Rating: 5 Stars
Thomas Wildus and the Book of Sorrows by J. M. Bergen is a captivating tale that is a little bit Harry Potter with a dash of A Wrinkle in Time thrown in. It tells the story of a young boy and how he discovers what and who he truly is. It is an adventure filled with magic and mystery all wrapped in a thrilling package for any reader to devour.
Thomas Wildus is your typical middle school kid who just happens to be anything but ordinary, though he does not know this yet. Thomas goes to school, hangs out with his friends and is learning Kung Fu, definitely average. Until he goes into a book store looking for books about magic… real magic, because one of the last things Thomas’s Dad said to him before he died was, “magic is real.”
The book store owner, Huxley, gives him a book that is locked in a box and makes him promise that he will only read it when he is alone and that he will tell no one that he has the book. Additionally, he is told he must return the book immediately once he has finished reading. So starts his introduction into the world of magic. He will have to learn quickly because there are dark forces already looking for artifacts hidden by his ancestors that are capable of destroying the word.
What a great middle grade story. Even though I am well beyond middle grade age, I enjoyed this one immensely. Sometimes, I read middle grade stories and feel like the story is dumbed down or that I am being talked down to, not the case here. The story flowed along so nicely and the prose was age appropriate; yet, written in such a way as to appeal to older readers.
I loved the characters in the story, especially Thomas and I had empathy for him throughout. There was enough action to keep even young reader’s interest. In addition, the plot was well thought out and the story fit the characters nicely. In a nutshell, I liked everything about it. The ending wrapped up; yet, hinted at more to come. I am truly looking forward to the next book and to see what is in store for Thomas.
I highly recommend this book to all middle grade readers and those older readers that love Harry Potter. This is one book you don’t want to miss. Be sure to add it to your TBR list.
I received a free copy from the author through Library Thing’s Early reviewer’s program.