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The Name at the End of the Ladder
Twelve-year-old September is determined to choose an adventurous name for herself from the Name Bank – not like all her friends, who are named after flowers or trees. Soon she discovers she has no choice, unless she can win an ancient and mysterious board game. And every roll of the dice leads her further into danger.The Name at the End of the Ladder is a fantasy adventure for younger readers by award-winning New Zealand poet Elena de Roo. This junior fiction novel about the power of language and friendship is ideal for fans of Jumanji, Zathura and The Phantom Tollbooth. For more about the author and her books, please visit www.elenaderoo.com
161 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2014
3 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Elena de Roo
7 books7 followersElena de Roo is a poet and former research librarian. The Rain Train is her first picture book. She lives in New Zealand.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 17, 2019
This book was really fantastic overall. It's a little boring at times, but other than that, this book is a true gem to pick up!
April 25, 2016
Ten Second Synopsis:
September begins the process of choosing her real name but her selection is hijacked by a sinister name counsellor with a seriously involving board game.
I am so pleased I stumbled across this book and decided, despite being pretty broke, to buy it on a whim. I started it last night and finished it this evening and was completely drawn in to the world that De Roo has created. I definitely fell victim to the "just one more chapter" syndrome. I didn't realise when I picked it up but De Roo already has a special place on our shelf as she is the author of the journey of rhythmic brilliance that is The Rain Train.
This is the perfect school holiday read for middle graders who like puzzles, tricky games and a race against time. There were some aspects to this story that could have come across as contrived - the pre-pubescent kids named after their birth month, the idea that names can affect one's personality and behaviours - but the writing transported me so deeply into the world that these aspects just seemed to fit. The one thing that did annoy me though was Madame Alcina's speech impediment that was borne out in the spelling of her dialogue. That drove me nuts and didn't really add much to the character so I felt that the story could have easily done without it, but that's just a personal peeve.
The story didn't have a lot of convoluting detail and the plot moved quickly from one point to the next, so there isn't much time for readers to lose interest. There are a lot of interesting elements added in here that middle graders should enjoy - the jumanji-like board game with its idiosyncratic rules, the word and number puzzles that do their darnedest to trip up unwary players, and the idea of "trying on" different names to see what their effect might be. I very much appreciated the sense of originality that came with reading this story. It's always refreshing to pick up a book and feel like you're discovering something new and different (or at the very least, something that you haven't encountered ad nauseum recently). The friendship between September and August is simple but engaging and provides enough humorous banter to liven things up. I did feel that the resolution to the story came quickly and possibly a bit too easily for my liking, but by that stage I was so engaged in the story that I just wanted to keep reading to the end.
The Name at the End of the Ladder will definitely be living on my "special" shelf from now on - I get the feeling that it will warrant many a re-read when I'm in the mood for something quirky and quick.
Highly recommended for those of a mildly rebellious nature.
September begins the process of choosing her real name but her selection is hijacked by a sinister name counsellor with a seriously involving board game.
I am so pleased I stumbled across this book and decided, despite being pretty broke, to buy it on a whim. I started it last night and finished it this evening and was completely drawn in to the world that De Roo has created. I definitely fell victim to the "just one more chapter" syndrome. I didn't realise when I picked it up but De Roo already has a special place on our shelf as she is the author of the journey of rhythmic brilliance that is The Rain Train.
This is the perfect school holiday read for middle graders who like puzzles, tricky games and a race against time. There were some aspects to this story that could have come across as contrived - the pre-pubescent kids named after their birth month, the idea that names can affect one's personality and behaviours - but the writing transported me so deeply into the world that these aspects just seemed to fit. The one thing that did annoy me though was Madame Alcina's speech impediment that was borne out in the spelling of her dialogue. That drove me nuts and didn't really add much to the character so I felt that the story could have easily done without it, but that's just a personal peeve.
The story didn't have a lot of convoluting detail and the plot moved quickly from one point to the next, so there isn't much time for readers to lose interest. There are a lot of interesting elements added in here that middle graders should enjoy - the jumanji-like board game with its idiosyncratic rules, the word and number puzzles that do their darnedest to trip up unwary players, and the idea of "trying on" different names to see what their effect might be. I very much appreciated the sense of originality that came with reading this story. It's always refreshing to pick up a book and feel like you're discovering something new and different (or at the very least, something that you haven't encountered ad nauseum recently). The friendship between September and August is simple but engaging and provides enough humorous banter to liven things up. I did feel that the resolution to the story came quickly and possibly a bit too easily for my liking, but by that stage I was so engaged in the story that I just wanted to keep reading to the end.
