Review: A refreshing science fiction adventure for young readers
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 27, 2013
Josh Anvil and the Pivotal Weapon by Bruce Arrington is a science fiction adventure story written for middle school boys. The story begins when 14-year-old Josh Anvil and his friend, Troy, pass through a portal into an alien world. While this is an adventure/mystery, it is also a book about friendship and trust. I like the way the author weaves these elements throughout the story. Along the way, Josh and Troy acquire superpowers that change as the go from one alien world to another. There is enough mystery here to move the story along nicely.Josh and Troy have to battle evil aliens, while they are befriended by others. Each world they visit has a different set of problems and they must adjust to the ever-changing situations. The thing I especially like about this story is the way in which I find it similar to the stories I read and enjoyed while I was growing up. Too many science fiction stories written today seem to have aliens that we never completely understand, and the action involves taking ‘possession’ of the earthlings minds, with too many occasions where they are ‘beamed up’ in some fashion or the other. This is a story that will seem logical to the young reader, although the action is not your everyday occurrences. The thing I enjoyed the most about this story is the alien worlds. You can see, feel, and experience each of them. You can also feel the tension as each problem builds to its resolution, and then, just as quickly, presents another challenge. The author is skillful in creating group after group of alien creatures that vary from one planet to another.When it comes to the superpowers the boys possess, the author prevents them from becoming complacent in that they can not at first figure out the powers they possess or how to use each new one. It reminds me somewhat of the Superman stories I devoured when I was in middle school. Things were never easy for Superman and the same is true for Josh and Troy.The book is at times funny, and at others sad. In all, this is a well-rounded book that will carry the reader along from the first page to the last. I hope there is a third book, and I will perhaps go back and read the first in this series. I am giving this book a solid four stars out of five, and my congratulations to the author for a job well done.I received a free copy this book from the author in exchange for a non-reciprocal review.