Debut author Conroy sends a 10-year-old boy on a Pilgrim’s Progress–like quest of self-discovery in this lackluster fantasy adventure.
Justin Cavell is worried when his parents don’t return home when they had planned. As he says a prayer for his parents’ safe travel—his dad is flying— his wish is heard on the far-off, magical planet of Spiritainia. There, due to the marriage of a wizard and an angel, an anzard comes to life. After giving herself the name Poofy, the anzard, a fairylike being, accepts a mission to help Justin learn to trust his instincts so he can save his parents. After explaining that she has come to “be with you and make you more you,” Poofy uses her magic to stop time on Earth and, with Justin, enters a magical comic book where he travels the Path of Possibilities through the land of Denial. But soon after their arrival, an evil witch captures Poofy, and Justin begins a quest to rescue her with the help of four animals that serve as his instincts through the realm. Confronted by the witch’s henchmen—a group of boys addicted to cursed drugs provided by the witch—Justin must keep a wary eye on his enemies in order to keep from falling into their traps and eventually save his friend. Throughout his adventures, which are tonally reminiscent of The Phantom Tollbooth, Justin is trained to trust his gut, and eventually, he uses his newfound insight to track down his parents. There’s somewhat of a spiritual feel to the moral, which values intuition over observation and logical thinking, and though the story is intended to be about spiritual growth, there’s very little character development. Justin starts out following the rules, and after only one slip up, he remains steadfast. The other characters—heroes and villains alike—have even less depth. Conroy evocatively draws on earlier adventure works, including his use of a dangerous, Pinocchio-like amusement park, but his prose and characters never quite live up to the examples set by those earlier works.
A children’s fantasy with shallow characters, a questionable moral and a convoluted setting.
Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2014
ISBN: 978-1497582811
Page Count: 160
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 10, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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