Bookmark Reviews

Illustrator: Sarah Langstone
Age: 8-12
Pages: 177 (papaerback)

 
        Have you ever wondered if other dimensions existed, where magical creatures such as vampires, angels, and trolls would roam their own world similar to ours? Jack and his three friends discover the truth about the universe, well at least part of it. Jack, the protagonist, arrives at Earls on a Saturday afternoon and discovers that his friend Simon, and himself would share a room much smaller than the rest of the first years. That may be so, but to Jack's surprise a secret portal opens up in the corner of their room one night and that's where their adventure begins!

        The novel The Secret Portal was quite enjoyable to read. It would flow from one adventure to the next bringing original conflicts to the table. I enjoyed their time at Earls and how the author explained the typical on goings of a regular school environment, such as the bullying and the schoolwork they had to do. I could relate easily since I am a student myself. Some parts struck me as quite hilarious and I couldn't stop thinking about how funny yet dim-witted their conflicts turned out to be. The description is flawless and everything fits perfectly in your mind. It's almost as if you can see the book play out in your mind like a movie. Sadly the characters are somewhat dull apart from Simon, who whines a lot and Clarissa who always seems to have high spirits. I just couldn't bond as well with the characters as I usually do. The conclusion was a bit slow paced and I hated the fact that our main characters were somewhat powerless against magical creatures. I'd say this is a must get if you or your child likes fantasy. It’s a great book for adults or teens too. If you’ve read fantasy novels when you were young, then let me tell you, you’ll fall in love with this one! You can't go wrong with this book; at least I loved it from the start until the end!