A review by motherbooker
The Land of Roar by Jenny McLachlan

4.0

 Being a twin myself, I always get more engaged with books featuring twins. As a child, I always loved finding a book that had twins in it. I'm sure there were loads around but I didn't come across many of them. The Land of Roar sees twins, Rose and Arthur, rediscover the magical land from their childhood. Roar was the place they invented as children but neither have thought about it for ages. When their grandfather accidentally enters Roar, Arthur must summon up all of his courage to go after him. Unfortunately, someone else finds his granddad first. It's their nemesis, Crowky, who is a scarecrow-crow intent on turning Grandad into a scarecrow. Can Arthur find his grandfather before it's too late? Will he be able to stop Crowky without the help of his sister? 

This book is part Narnia and part Wizard of Oz. It's an exciting and fun adventure in a great fantasy world. The story is about that sensation of being between childhood and being a teenager. Both Rose and Arthur have grown out of their childhood games and are growing apart. Rose prefers to spend her time with her female friends and not with her brother. She's worried about fitting in with her schoolfriends which is less of a concern for Arthur. So, they've been arguing more and their relationship is getting more tense. It's a great example of siblings getting older and the friction that can occur when their interests and priorities change. It's such a strong element of the book and I'm looking forward to seeing how it develops through the books. 

The rest of the book is pretty standard fantasy but it's done well. We've got dragons, a ninja-wizard, mermaids and a rebellious girl gang. We don't get to see much of Roar but there is some strong world-building here. It doesn't reveal too much too soon but that's a great thing. It means you get to spend more time on the bits you do see and get more of an idea of how everything works. It's not the most imaginative or original world but it has potential. It also works for this story because it's about the importance of imaginative play. This is a world that two children created so of course it will be slightly derivative. It will have taken bits from their frame of reference as well as incorporating their own preferences.

The narrative here is all about believing in yourself and not letting fear get in the way. Arthur is lonely without the support of his sister at school because he isn't fitting in as easily. He relies on her for everything, so he struggles without her help in Roar. It's something that we've seen before but it's still a charming story. I enjoyed the aspect of not turning your back on your childhood. That you should always embrace your creativity and imagination as you grow up. Just because you are getting older, it doesn't mean you also have to grow up. It's the exact message that an adult reading children's fiction needs to hear.