The Name at the End of the Ladder will definitely be living on my "special" shelf from now on - I get the feeling that it will warrant many a re-read when I'm in the mood for something quirky and quick.
Highly recommended for those of a mildly rebellious nature.
February 25, 2015
I selected this as my November Book of the Month for the bookshop where I work.
September-Tuesday has just turned twelve, and, accordingly, has been invited to attend appointments at the Name Bank to choose the name she will have for the rest of her life. Choosing your forever name is a very serious business, as it can cause mild to severe changes in your personality, behaviour and physical body.
September dreams of choosing a unique name that will improve her singing voice, and is determined to never choose a boring botanical name (like Lavender, Daffodil or Clover) as everyone in her school -- and seemingly everyone in the city -- has done. But September soon finds out that the Name Bank only allow a small list of botanical names that have "proven safe", and she is very nearly given a "one-size-fits-all" botanical name against her wishes. When she hears of a chance to truly choose her own name without the restrictions laid down by the Name Bank, September jumps at the opportunity. She soon finds that the "game to choose your name" is indeed too good to be true, and she is caught in a strange and magical game that may not only cost her her name, but her life.
I picked this books up purely because it had an awesome cover and intriguing title, and was not disappointed; I loved this book! The Name at the End of the Ladder combines a strong and well-developed female protagonist with the folklore of the magic of names, a great twisty plot, and a truly interesting world that I wanted to keep exploring.
September-Tuesday has just turned twelve, and, accordingly, has been invited to attend appointments at the Name Bank to choose the name she will have for the rest of her life. Choosing your forever name is a very serious business, as it can cause mild to severe changes in your personality, behaviour and physical body.
September dreams of choosing a unique name that will improve her singing voice, and is determined to never choose a boring botanical name (like Lavender, Daffodil or Clover) as everyone in her school -- and seemingly everyone in the city -- has done. But September soon finds out that the Name Bank only allow a small list of botanical names that have "proven safe", and she is very nearly given a "one-size-fits-all" botanical name against her wishes. When she hears of a chance to truly choose her own name without the restrictions laid down by the Name Bank, September jumps at the opportunity. She soon finds that the "game to choose your name" is indeed too good to be true, and she is caught in a strange and magical game that may not only cost her her name, but her life.
I picked this books up purely because it had an awesome cover and intriguing title, and was not disappointed; I loved this book! The Name at the End of the Ladder combines a strong and well-developed female protagonist with the folklore of the magic of names, a great twisty plot, and a truly interesting world that I wanted to keep exploring.
October 18, 2014
Always keen to read new Kiwi fiction, I jumped into Elena de Roo's first novel this weekend. I wasn't sure what I was going to find, but was amazed at how different this story was from anything I've read lately.
The main character September lives in a very regimented world which is ruled by the Name Bank in Name Bank City. As you might have guessed, names are very important in this world and September is about to undertake the four appointments she will have at the Name Bank to determine her new name.
But the meetings aren't at all what she'd thought they'd be, and September (although a fiesty and determined just-turned-12-yr-old), is a little frightened at the strange turn of events.
She soon finds herself in a world of powerful names, number puzzles, and far off voices. With the help of a new friend called August, they decipher the puzzles and the game they are suddenly part of, to save not only their new names but the fate of August's lost brother.
Yes, there is an element of Jumanji (but why not? It's an excellent concept) but there is more to this story than that. I'd call it a mix between the magic of Alice in Wonderland and the strangeness of Jumanji, set in a futuristic world of control. Something amazingly different!
The main character September lives in a very regimented world which is ruled by the Name Bank in Name Bank City. As you might have guessed, names are very important in this world and September is about to undertake the four appointments she will have at the Name Bank to determine her new name.
But the meetings aren't at all what she'd thought they'd be, and September (although a fiesty and determined just-turned-12-yr-old), is a little frightened at the strange turn of events.
She soon finds herself in a world of powerful names, number puzzles, and far off voices. With the help of a new friend called August, they decipher the puzzles and the game they are suddenly part of, to save not only their new names but the fate of August's lost brother.
