Product Details
- Title: Penumbras(Middle School Magic) A Novel
- Author; Braden Bell
- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc. (July 9, 2013)
- Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
- ISBN-10: 146211220X
- FTC FYI:I received a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Book Description
Conner
Dell didn't meant to blow up the school bus.
Or the
bathrooms.
In fact,
he only wanted to go to sleep and possibly dream about Melanie Stephens.
But
explosions had a funny way of happening when Conner and his friends were
around.
***
Conner Dell
wants to be good--he really does. But he is terrified that he might be turning
into a Darkhand, especially when new powers start to surface. What's worse, the
Stalker is following Conner, but no one else seems to be able to see him. The
Magi think he might be hallucinating, the guilt of what happened in the
Shadowbox keeps weighing on him, and his relationship with Melanie Stephens is
complicating things. Even for a Magi, Conner knows his life is anything but
normal.
Conner, Lexa, and Melanie are back! Just when they think
life is normal again, a dangerous shadow creature begins to hunt them.
The trio must develop their powers in order to conquer this new peril
and protect their school. Filled with action and even more magic, this
book continues the exciting adventure in the Middle School Magic series.
My Review:
This series is all about light vs. dark. It is about the light and dark growing in us from the time we are born. Penumbras picks up where The Kindling left off. But we also see how light and dark can become grey at times, thus the name of the title: Penumbras. We get to see the trio learning how to develop their powers in becoming a full Magi.In this second book we also see each of them grow and change a lot, even with many bumps along the way. Lexa seems to have the most bumps in this story. She's very jealous of her twin Conner and his growing relationship with her best friend Melanie. At times you could say she acts like a brat. I read at Braden Bell's blog where he said that book 3 in the series is going to be a redemption for Lexa because of how she acts in book 2.
I love how there is more in-depth magic in Penumbras. The middle school kids experience more of this new world they've become a part of. The action is kicked up a notch also. The characters seem so true to kids this age. I credit that to the fact that the author is a teacher. Braden knows kids this age and how they think and feel. It brings realism to this story that sometimes is missing in other books.
If you and your middle grade reader(s) are looking for a book/series full of magic, action, strong characters and teens reflecting on who they really are, you will love The Kindling and Penumbras. I do want to warn you that the ending is exciting and will keep you on the edge, make you cry and of course, leave you with a HUGE cliffhanger. I think authors really love to string us along and keep us waiting with great anticipation for the next book...Braden Bell has done exactly that!
Meet Author Braden Bell:
Braden Bell grew
up in Farmington, Utah and graduated from Davis High School. He earned
bachelor’s and master’s degrees in theatre from Brigham Young University and a
Ph.D. in educational theatre from New York University. He and his wife,
Meredith live with their five children on a quiet, wooded lot outside of
Nashville, Tennessee, where he teaches theatre and music at a private school.
An experienced performer, Braden enjoys singing, acting, reading, gardening,
and long walks with the dog.
LINKS:
Penumbras Website (trailers, photos, sample chapters):http://www.bradenbell.com/penumbras.html
Author Twitter: @bradenbellcom
Author Blog: http://www.bradenbell.com/bradens-blog.html
Note from the author: "I will be selling both Penumbras and The Kindling through my website for a steep discount--$9.99 (plus s/h)"
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/penumbras-braden-bell/1114516270?ean=9781462112203
Excerpt from Penumbras...Chapter One
CHAPTER
ONE
SHADOW
PUPPETS
Conner Dell didn’t
mean to blow up the school bus.
Or the bathrooms.
In fact, he only
wanted to go to sleep and possibly dream about Melanie Stephens.
But explosions had
a funny way of happening when Conner and his friends were around.
It all started on
the annual seventh grade science trip to the Sea Lab at Dauphin Island,
Alabama. Fifty-four thirteen-year-olds on a five-day field trip. What could go
wrong?
Especially when
three of them happened to be Magi.
#
For a fraction of
a second, Conner thought he saw shadows slithering along the base of the
cinderblock walls. Tensing, he blinked and looked again.
Nothing. He was
alone in the darkness of his dorm room.
Well, except for
his friend and fieldtrip roommate, Pilaf.
Across
the room, Pilaf disturbed the darkness by turning his flashlight on and digging
through a giant floral print suitcase. Fishing a book out, Pilaf hunched over,
tucked the flashlight under his chin, and read.
“What
are you reading?” Conner asked.
“Sorry. Did I wake you up?” Pilaf squeaked. “I
couldn’t sleep. I guess I slept too much on the bus.”
“No
worries.” Conner burrowed into his sleeping bag. He didn’t like messing with
sheets on these trips. The springs of the ancient bed creaked beneath him. “I’m
not sleepy either.” Lexa? Can you hear
me? Conner reached out in his thoughts, wondering if his twin sister was
awake in her room on the girls’s floor. Head-talking was a cool benefit of
being one of the Magi—a secret group of warriors who used the power of Light to
battle evil.
