Release Date: April 5, 2011
Format: E-book
Pages: 400
Source: Library
From Goodreads: John Stephens' aptly-titled new fantasy trilogy begins auspiciously with a nimble, fast-paced tale of three siblings. Kate, Michael, and Emma have suffered through ten years of odious orphanage "care"; now they have slipped into the care of the eccentric, disturbingly mysterious Dr. Pym. While exploring their new home, the children discover a magical green book. With that discovery, a decade of tedium dissolves into cascades of dangerous time travel adventures and struggles with a beautiful witch and decidedly less attractive zombielike Screechers. High early reader marks for strong characterization and battle scenes.
My review: Given the audience age for this novel I was pleasantly surprised by how lost I found myself in the story. It was well-written and highly suspenseful, leaving me breathless a few times. The magical world was interesting. The way it was told and experienced in spurts to both the three children and the reader kept the pace developing steadily. It also kept the story from getting bogged down in the “how it works” type of text.
This is an excellent story for children to read, especially in those tough years of adolescence. Emotions, loyalty and personality quirks were part of the story, taking an amazing plot into a rounded book with lessons to learn from. The siblings are all unique – handling their orphanage life in their own ways but never losing sight of their bonds. This sibling love was strong throughout the book, even during the trials and any mistakes they each might make.
I really enjoyed this novel and am anticipating the next installment in the series.
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