Where’s the Spark?
Fiction – Juvenile - High Fantasy
Age Level: 9 and up Grade Level: 4
and up
272 pages
Publication Date: December 28th 2004
Land of Elyon #1
Twelve-year-old Alexa Daley has always dreamed of escaping beyond the high
walls surrounding the complex of cities that make up her world to the
wilderness outside. While on her annual
summer trip to Bridewell a chance presents itself when the community founder
Thomas Warvold passes away. Left with a key
and a mystery Alexa finds a path to freedom and danger. Intercepted by a group of unusual allies Alexa is given knowledge of a sinister plot with its roots in the beginning of
creation of her community and a mystery man controlling the event. With those Alexa holds dearest in danger
Alexa must find a way to pass on her knowledge and unmask the mystery man
behind everything before it’s too late.
This book was just below okay and rather disappointing for me. To be fair I will say that the concept was interesting and writing decent. True I was never quite sure what to make of
Alexa, but she wasn’t the most immediate issue I faced while reading. The real problem was the missing spark of
life. The point where the story went
from something you read to a place you could occupy in your imagination.
When I read Harry Potter I attended Hogwarts with him. I felt all the elation of a Quidditch win and
the heart break of Dumbledore’s death – okay more than just heart break I cried
through like the first five readings of the Half Blood Prince. In Anne of Green Gables I giggled when Anne broke
the slate on Gilbert Blythe’s head and felt a thrill when she finally got to
wear puff sleeves. I mean I named my
daughter Avonlea for heaven sake. With
the Dark Hills Divide I never felt that compulsion to enter into the Land of
Elyon.
I found the lifelessness more sad than anything else (especially since
writing a book is a lot of work). I have
read books much more mundane in their concepts and the writing with a lot to
wish for, but they had the life giving spark which made a world of
difference. I’m giving it the two stars,
because I certainly didn’t dislike it, but I also have no real love for
it. Ever the optimist though, I have decided not give up on Patrick Carman
as an author and concede –or possibly hope- this might just be a fluke in
this book.
ISBN 0439700930 (ISBN13:
9780439700931)
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