Review: Excellent read with fluent writing and intriguing characters
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 1, 2014
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.In The Six Days, Jamie Carpenter’s Mom disappeared fifteen years ago. He’s left alone with his Dad, his older brother Cal, and younger brother, Danny. His mother’s disappearance is the talk of town, which isn’t always easy for Jamie. Luckily he has his best friend Nia around, who supports him, no matter what.But when the siblings and Nia discover old books on the attic of their home, books Jamie can read but Nia can’t translate at all, they know something strange is going on, and the books are connected to their mother’s disappearance. When a storm hits the small town, and the lights go on in the spooky lighthouse – where the lights never go on, and one can’t even access it – Jamie’s little brother Danny gets kidnapped, and Jamie and Nia are attacked by a witch from another dimension.If they want to find Danny and return him home, they must travel through the gate hidden in the lighthouse, to another world, Emanu. The world their mother came from, and a world they never knew existed. In this strange world filled with dark magic, they ask the help of the Council of Witches. But when the Council begins to suspect Nia is more than just a regular human, and begin to see her powers as the biggest threat of all, turning to them for help may not have been a good decision after all.They have six days before the gate between worlds closes again. Six days to find Danny. And if they don’t, he’ll be stuck in Emanu forever.The writing is great, and the characters each have their own, distinct voice. I liked Nia the most – I’ve no idea if that’s because she’s a girl, or just because she has a fun personality, but she’s pretty cool. Jamie is fun too, but Nia was my favorite. Considering the main character is a boy, but one of the most prominent characters is a girl, I’m sure this book will appeal to both boys and girls.The plot had some original and fresh elements that managed to surprise me. I enjoyed how much the lines between good and evil were blurrred here. There is some romance, but it’s secondary to the overall plot, which was another bonus. While I found the political war in Emanu intriguing, I’m afraid not everyone may like that though, and some parts of it may be a bit too complicated for the audience the book is geared at.However, all in all, this is an excellent read with fluent writing, intriguing characters, and an interesting plot. If you’re a fan of YA fantasy, you should definitely read The Six Days.