No answer from
Lexa. Her allergy medicine must have knocked her out.
Melanie? He tried Lexa’s best friend,
Melanie Stephens—also one of the Magi-in-training. Conner listened for her
response, trying to ignore the backflip in his chest that came when he thought
of her. No answer. Melanie had taken something for motion sickness on the bus.
She must be knocked out too.
Conner
jerked up as something skittered across the ceiling right above him. No doubt
this time. He grabbed his own flashlight, raking the beam across the ceiling
tiles as someone whispered his name.
Coooonnerrrrrr.
“What?”
Conner pointed his flashlight at Pilaf, who looked up from his book, blinking
behind his thick glasses. Pilaf’s blinks always reminded Conner of the way a
light on a computer blinked when it processed data.
“What?”
Pilaf squinted back at him.
“Why
did you call me?” Conner asked.
“I
didn’t.” Pilaf looked down at his book.
On edge now, Conner lay
back down, scanning the room for more shadowy movement, his fingers ready to
snap his flashlight back on at any second.
Co-n-n-e-r-r-r-r-r-r D-e-l-l-l-l-l.
A
whispered, hissing sort of growl sounded in his head as a flicker of movement
caught his eye. He whipped his head around in time to see a shadowy tail vanish
under Pilaf’s bed. Flipping his flashlight on, he investigated the space under
the metal frame.
Nothing there.
“What
are you doing, Conner?” Pilaf managed to blink and stare at the same time.
Trying to protect you from slithery shadow
monsters that could slurp your soul like a slushie, Conner thought. How
could he keep the flashlight on without alarming Pilaf? Out loud, he said, “Uh,
it’s a game. Flashlight tag. You’re it.” He shined the flashlight at Pilaf.
“How
do you play?”
“Well
. . . one person’s it and he shines a flashlight all over the room.”
“That’s
all?” Pilaf blinked until Conner wondered if he was broadcasting the telephone
book in Morse code. “It seems kind of pointless.”
“Uh,
yeah.” Conner said. “You’re right. Lame. How about shadow puppets?” He slipped
his hand in front of the flashlight, wiggling his fingers until the shadow
resembled a horse.
“Cool!”
Pilaf shouted.
A
knock at the door interrupted them and a tired-looking science teacher poked
his head in, glaring beneath tousled red hair. “What’s going on in here?”
“Sorry,
Mr. Keller,” Pilaf said. “We slept on the bus ride, so we’re not tired.
Conner’s making shadows with his hands. Look, a horse!”
“Neeeiiiiggghhh.”
Conner threw in sound effects as a special feature.
Apparently
unimpressed with great art, Mr. Keller frowned. “Get some sleep. We have a full
day tomorrow.”
“Yes,
sir.” Conner swallowed his depression at the thought of a five-day science
class. Five days of plankton, ocean salinity, salt marshes, and beach ecology.
Five days of science, 24/7. At least they were close to the beach. That might
be fun.
“Do
another one,” Pilaf whispered as the sound of Mr. Keller’s footsteps retreated
down the hall.
“Okay,
but be quiet this time.” Conner opened his fingers, making a snake’s mouth,
complete with a flickering tongue.
It seemed so real
that Conner thought he heard a hiss. Unsettled, he dropped his hands, but the
hissing noise continued, twisting into words.
Co-n-n-e-r-r-r-r-r-r D-e-l-l-l-l-l—
Trying to squash
the sound, Conner raised his voice. “Here’s another one.” He cupped his hands
on top of each other, stuck his thumb up, and opened his fingers slightly.
“Wow!” Pilaf
yelled. “A wolf!” He giggled as Conner opened the mouth and growled. “Little
pig, little pig let me come in.” Conner prayed that none of the other
seventh-grade boys heard he’d been doing Three Little Pigs shadow plays. That
would not be cool.
Co-n-n-e-r-r-r-r-r-r D-e-l-l-l-l-l—
The weird voice
came louder. Conner dropped his hands away from the flashlight.
The wolf head
stayed there.
Fighting panic,
Conner switched the flashlight off, but the wolf head remained, darker than the
darkest shadows on the wall.
It stretched and
grew bigger, becoming life-sized within seconds. It turned and stared at
Conner, a three-dimensional head sticking out of the wall like some kind of
freaky hunting souvenir.
The wolf growled,
then jumped off the wall, and sailed across the room toward Conner.
Thank you so much, Sheila! I appreciate your review. Sorry about that cliffhanger :) it just had to work that way for several structural reasons, but I did feel a tad guilty. Many thanks!
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