The Navel of the World by PJ Hoover

The Navel of the World
by PJ Hoover

Release Date: October 12, 2009
Publisher: Children's Brains are Yummy Books
Pages: 312

Starting up a couple months after where The Emerald Tablet ends, The Navel of the World follows Benjamin and his friends as they try to find Benjamin’s long-lost brothers in order to basically, save the world. They are telegens, more advanced life forms than humans, with powers like telepathy and teleportation. Benjamin and his friends attend summer school for telegens in the hidden continent of Lemuria. They, however, stand out because they were picked by The Emerald Tablet in the previous book to save the failing shield surrounding Atlantis. The rival continent contains some bad seeds that try to use their powers to manipulate humans, making the shield preventing them from reaching the human world necessary.

The Navel of the World follows the same basic pattern as The Emerald Tablet. The protagonists are presented with a problem that is part of their quest to fix the shields surrounding Atlantis, this time finding more of Benjamin’s brothers, and through some coincidences, research, and problem-solving eventually come up with a solution. As the novel is aimed toward a younger audience, this works quite nicely and is easy to follow along. One minor flaw is that the author sometimes mentions various things, such as a course one of the characters takes “Empathy,” without explaining what exactly they are. Further references to these unclear “things,” for lack of a better word, provide small obstructions in the other wise easily understandable flow of the story.

One plot element that was particularly well done was that of time travel. Time travel in itself can be very confusing and complicated, but PJ Hoover does an excellent job making it comprehendible, so much so that most younger readers will not be left baffled.

As the plot thickens, so do the relationships between the group of friends. Budding romance and crushes between the protagonists meets some hitches along the way from newly introduced characters that are snagging the girls away from the boys. Although this does add something to the story overall, it seems a tiny bit out of place. The characters don’t quite act their age, sometimes seeming older and younger than they should be. In truth, I was I tiny bit surprised when I found out that they were supposed to be going into high school. I had thought of them a bit younger. However, the minor discrepancies and a few parts that seem a bit rushed don’t obstruct the major points of the story, and it is quite an enjoyable tale. Younger fantasy fans will enjoy this second part of “The Forgotten Worlds” series and look forward to the next installment.

The Emerald Tablet by P.J. Hoover

The Emerald Tablet
by P.J. Hoover

Release Date: October 21, 2008
Publisher: Blooming Tree Press
Pages: 288

“Benjamin and his best friend Andy love being different from the other kids. They like being able to read each others minds and use their telekinesis to play tricks. In fact, they are getting set to spend their entire summer doing just that when Benjamin s mirror starts talking. Suddenly, he’s looking at eight weeks of summer school someplace that can only be reached by a teleporter hidden in his hallway. And the summer only gets stranger.

At school, Benjamin discovers that he isn’t really human but something called a telegen. It turns out that the powers he always thought made him special only make him normal. But then the mysterious Emerald Tablet chooses him as its champion, and all chances of a uneventful (well, as uneventful as summer school on a hidden, submerged continent can be) disappears.” (blurb from The Emerald Tablet)

The Emerald Tablet is targeted towards a younger audience, ages 10 and up, and the writing style has been adjusted accordingly. Lemuria, the author’s secret continent, is introduced with many unusual features such as teleporters and magical maps. It is a creative backdrop for the story, along with the altered and hidden places on Earth. The fantastical theme is continued in the storyline. Benjamin, the main character, must find three “keys” to essentially save the world and humanity from enslavement. The author leads us through a wild romp with unpredictable twists and turns. There are quite a few red herrings, and at the end, there are some simply unbelievable turns of events. They seem to pop up literally out of nowhere, but they don’t ruin the story. A playful tale, I’d recommend The Emerald Tablet to younger readers searching for an enjoyable fantasy yarn.

The Specialists: Native Tongue by Shannon Greenland

The Specialists: Native Tongue
by Shannon Greenland

Release Date: July 31, 2008
Publisher: Speak
Pages: 237

“GiGi is back again and on a brand new mission in the fourth book in this original series!
Lovable GiGi is pairing up with expert linguist Darren, aka Parrot, on a mission to South America. When a centuries-old vase is found in a cave full of hieroglyphics, it is discovered that this vase was important to at least fifteen different North American and South American Indian tribes. And now all fifteen nations want it back. They are meeting in Rutina, South America, to "decide" who gets the vase. Enter the Specialists, and Parrot who will go as the official translator. And when no one can decode the ancient cave writings, not even the elders of each nation, GiGi comes to the rescue. Of course there's a hitch. One of the tribal chiefs attending the meeting in Rutina is connected to Parrot's past—in a very bad way. The question is, will Parrot be able to face his past and complete the mission, or will the vase—and the fate of the Native American nation—fall into the wrong hands?” (blurb from The Specialists: Native Tongue)

Although Native Tongue is the fourth in The Specialists series, it is still amazing as a standalone book. Short scattered explanations help the reader figure out what’s going on and who everyone is: a much less dull way than handing it out in one large serving. Essentially, the Specialists are a group of extremely smart teens who are hired to go on missions. They each have special areas of expertise, hence their name, The Specialists. Naturally, such talented youths have different quirks, and the main character, GiGi, is no exception. With a penchant for lollipops and a tendency to lapse into nerd speak, GiGi is just one in the cast of eccentric characters which provides a colorful and versatile medium for the author to work with. The plot itself is also quite interesting, an adventure still rooted in reality, making it easier for the reader to connect to as opposed to a deep fantasy story. The only weak point of Native Tongue is that some scenes and sequences seem a bit rushed. The whole book is crammed into 244 small pages, making it a quick read. I would recommend this story to those who like fast-paced easy-to-read adventures.

The Devouring by Simon Holt

The Devouring by Simon Holt

Release Date: September 1, 2008
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
Pages: 240

“When Reggie finds an old journal and reads about the Vours, supernatural creatures who feast on fear and attack on the eve of the winter solstice, she assumes they are just the musings of some lunatic author. But soon, they become a terrifying reality when she begins to suspect that her timid younger brother might be one of their victims.

Risking her life and her sanity, Reggie enters a living nightmare to save the people she loves. Can she devour own her fears before they devour her?

Bone-chilling, terrifying, thrilling...what are you waiting for?” (Blurb from The Devouring)

At first glance, the “Vours” seem to be cheesy horror monsters invented to push the plot along. However, through careful development and downright creepy (in a good way) imagery, the author manages to turn them into believable creatures lurking in the shadows. The extraordinary development of the creatures also extends to the human characters. Regina “Reggie” the protagonist of the story grows steadily on the reader. Her fiery personality is just the right thing to combat the chilling evil of the monsters which have possessed her younger brother. She forges through disappointments and horrifying encounters to bring back her beloved little brother, Henry, when she stated quite ironically at the beginning that she would never act like a mother and carry out the duties of motherly care. The plot overall was quite good, but with the amazing character development, the book turned out to be a stellar read. I would definitely recommend The Devouring to anyone looking for a captivating and original story.