, it would have made it more believable.

There were clear themes of greed and truth in this book. I think those concepts came through pretty clearly and the target audience will delight in reading a book about a strong female lead.

6/10

Intrigue
I felt like I never knew what was going to happen next. I think the target audience will delight in the constant action and the mystery behind the demon. Unfortunately I wasn’t really that invested and started skimming through the text by the end.

5/10

Logic
I kept asking myself “Aren’t they hungry and thirsty?” “Don’t they need to rest?”. I wished they had stopped and built a fire or made a camp somewhere. It makes no sense to me that they could go without food or water after fighting off adult villagers. Maybe if they had come across an apple tree as they were searching for a potion ingredient, it would have made it more believable.

4/10

Enjoyment
I really didn’t enjoy reading this book and had high hopes for this middle grade Wonder Woman adventure. I felt that the writing was way too complex for the story or the story was way to simple and juvenile for the writing. The plot moved very quickly but by the end I was skimming through the passages.

However, I do believe that children will enjoy reading this and I’m glad that the DC Superhero world is becoming more accessible to younger readers.

4/10

AVERAGE RATING – 4.5/10

This ARC was provided for review, but in no way affects the following impartial and unbiased review:
•
3,5*
Pros: A middle-grade adaptation of the life of Diana in Themyscira. Full of adventures, mythical creatures and fight scenes. Shines bright with old and new friendships, super cute and brave animal sidekicks. Special focus in being brave amd facing your fears, in following your passions and in fighting for what's right.
.
Cons: Lack of emotional depth.

This book is set when Diana was a preteen (estimate). Her mother won’t let her train but Diana has watched warrior women train her whole life. She was finally given a sword the previous summer, but it is not THE sword. The lasso of truth does make an appearance in this book and plays a role.

In the beginning of this book, Diana is eagerly awaiting her friend’s arrival for the festival. Her friend lives on a secret island with people who are keepers of knowledge. (I want to live on THAT island!)

Then during the festival Diana discovers a boy. Of course, she’s never seen a boy before so she is curious. She isn’t sure if she can trust him when he warns her of great danger.


Who will like this story?
Island of No Return is a quick, easy read perfect for preteens. A strong 3rd grade reader could enjoy this book. The writing style is utilitarian and straightforward which is good for this kind of book.

If you like a fast-paced superhero stories about friendship, trust, and bravery, you’ll love this story. I teach kids age 11-13 and I see them struggling to navigate friendships. In middle school their friend circle expands as they meet new people and with that comes a prioritizing of time that they didn’t have to do as much before. With this sometimes comes a feeling of betrayal when their friends don’t make them a priority.

Kids struggle with who they can trust with which secrets and dreams. Sometimes they trust the wrong friends and learn difficult lessons. There is a lot in this story about trust which will resonate with readers in this age group.

Wonderful book. I love how the story grabs you right away from page one. I could not stop reading this book. I definitely recommend this title to everyone. Thank you for this opportunity

Unfortunately I couldn't get on with this one. I found it too slow. However this doesn't mean it's a bad book it just means it wasnt for me

Thank you to #NetGalley and Random House Children's for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Diana and the Island of No Return by Aisha Saeed is a fun, fast-paced, action packed novel. It is awesome that authors are taking on re-imagining of superheros from aspects many did not consider. This story takes us on an adventure with a young Diana , her best friend, a new friend and mythological creatures. The friends have to face a tricky foe to save two islands close to their hearts. This was such a fun read that anyone could read. It hooks you from the beginning.

Title: Diana and the island of no return.
Author: Aisha Saeed
Rating 4 ⭐️

This story follows Diana of Themyscira in her younger years while she is still living with the Amazons. During the most busy week on the island Diana and her best friend get “dragged” into a quest to save two islands. An evil entity has taken over Saz an island protected by the gods, and he has his sites set on Diana. Can Diana defeat this evil and save her island or will her strength shine through?

I really enjoyed this book. It is middle grade and I would recommend for higher elementary and middle school. It was a very different take on Diana as we usually see her once she has already become Wonder Woman. She is smart, strong and determined. She kind, caring and loyal. Her relationship with her best friend Sakina is wonderful and sisterly and I am here for it!

