OK folks, anyone read the Kingdom Keepers series?
Any good?
And how YA are they?
On a scale of 1 (noticeable but no big) to 5 (OMG angst-ridden crying in my locker)
I started it, and for the most part I enjoyed it, for me it had a couple of places that dragged. It has a lot of detailed descriptions, I could truly picture the park. But I need to start up again. It wasn’t bad enough to drop it, I just got busy with kiddo activities and our 2nd oldest completing a college transfer and kinda forgot about it.
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I really enjoyed them I am on the last book now. They are fun because you really can picture all the details about where they the places in the book are taking place. I started reading them to my kids as well, they like them as well. My oldest choose to continue to read the series after we finished reading the first book together.
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I bought them and have read them all. It’s been a few years. I was about 50 when the first came out. I enjoy the detail, and the concept of an alternate universe where characters become real. The main characters are all teens, there’s some angst, the writing style is in line with writing for teens/tweens (it says reading age 10-14), but because I like Disney I read them anyhow and enjoyed them. I think the angst was a minor part compared to all the action. Maybe the angst crept in as the later books came out (character development plus aging kids).
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I know a lot of people like them - but I started them a couple of times with kids when they were younger and just couldn’t get through them. I’m surely a persnickety snob, but I found the story lines and writing meh.
And I really wanted to like them, obviously being a Disney person.
My kids and I have made it through our share of books that were just OK, but both of them turned to me several chapters into these and gave me the thumbs down.
Wondering now: For those that did like them, would you say the first book gets decidedly better/different after the first half, or the subsequent books were better?
I remember wondering what I was missing and checking the reviews on Goodreads. I could have written parts of this one. (Warning, it is a pretty brutal review.)
Also: I really miss reading with my kids every night now that they are teens. Really.
I think I need to get all the voices and accents out of my head somehow. 
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I dug out my stash of KK books. …er…11 of them. I thought it was complete - but now I find that I missed an e-book novella, and there will be a new “Inheritance” group coming in 2022! I plan to reread the first book, to try to answer @JJT’s question.
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I just finished re-reading the first one. I also read the Goodreads review mentioned above. I can agree with a lot of that review. Maybe this is one of those times to “set your expectations accordingly,” much like we advise Disney visitors. Yes, the writing style is far less than stellar to us adults - but it’s written for ages 10-14. As a Disney fan, I read it for the setting and the plot idea. It does seem to have very big holes in the plot/story, but if you’re willing to not worry about that and just keep reading to see where it goes, it can be entertaining.
@JJT I agree the book starts out slow, with so much backstory to explain and the main group of five kids to gather up. By the middle of the book, the pace picks up as they have encounters/fights with the bad guys - lots of times. Having read the whole series, the first book does indeed have small scale encounters. As the books progress, the scope gets larger - they go to all four WDW parks, Disneyland, and DCL cruises, and they even do time travel. The overall storyline gets more complicated.
Another “alternate reality” YA series, featuring fairytale/storybook characters in a sci-fi/fantasy setting is “The Lunar Chronicles” by Marissa Meyer. They’re written for ages 12-18. Not Disney related, but I enjoyed them.
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Thanks for your perspective!
Last night I asked my DD14 if she ever tried reading KK again on her own after she and I started and stopped a few years ago.
She said “Ugh. The characters had no development! Couldn’t get through it.” 
Will definitely pass on the Lunar Chronicles to her!
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Agree with this. Tried and tried and really wanted to love them. Absolutely did not care for them at all. Your assessment is in line with my own. I guess I’m a snob too - I don’t care for poorly written books. That will turn me right off.
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The Harry Potter books are really well written. Hint hint
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They are not for me. Have tried.
I think I found the first few books were fine. But I think I found the latter books dragged on.
But then again, I was reading them to my daughter rather than reading for myself and that probably makes a difference.
ETA: Holy cats, that was 20 years ago?!?
Ridiculous
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