✩✩✩✩✩
I have to be the first to confess that when I saw the initial comparison to Harry Potter it put me off a bit. I would consider the HP series, in this modern genre, to be the "gold standard" and tough to live up to that sort of hype. So anything that falls short at all will automatically rate lower because the expectation is so high going into reading. Was I surprised?!? #ThomasWildusAndTheBookOfSorrows met my expectations and then some. It appeals to the HP reader without being an HP knock-off. Original ideas and magical elements kept it flowing and intriguing throughout.
The story follows a middle school boy and his friends who are smart and bookish making them the focus of the school bullies. Thomas has a diverse group of friends and a happy but challenging home life. His father died when he was a small child so it is just he and his mother at home. One day, Thomas stumbles upon a mysterious bookstore in his town that he had not seen before and the story really begins. He is drawn into the bookshop by his love for magic, a love he inherited from his father, and one of the few things he remembers his father discussing with him. He encounters characters within the bookshop that entice him into a world of possible magic and he cannot help himself but has to go for it. He is hooked.
This story is very well paced, with a slower start and then picking up steam towards a fantastic ending that leaves you ready for the sequel. The characters are unique. The magical elements are unique. The overall message is terrific. I highly recommend this to readers of all ages.
"You can call the light whenever you need it. It will be there for you always, to illuminate your path when the world grows dark."
#ThomasWildusAndTheBookOfSorrows #NetGalley
No comments:
Post a Comment