Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Countryside The Book of the Wise by J.T. Cope IV

Countryside: The Book of the WiseBook Description:
"You have a power within you, one that is within everyone...It's the same power that fills that building, that keeps that tree alive...and the same power that has attracted your attention...I know it's all a bit strange to you, but I assure you it is quite real..." Eleven-year-old Luke Rayburn has never seen a skyline without skyscrapers or fallen asleep to anything but the sound of traffic. But his life is about to change in ways he never imagined. When his father leaves for a year of military service, Luke and the rest of his family move into their grandparents' home in the remote town of Countryside, a place like no other. Reachable only by a mysterious traveling tunnel and horse-drawn carriage, centaurs roam the landscape and shadowy wraiths slip among the trees. There, Luke will be drawn into a centuries-old quest for an almost-forgotten book whose secrets will determine the fate of the world. He will have to reach deep to discover the power within him as he battles the forces of darkness and an alliance of sinister men who seek to destroy any who get in their way. Luke's only hope is to find the book before they do, but to do so he'll need help from someone he never expected as the forces of evil come to bear on the magical world of Countryside.

My Thoughts:
Good young adult book.  Luke's life is normal, he isn't anything special...and yet he is.  Luke doesn't know it, but his father isn't from this land, but from one that he's tried to shield his family from.  As it becomes apparent that Luke is special, his father makes plans for the family.  His father goes to work off and the rest of the family goes to live with his grandparents in a strange new land.  This magical land is always in turmoil and Luke, it turns out, is the key to find a book that could change everything.
I really liked Luke.  He wasn't as active as I'd expected, but he was still a good character.  He is just a kid that thinks he is as normal as anyone, but then when strange things start happening his life forever changes.  The family interaction adds an extra layer to the dynamic of the story and I enjoyed it.  I would have liked some more description of the new world but I did like that there was always something going on, there really wasn't a lag in the story at all.
This was a 4/5 for me.  I think young boys (especially) will really enjoy this.


Thank you to the author for the review copy of this book.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

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