Review: Fun and exciting fantasy adventure for kids
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 13, 2013
This book is such a fun and exciting read. Alexander Drake is an 11-year-old boy who feels that he doesn't quite belong anywhere. He feels different from all the other kids and his mind is always elsewhere. He is always wondering and dreaming about his mother and gets frustrated that his father never tells him anything. He finds out just how different he is when his dad takes him to visit his grandmother. While exploring the forest around his grandmother's house, Alexander meets a talking frog named Ferdinand who takes him across a magical passageway into a world called Azra's Pith. This is where Alexander's extraordinary and dangerous journey into discovering truths about himself and his family's history starts.The book is very easy to read and the pace flows easily and quickly. The characters are very likeable and have very interesting and quirky personalities, especially Ferdinand and Libera, one of the talking creatures that Alexander meets on his adventure. For me the story has a complex nature to it, but the author is able to simplify it into terms that young readers can follow easily and understand. The story focuses more on Alexander's journey and the descriptions about Azra's Pith and its inhabitants aren't as visual or detailed as I would have liked, but there are enough bits and pieces to help me form a picture of how different and magical Azra's Pith is.The books ends when the first part of Alexander's journey ends, but his adventures are definitely not finished and the last part of the book is a cliffhanger and it makes you want to find out what happens next.I think the series would be great for young boys, especially since the main character is a boy. And if you're an adult who likes reading light fantasy and adventure novels sometimes, you might enjoy this book, too.Disclosure: I received a review copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated nor was I required to give a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.