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Okay, here is something that is a definite first: I am reviewing an audio book! Ok, so there is a hardcopy available as well, but I’ve only gotten my hands on the audio version at the moment. My family and I got it from the library as we were planning a long road trip. It wasn’t until I was telling a couple friends about it that I realized there was enough fantasy for me to include it on my blog. So, here’s my review of this cool story.
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The Boundary. The mysterious fog bank that at first glance, you’d think nothing of it. But give it more than a glance, and you will notice that it is different from ordinary fog. Oh, it swirls and moves like you would imagine fog would, but it always stays in place. It seems thicker, more menacing than regular fog. It never dissipates even on a warm summer day. For scientists, like Nolie Stanhope’s dad, the Boundary is a natural phenomena that can be explained through science if studied long enough. But for those who’ve been born and lived in Journey’s End, Scotland, like Bel McKissick and her family, the Boundary is just a fact of life and a promising tourist attraction that brings good business.
Now, Nolie isn’t really interested in the science surrounding the Boundary, it’s the legends and spooky stories of how those who enter never come back. But when she and her new friend, Bel, discover Albert MacLeish, a boy who disappeared into the Boundary in 1918, she realizes that her summer may not go as planned. Then they notice that the Boundary is moving. Creeping towards the town, threatening to swallow any foolhardy enough to stray into its path. How can they possibly stop the threat the Boundary now poses? How did Albert manage to survive for nearly a hundred years? Is there more to the old woman who lives alone on the coast? Can the Boundary really be explained away by science? Or . . . is there something far more sinister?
Ok, so when I was first listening to this story, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. Was the author going to pull a “Nancy Drew” thing and reveal that there was nothing supernatural about it and it could be explained away? Or was it going with the “in this universe” this is all very real? And yes, it does turn out to be real. (Yeah, just blame various mysteries I’ve read or played that turns the freaky supernatural stuff into the clever tricks of creepy bad guys. Though it may be thanks to them that I’m not totally scared out of my mind over things scary. Not that I’m never scared or anything. Just . . . you know.)
Anyway. The story actually starts off with Albert in 1918 as he heads into the Boundary. Then we are occasionally dropped into a time even before Albert that clues us in on how the mysterious fog bank came to be. But most of the story is in modern times, give or take a couple years. I’ll admit that there may have been a couple times I zoned out or napped while listening. (Hey, it was a long car ride. I tend to do that, especially when my family has to get up and leave at an unearthly hour. ;-)) There is a slang word that my family is not fond of that appears three times in quick succession early on but then is never heard again. No other language or other issues. (Unless you have problems with ghosts and curses.) Out of curiosity, I tried to find out if there is a town called Journey’s End. As far as I can tell, there isn’t. But if you find out that there is, comment or email me so that I can correct this error. :-)
This fascinating book was written by Rachel Hawkins. A little searching online and I discovered that this story spans 320 pages. As told by the cd’s there are 32 chapters. Oh, and since this is an audio book review: there are six cd’s spanning a total of about 6 hours and 33 minutes. The story was read by Saskia Maarleveld. She did a wonderful job showing emotions, displaying change in speaker, and switching between Scottish and American accents.
Now, this is a story geared for middle-graders. But as with most stories that I have reviewed, I would still highly recommend it even to adults. So those who enjoy friendship, mystery, and even a bit of creepy spooks will certainly enjoy this little contemporary fantasy. I believe that this story has earned five creepy dragons out of five. Personally, I’m not into spooky ghost-stories, but it wasn’t bad enough for me to be totally spooked. (That or else the long day was catching up to me by that point.)
Hope you enjoyed.
Until next time. Bye.
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