I received this book from the publisher via @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

#dcbooks #dccomics #wonderwoman #dianaofthemyscira #themyscira #middlegrade #aishasaeed

Diana and the Island of No Return is an entertaining book, especially for fans of Wonder Woman. The plot of this story is set before Diana's years of training, during a festival in Themyscira, to which the entrance of visitors to the island was allowed, all women of course. It is in the first days of this festival that Diana is presented with the opportunity to save the inhabitants of her island and those of a neighboring island, from the machinations of a demon.
The story has the advantage / disadvantage of being part of a series, that is, although the main line of this first book is satisfactorily solved, there is still a great mystery.
A book specifically aimed at YA, as we can assume by its colorful cover, is as I said before, an excellent story that fans of Wonder Woman of any age will enjoy.

What can I say about this book? Well, starters, it's amazing! How I love anything with Wonder Woman in it! The characters are so rich and dynamic. There wasn't a time I didn't enjoy this story. The pages flew like there was no tomorrow. The plot was solid. The inciting incident was well written. I didn't have any issue figuring out when it happened. I don't have anything bad to say about this story. I highly recommend it to everyone who loves DC comics, especially Wonder Woman.

Such a delightful children's [Middle Grade, on the earlier side of it] book! My daughter is so excited to start this together with me now that I've read through it so quickly.

Saeed gives us a young Diana who is learning about herself and is keen to become a warrior. The best part is that this is all part of the Wonder Woman we know and love and Saeed keeps true to her and introduces her to a younger generation in novel form.

Well-paced, fun and lighthearted enough, but still with this stronger message of being Diana being a person of justice and wanting to help others.

Thanks to Random House for an eARC of this in exchange for my honest opinion. @PRHGlobal #partner #sponsored #ad @prhinternational

This one is definitely intended for a younger audience and an adult reader might not find enough here for a good read. For Wonder Woman fans the situation is similar - there's no lore or insight here that would be interesting beyond the confines of this novel (and it's sequels). Without being sure I'd say this is not really canon either.

Having said that, if you are buying this for a younger reader you'll find a quite decent novel. Our heroine is a preteen, as is the main principal cast. From what I remember of my daughter at that age, the depiction is believable. Extra bonus points for the fact that no character is irritating.

Story: The island of Themyscira is hosting a festival, and Diana's best friend arrives with visitors. Among them comes a stow away - a young boy who has been forced by a demon to bring Diana to his home. He employs a potion that makes all the adults fall asleep and to rescue them (and to help the boy), Diana and her friend set off for adventure to defeat the evil demon.

The story is straightforward - simple, but not boring. There's a good amount of action, and the combat is exciting but very young reader friendly. There's a good amount of depth and our heroine's win is by being smart, not because evil is dumb.

The writing is very nice and clean, perfect for the intended audience. A single POV helps keep it nice and tight.

Overall, recommended especially for a younger Wonder Woman fan. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Rating- 3.5 stars

'But nothing is impossible is it?' Diana thought. There was always hope if you knew where to look for it.

In recent years, I've been seeing more and more retellings of DC superhero stories in the form of new novels and graphic novels and THEY JUST MAKE ME SO DAMN HAPPY!!!

Daina and the Island of No Return is no different! This book is the first in a series of middle-grade novels that document the adventures of a young Diana before she leaves the island of Themyscira and becomes the Wonder Woman we all know and love! In this installment of her adventures, Diana is whisked off her island to a beautiful and strange land of chariot-makers that is plagued by the evil of a demon who wants to kidnap her for someone. She's got a bounty on her head and two countries to save and she doesn't even know who's after her. Lucky for her though, she's a badass twelve year old and she's got her best friend Sakina and Augustus, an unexpected ally, in her corner!

Now there's not much to spoil here because the story is pretty formulaic. Trio of badass and super smart kids. Demon trying to kill everyone. Traps to overcome on every step of the way. Heroic feats saving the day. You know the drill!

I really enjoyed reading this book! It was super fun and light, and it is always incredibly nice to just chill with a book about baby superheroes. My complaint with this novel is that everything was just a little too easy and convenient. The stakes were high, but they kids got to the solution too easily and it was just that. I'd have liked it if there had been more tension there, but other than that, I really have nothing too negative or critical to say!

There was a lot left untold towards the end of the novel though. I'd really like to know who the guy who wanted to kidnap Diana is and I'd also LOVE to see how Diana grows into her powers and all that! So I'm super excited for the upcoming novels in this series!

If you've loved Diana Prince your whole life like I have, you will love this strange and adorable adventure she goes on! It's just a really fun ride and you should pick it up if you're looking for a light sff middle-grade to lose yourself in over a weekend!

A huge thanks to PRH international and netgalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own!