Escape from Shadow Island - Paul Adam

Summary from Amazon:

'My mum killed my dad, then dragged his body all the way along the beach . . . I don't believe a word of it'

Max Cassidy is a teenage escapologist, so good he’s nicknamed the Half-pint Houdini. His father disappeared two years ago and his body has never been found. His mother is now serving a life sentence for her husband’s murder.

Max’s mission to learn the truth about his family takes him on an thrilling journey, from London to the horrors of the terrifying Shadow Island in central America.

Escapology is dangerous but not nearly as dangerous as real life . . .

~~~

I received this book on Friday and was sooo excited to read about an escapologist that I started it right away and the story was so brilliant that I read it in a day! I couldn't put the book down and I thought it is a fantastic idea for a series!

Okay, so I might need to add "don't do this at home" for the kids and all that!

(there's a disclaimer in the first pages of the book and I literally jumped to read what they meant - I'm one tough cookie that way)

The idea of this book is such sheer brilliantness that I have been jumping up and down thinking about it! FINALLY we get to know how those annoyingly smug people who get cuffed, chained and thrown underwater in a bag manage to get out of there when normal people like myself would just drown (well, I might be able to get free too you know, it's not like I've ever tried, but I could be a fantastic escapologist for all I know)!

Anyways, this book is made of awesome! Max Cassidy is your regular 14 year old North London kid, except that every now and then he goes on a stage and fascinates hundreds of people by getting free of cuffs and chains and other. He learned everything from his father who was a brilliant escapologist himself. Max's mother is serving a heavy sentence for (allegedly!) killing her husband. Max is living with his father's stage assistant Consuela and pays himself for his education with his work. Life is tough, but Max is a great kid and goes through this without complaining.

When he learns that there is a chance his father could in fact not be dead and that his mother could finally be set free, Max doesn't hesitate and goes directly to Santo Domingo to find out what happened two years ago! Max puts himself in the most dangerous position but he is not without resources thanks to his escapologist talents!

It is a fantastic adventure through and through and I really loved how unique the story is. Being in Max's mind when he does his tricks is priceless and you really get how the "tricks" work! There are so many books on invented magic that we sometimes forget that the existent magic is a game of illusions and is as breathtakingly impressive as the imaginary one we can invent. I really can't wait to read more of Max in future books! 

The book is written in a third-person point of view and follows Max. The style is fast-paced and will make you stay at the edge of your seat during the entire book. there are some funny moments as well and you will love Max's personality full of courage, sense of justice and a good dose of attitude!

Fans of Artemis Fowl and Alex Rider will love this book, there is fantastic action and the originality of the escapologist angle is absolutely brilliant since kids can always go take classes on this or go watch shows by real magicians (which are age appropriate, that goes without saying!).

A zillion thank yous to RHCB for this brilliant book!

Escape from Shadow Island by Paul Adam | Random House Children's Books | April 2011 | 282 pages | 11+, Adventure

Lost in Translation #2 - The Mystery of the Black Jungle by Emilio Salgari

Hello everyone !

Welcome to the second edition of the Lost in Translation meme !

This meme, hosted here, is organised to appeal to the curious international reader in you to discover foreign authors and even encourage you to read some books in their original language !

For a presentation of the meme, go here

The meme has a few rules:

- Check if the book is translated in English and available (country and online/bookstores) and specify it in your post

- It would be nice to follow the "Language Corner" where you say to which level the book is suitable for the people who want to read the book in its original language

- And finally: Enjoy and Spread the love !

Since it is the second half of the month *pheww no one has noticed I'm actually several days late*, I will be presenting a cool Italian author. He happens to write incredible adventure stories and to be the most famous Italian writer in this genre. He is the Italian version of Jules Verne (you know, the guy behind Twenty Thousand Leagues under The Sea). He lived between 1862 and 1911 and most of his books were translated in many languages and subsequently adapted on the big screen.

The Mystery of the Black Jungle

by Emilio Salgari

Now, I know what you're thinking. The dude lived in a century so far away, what on Earth could he possibly write that you can't read somewhere else, like written by someone who knows what a microwave is. And whatever the incredible countries on which he wrote, you can google map these countries a-ny-time. Plus in the 18th century, people clearly had issues with hygiene, and that's just eww.
And you would be entirely right. 

Except that. Writing about wild foreign and mysterious countries from the point of view of an 18th century Indian hunter in the Black Jungle, hardly compares to anything you have read before. What is interesting is how this book is written and what people thought at this period about those foreign countries. This book is beautifully written and you dream of being part of this adventure, and you discover these exotic (for us) cultures that characterised India in the 1800. 

The story is set in India in 1851, in the surroundings of the Black Jungle. Tremal-Naik is a renowned and feared hunter, being one of the few daring to live in the terrifying Black Jungle where tigers, rhinoceros and pythons hide. One of his men is found dead, and with the help of his faithful servant Kammamuri, he sets on a quest in the Black Jungle to find who is responsible for the murder and save the beautiful woman, Ada, he keeps seeing in his dreams. He is fearless and has tamed a tiger that helps him through his quest. Tremal-Naik will have to fight a strange cult that has enslaved his Ada.

The book is divided in two parts, and the second part sees the appearance of new characters and new situations which put Tremal-Naik always further away from his beloved and makes him despair over their future.

This book is the first one of the Pirates of Malaysia Series (11 books).

"Three hours crept by like three centuries for the hunter who desired nothing more than to see his beloved Ada" 

*awww*

Style

The style of writing is very similar to other adventure books of the same period like The Three Musketeers where the dialogues and general reactions are quite over the top, some people are always overcome by emotion, talk or whisper what they think out loud and finally where others interject each other with "scoundrel" and "wrench" every 5 pages. I find it highly amusing and entertaining.

I would qualify this book as a page turner. The plot is full of exciting events which are very well described and which take place in a very fast-paced rhythm that makes you want to know immediately what will happen next.

About that, it is not a good idea to read this book in public, you get so excited from the story that you want to brandish your sword with a barbarian scream and go defend the poor and hopeless from the ruthless evil hands of mean people. 

Yeah very bad idea at 8am in the tube, I can guarantee...

One of the best things of this book is the description of Indian and Hindu traditions. It feels as much an adventure story as a book on India in the 1800 during the British colonisation. It's very interesting.

As a lot of books written in this period, the characters have very definite personalities and roles in the story. I don't want to spoil the plot too much, but each character has a very interesting role to play, and since the story is told from a third person point of view, you get glimpses of everybody and it really is a plus.



Homage:

This is a picture I took last year in Verona (Yup, Romeo and Juliet Verona, I'll show you their houses' pictures if you're interested) of Emilio Salgari's commemorative plaque, it says (my translation):

In this house was born

On the 21st of August 1862

EMILIO SALGARI

Novelist and poet of adventure

He inspired the younger generations to generosity

And knowledge of all lands and all people

Verona perpetuates the memory of his work - 25th of April 1959

I found the plaque very moving and after reading his book, I totally understand the last two sentences and I thought I'd share it with you.


Language corner:
Even though the book is very well written, I would personally advise reading it in original language only to those with an advanced level in Italian.


Getting the book:
- UK: Amazon, Waterstones
- US: Amazon, Barnes and Nobles

To take part in the meme :

- Write your name

- The name of your blog

- In parenthesis if it is the first or second time you participate

- In parenthesis which language it is

- Link to the LiT post, not your blog !

Exemple: Caroline @ Portrait of a Woman (1, French)

If what you post doesn't look like that, I will retaliate. Live in fear.