Review: Fast-paced and different
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 8, 2014
Focusing on a brother-and-sister team, this book takes you on a wild Peruvian adventure. When we meet them, the kids have lost their parents. But on Jack's graduation day, a package is delivered from them to their children. In the cryptic message, the parents explain that there is something great and important left undone in Peru and they need the kids to finish where they left off. And the kids jump at this opportunity. It takes about five pages in the book for them to pack and get to the airport. Clearly the sense of adventure is strong in these two.For two teenagers, they have zero issues dropping into another country with very little idea where they're going. I wish I had even an inkling of that ability now. They decipher a map and just take off into the jungle to find the X on the map. Their guardian shows up, though it's clear early on they think very little of him. And I don’t think any reader will disagree, not after you get to know him a bit more. For him to be in charge of two generally well-behaved albeit energetic teens is more than a little ridiculous.So we embark on the still-mysterious quest. To the book's credit, every chapter has a nail-biting scene. It is peril after peril here. Some require puzzle-solving, others just require the ability to run faster than the animal chasing them. But there are no boring moments here whatsoever. It’s run, run, run, fight, run.As we go, we slowly learn why they are there. To be honest, I wish it was a little more clear earlier in the story, but a little intrigue rarely hurts. I'm not going to give much away here just because I hate spoilers. But it's a strange tale that isn't entirely grounded in reality. That works for me. There's a definite Indiana Jones vibe here but it doesn't go so far off the deep end as the crystal skull. But let's not think about that. This book combines practical adventurer skills with a little bit of other-worldliness that gives it a lot of originality.The writing is simple and straightforward which I prefer for an adventure story. I don't want to be bogged down by overly descriptive prose. It could stand to be cleaned up a bit, but very few mistakes were noticeable to the normal (read: not super-nit-picky) reader. With the continual discovery of new obstacles, the book will keep you on the edge of your seat.To the other reviewer who said it's unrealistic, I complete agree. But just from the book description I was expecting as much. And I'm okay with that. If you're looking for a story that could be true, this is definitely not it. But I consider that a plus; sometimes you just want to lose yourself in a mildly bizarre, constantly evolving adventure. That is what you'll get here. I certainly would never ask my kids to pick up where I left off when I die. But even Disney kills off the parents so the kids can be free to run around and grow and take some risks. Combine that with their actual quest and it's in the range of fantasy adventure. But it's a great story that was easy to embrace and get interested in.My only complaint is that I wish it did a bit better orienting me to their circumstances. Like, when did the parents die? How? It mentions a lot of things that happened before this book picks up, and I felt a little lost for a while. Some things you learn as you go. But others feel like I'm reading the third or fourth book in a series. Yet Amazon calls this volume one. That could just be on me, though. If I’m wrong, please reply and let me know. And either way it’s not a serious complaint. My personal preference is for a more substantial back story. But I can see how that wouldn’t necessarily work here. Like I said, within a few minutes they are on a plane and they don’t stop until they’re done.All in all this was a great, relatively short read. If you want to read about death-defying teens, this is your book. You won't have a moment of peace until you finish. I won’t give away the ending, but I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. If the other books in the saga are like this one, they’re definitely worth the time.