The Mirror of Pharos

Normally when I review children's books I don't usually go for full length novels! However, after reading the blurb on this I decided to give this one a go. I'm so glad I did as I really enjoyed it. Jack is such a sad character for me. The loss of his parents in a tragic and mysterious accident has left such a hole in his young life. Cared for by his grandmother who clearly adores him and appears to be as mad as a box of frogs, Jack has had a lot to cope with in his young life and that grief is always there in the background, permeating all he does. Bullied at school he is a bit of a lost soul. His best friend Charlie however is always there for him..............despite being a girl! She has a type of bravery and confidence that Jack secretly wishes he had. When Jack receives a mysterious package delivered via the cat flap by a seagull, his life soon takes on a strange new meaning. Finding himself hurtling through time Jack discovers that he has the power to be transported not only into the future but the past too. Jack soon discovers that he must be brave if he is to save lives! Throw in a mysterious character in the shape of Jago Flynn who happens to have a wolf following him about and Jack's life starts to become even more surreal. And, Jack doesn't know it but his grandmother is not all she seems either! I loved this book! The story was engaging, gripping and its written in a style where the plot demands the reader to sit up and pay attention as there is so much going on. This is the type of book that I would have devoured as a pre-teen (quite a few years ago!) and I was every bit as intrigued by this book as I would have been had I been a young reader. The wonderful array of characters added so many dimensions to this book, each with something interesting to add to the plot and to further engage the main character in different ways. I adored Jack's grandmother. I loved her quirkiness combined with knowledge and wisdom. Her baking style with those wonderful flavours of cookies only added to her eccentricity! The Mirror of Pharos is a great book to introduce pre-teens to a more mature writing style with themes such as grief and bullying explored within the context of the story. As an adult I really enjoyed this book and at times I did forget it was a book aimed at older children. I became engrossed in the story and found myself totally abandoned to Jack's adventures. There was lots of mystery and magic going on throughout and plenty of clues to keep me guessing. A brilliant read and highly recommended.

Now I have to say that I am very partial to middle grade books. I think it is probably because I can remember having so much pleasure myself from reading when I was that age. Well I just loved this one. There is tragedy, magic and the element of enough fear to give a youngster that adrenaline rush that makes them read a little faster, as if it can just keep them out of the clutches of the bad guys. Jack is the main character in this story and a very reluctant hero if ever I met one! I can't blame him really, his parents going out on adventures, trying to solve mysteries of the past, had got them both killed. So not really encouragement for Jack to want anything to do with it. All he wants to do is get home from school, away from the bullies and hide away at his Gran's, where he lives. He likes Charlie to come round for tea, she is his only friend. Then one day he gets a very unusual ‘airmail' delivery. This is a super adventure story with a mystery from the past to solve for Jack. I really liked Jack as he went from a mousey young lad who was scared of everything to a lad with such strong determination that wouldn't let he give up on his mission, even if he didn't quite know where it was heading. Charlie is lovely and always saw Jack as her hero really. His Gran is nutty, in a cosy Granny way and the bad guys, well you will have to work them out yourselves. There are some really fascinating characters in this story that will stay will readers when they are much older. A super read!

A really good book than can be enjoyed by both children and adult. It is well written, with a very entertaining plot full of twists and adventures, lovely and interesting characters. It's a page turner and keep you hooked since the beginning.

Jack is in turmoil being bullied in school every day was no easy feat, having nightmares borderline to reality was even worse, they were taking a toll on him and he needed answers. Magic was the only answer to what was happening and how the disc he receive worked, but was it good or bad he was confused and wondered at his new friend Jago, was he good or bad, and Alpha what was he. He was naive enough to believe he can find the answers on his own by running away from home, he needed to know that wasn't the answer for any child to undertake, no matter what. His journey has only begun and right away comprehension dawned upon him about what was happening, the past, future and present were all intermingling and it was scaring the crap out of him shifting from one dimension to the other, even though he was enjoying the adventure. Now he has his Nan worrying about him and racing to his rescue not knowing what dangers lay ahead. I will not say more, kids you have got to read this book for yourselves and enjoy the adventure along with Jack, Nan, Charlie and all the others, a bunch of awesome characters following an intriguing and truly captivating storyline, engaging with subtle intensity and very entertaining.

I really enjoyed this book, I was intrigued as soon as I read the blurb for the book and saw the cover, I wasn't 100% sure what to expect but I am thrilled with what I found! This is a fantastic story that you don't want to put down, you need to know what is happening next and how the story will end! I read it as an adult and devoured it so it certainly appeals to a wide range of ages. The characters in it are likable and the author has an excellent writing style that flows so well. This is an excellent debut novel. Five stars from me - this is such a good book - I really enjoyed it and very highly recommend it - it is a genuine delight to have found this book!!