Review: Fantastic Must Read Middle Grader Fantasy for all those kids or adults who still have sword fights in their heads!!!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 6, 2013
My Thoughts - 5 out of 5 unicorns - I loved it!!** Received ebook for free via Story Cartel for an honest reviewOkay when I saw the cover and the blurb, I thought it was the perfect book to read with my son who is 12.  The cover says adventure with a scary pig, sword, and game controller on it, and even attracts boys who aren't interested in girls.  :)I started reading this with my son, but only got to chapter 3 before he went to bed.  I continue on and finished the story but will go back and read it again with him.  My son loves it so far and was sort of mad that I was going to keep reading it without him until I said I would still read it with him.  He would rather I do the reading with silly voices and attitude for each character.This is my first time reading M.E. Sutton's work, and I loved it.  Her writing is fantastic to just get sucked into the story much like Jaycee was sucked into her game.  Jaycee is a spunky 8th grader who has to deal with all the cruelty of kids in school because she is not exactly like them.  My son really related to that part of the story with Jaycee because like her, he is not popular or athletic.  Kids pick on him, and I always try to tell him kids are cruel and that it is not just him being picked on (even though I despise it happening at all).  So this story is perfect to help him see this and to just be himself, smart & witty like Jaycee or Lyla and everything will be okay as long as he doesn't give up.  This is a fantastic read to inspire kids against giving up as well as keep their imaginations going because I totally see my son imagining this happening to him as he runs through the house with his sword (could be anything from wrapping paper roll to a stick) noises like he is in a sword fight.  I can't wait to finish reading it with him & continuing the series.I highly recommend this story to anyone with middle graders girls or boys.  Take time to read with your kids and use silly voices because they still love it in middle school as much as they did when they were 5 :)