Note: this is the first book in a five book completed series.
“Do you want to live in a world that has no imagination and no dreams in it? Where everyone just lived but had no reason to?”
*****
Phantasmagoria...where all the forgotten dreams go, where all the imagined things, both good and bad, make their home.
Tom and his friends would much rather be on a bike ride than trying to navigate their own imaginations. But, with most of humanity frozen by Morgrim, their school librarian’s bitter half-brother, their options were limited.
It was either...
Go to Phantasmagoria and search for the artifacts Morgrim Ripped from Earth so they can restore the balance between the worlds before both are destroyed…
Or stay in Cedarville, Minnesota with their frozen families and friends, wondering if they’d be next in line to be turned into human popsicles.
Guess the bike ride will have to wait.
Join Tom, Katie, Chad, Melissa, and Sharice as they adventure through Phantasmagoria, encountering everything from long-winded trolls to upside-down rivers, on their search for three artifacts...before time runs out.
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Holly's charming adventure story takes places inside the imaginations of the major characters who are tasked with saving the world. On their fantastic journey, characters uncover horrors and secrets related to both humans and demons, forge friendships, and find happiness in unlikely places.
Prose: Holly writes in balanced, age-appropriate prose that features smooth transitions between scenes and chapters and lively, effective dialogue.
Originality: The story strives to combine realistic events with the more fantastical elements, and largely succeeds in creating two convincing parallel worlds.
Character/Execution: Though readers may wish for broader representation within the cast of characters, the protagonists are fun and well-rounded, with enough distinctive traits to set them apart from one another. Villains are creative and well conveyed.
Date Submitted: May 23, 2023
EI Holly’s middle-grade novel, The Book of Imagination (Phantasmic Wars), has everything a young reader needs to spark their vibrant imagination.
~Emily-Jane Hills Orford
