Skip to main content

The Society of Unrelenting Vigilance

By



The Society of Unrelenting Vigilance
Candle Man: Book One
by Glenn Dakin
300 pages
juvenile fantasy
New York : Egmont USA, 2009

Theo lives an extremely secluded life. His guardian, the butler and the maid are the only three people Theo has ever known. He is kept within three rooms in the mansion. His only outside excursions are to the neighboring cemetery on his birthday. His guardian says he has a very rare and mysterious disease so keeping him isolated from the outside world is necessary for his own safety. As Theo grows older he begins to question this because he feels fine except for when he has his treatments in the Mercy Tube, then he feels horrible. One particular birthday he discovers a mysterious package with his name on it at the cemetery. This is only the beginning of a chain of strange events that change his life forever. As the mystery of his illness unfolds, Theo's world is turned upside-down and he has no idea who to trust.
An engaging new fantasy hero has arrived. Theo is an appealing, innocent young man who has been dealt a bad hand in life. I absolutely loved the beginning of this book, then things got a little iffy for me. The bad guys are rather a silly lot. They didn't quite mesh with me at first, but only for a short while. The characters never got less silly, but it worked into the story. In a way, the silliness kind of distracted the reader away from the violence that was going on as the story climaxed. Yes, there is violence, but it is not overly abundant or descriptive. Overall, an exciting story that will grab you. As usual, I am now annoyed I have to wait another year to read book two.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Faker

By
Faker By Gordon Korman New York: Scholastic Press, 2024. Fiction. 214 pages. 12-year-old Trey is used to starting over at a new school -- he has the routine perfectly memorized: make new friends, introduce his dad to the wealthy parents of his new friends, and "Houdini" themselves out of there before they get caught running their latest scam. Trey's dad is a master con artist, and Trey has just been promoted to full-partner. Their new scheme for the next big score brings them to the affluent suburb of Boxelder, TN where Trey's dad has cooked up a fake electric car company for investors to buy into. The only problem is that Trey is starting to grow tired of moving around and never putting down roots, especially after forming a fast friendship with Logan and developing a crush on Kaylee, a socially conscious girl in his class. As Trey longs for a normal life, is there any way he can convince his dad to get out of the family business? Gordon Korman is a perennial favorit...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Umami

By
  Umami By Jacob Grant New York: Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2024. Picture Book. Umami is a little penguin who is sick of eating the same thing everyday, cold fish --ugh! She becomes determined to find new foods and flavors, so Umami begins a journey across the sea in search of something different to eat. She reaches a place with a plethora of delicious options, and tries bitter, sweet, sour, and foods with umami (just like her name!) among others. Umami decides to bring all these delicious new flavors back for the other penguins to try in a feast. But, will the other penguins enjoy this new experience?  Filled with charm and humor, Umami is a diverse romp through a universal experience --am I willing to try something new? What will it be like? The idea of trying new foods and flavors make it especially relatable, and the appealing illustrations will have many readers ready to hop out on a culinary adventure. A humorous and sweet ending, caps off this delig...
Post a Comment
Read more

Five Faves: Easy Readers of 2024

By
Hello world! I know you have been anticipating the release of this list all year... my favorite easy readers! Whether they're funny or sweet, these titles are all great for kids taking their first steps for reading. So without further ado...here are my five favorite easy readers of 2024. Lone Wolf Goes to School Written by Kiah Thomas Illustrated by K-Fai Steele New York: Neal Porter Books/Holiday House, 2024. Easy Reader.  Lone wolf would spend all of his time alone if he could. Unfortunately, he has to go to school with the "snotty" kids, and even when he leaves school there's people at the beach, on the mountains, and at the movie theater. What's a wolf to do? Invite them all to a party at his house and then leave so that all the places he wants to be are empty, of course! If you're looking for a moralistic read-aloud that will teach the virtues of making friends so that you aren't lonely, you should definitely look elsewhere. However, if you're loo...
Post a Comment
Read more