Authors: John Barrowman and Carole E. Barrowman
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Aladdin
ISBN-10: 9781442458529
ISBN-13: 978-1442458529
Synopsis:
Imagination matters most in a world where art can keep monsters trapped—or set them free.
Lots of twins have a special connection, but twelve-year-old Matt and Emily Calder can do way more than finish each other’s sentences. Together, they are able to bring art to life and enter paintings at will. Their extraordinary abilities are highly sought after, particularly by a secret group who want to access the terrors called Hollow Earth. All the demons, devils, and evil creatures ever imagined are trapped for eternity in the world of Hollow Earth—trapped unless special powers release them.
The twins flee from London to a remote island off the west coast of Scotland in hopes of escaping their pursuers and gaining the protection of their grandfather, who has powers of his own. But the villains will stop at nothing to find Hollow Earth and harness the powers within. With so much at stake, nowhere is safe—and survival might be a fantasy.
I’m not going to lie. I jumped on the review of Hollow Earth because of the author John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness from Doctor Who and Torchwood) and his sister Carole E. Barrowman, and after my rash (and starry eyed) decision had been made to commit to review their book I immediately worried that it would stink because I had allowed my expectations to be too high. Thank goodness I was wrong. This book is anything but a stinker.
Hollow Earth is clearly geared for a younger audience, following twins Matt and Em aged 13 on an adventure where their art takes on life, bringing new meaning to having to write (or in this case draw) themselves out of a sticky situation. But it’s not just their art. They have the ability to bring life to the art of famous classical artists.
I found it a quick and enjoyable read. So quick, in fact, that I found myself completely caught up in the world, finishing the book in a single sitting with a desire for more!
What I loved best about the book was the complete dedication to imagination. It’s the core. It’s everything. Not only does it fuel the twins’ super powers, but it echoes a super power that children possess in reality, and that we should all strive to better harness even moreso when we become adults.
The book leaves things unresolved and I’m not sure how many books are intended to be in this Hollow Earth Series, but a second book will be released in the US July 9th entitled Bone Quill.
Here’s a great video of John and Carole Barrowman reading an excerpt from their book. While the video says that it’s from their Bone Quill Tour, the excerpt is from Hollow Earth.
Featurette: John and Carole Barrowman – Bone Quill Tour
[youtube]http://youtu.be/eMl6JOiVnkE[/youtube]
This book would really be great for any age, and I’m looking forward to passing it on to my 9 year old to see how she likes it.
I give Hollow Earth by John Barrowman and Carole E. Barrowman Five Out of Five Stars.
Hollow Earth by John Barrowman and Carole E. Barrowman is available from Amazon! Here’s a link!
[AMAZONPRODUCT=1442458526]