Yes, there is an element of Jumanji (but why not? It's an excellent concept) but there is more to this story than that. I'd call it a mix between the magic of Alice in Wonderland and the strangeness of Jumanji, set in a futuristic world of control. Something amazingly different!
January 5, 2021
As a fan of dystopian fiction, I really liked this book. It had a lot of intrigue, and questions that needed to be answered, that were actually answered (wow shocker we actually had our questions answered for once). This book stirs up a lot of questions about government control, and what they're actually doing, and how they manipulate the population to be easy to control. I really liked the concept of names having power, and that numbers used to have powers to, and I hope that there's a sequel going further into this.
May 15, 2017
This book had a good story idea, but sometimes I got confused and I think the book should have gone on for a little longer to explain things better and make the game more longer. September was only in the game a few times and she got out of it after a while every time and went on with school. I think September should have been stuck in the game the whole time.
November 5, 2020
reminds me of my childhood...
April 19, 2015
If you loved any of Lemony Snicket's 'The series of unfortunate events', Harry Potter and the Charlie Bone series, you will love 'The name at the end of the ladder.' If you love adventure, fantasy and riddles, you will love this book! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GO, GET IT NOW!
September-Tuesday has just turned twelve and lives in the Name Bank city, where the name you choose is wholly important to what sort of person you become. She becomes trapped in a deadly 3D board game of LADDERS AND NAMES in order to win her chosen name.
I loved the concept in this novel. It was so refreshing and original from all the YA novels I've read recently, especially with all the super-special-snowflakes-who save the world and become entangled in a love triangles in the process. I liked how the importance of words came through in this novel as well.
I did have a few unanswered questions regarding the world building during the novel. For example, how did the committee decide which names were dangerous? Why were botanical names not dangerous? who were the diviners? what happened during the ages of Chaos? Also, maybe it would've been more interesting if the game was explored more in detail and there were more rules. Lots of the actions at the end of the novel seemed too convenient and simple.
Regardless, "The name at the end of the ladder" was a really enjoyable and original read.
September-Tuesday has just turned twelve and lives in the Name Bank city, where the name you choose is wholly important to what sort of person you become. She becomes trapped in a deadly 3D board game of LADDERS AND NAMES in order to win her chosen name.
I loved the concept in this novel. It was so refreshing and original from all the YA novels I've read recently, especially with all the super-special-snowflakes-who save the world and become entangled in a love triangles in the process. I liked how the importance of words came through in this novel as well.
I did have a few unanswered questions regarding the world building during the novel. For example, how did the committee decide which names were dangerous? Why were botanical names not dangerous? who were the diviners? what happened during the ages of Chaos? Also, maybe it would've been more interesting if the game was explored more in detail and there were more rules. Lots of the actions at the end of the novel seemed too convenient and simple.
Regardless, "The name at the end of the ladder" was a really enjoyable and original read.
November 15, 2014
In a world where mainstream publishers seem to opt for so many ‘samey’, follow-the-trend books, it’s refreshing to find something with a strong streak of individuality. Twelve-year-old September lives in a quirky future - part Wonka, part Potter with a twist of dystopia. As her birthday nears, September must prepare to choose her adult name, a process tightly controlled by the authoritarian Name Bank. Eager to acquire a more interesting name, one that might help her dreams of becoming a singer, September is caught up in more ways than one by Madame Alcina and her mysterious board-game. Page-turning fun for those aged about 9 to 12.
See www.stephenbarker.co.nz for reviews of other books for young people.
See www.stephenbarker.co.nz for reviews of other books for young people.
February 8, 2015
Great book - cross between The Giver and Jumanji. I am thinking about reading this to my Year 7 class. We are looking at identity and this book explores the way our name shapes us and contributes to forming our identity. I am hoping it will appeal to my kids, I am really looking forward to sharing it with them!
April 12, 2016
This book ended up disappointing me, but only because I was so captivated by the beginning. In the end though, I sort of lost interest... An interesting premise, but not quite enough to keep the story going.
June 24, 2014
4.25 stars
Loved this! Such a creative look at the power of names. Almost like a reverse Jumanji junior novel.
Loved this! Such a creative look at the power of names. Almost like a reverse Jumanji junior novel.
February 12, 2017
This is an intriguing and orginal story with an exciting plot. I think children will love the puzzles and the idea of a game as well as the sense of humour. Recommended.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews