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A review by thejaidedbookshelf
Arlo Finch in the Lake of the Moon by John August
4.0
Arlo Finch in the Lake of the Moon picks up after the events of the first book. The school year is coming to a close and the mystery surrounding Arlo Finch seems to be intensifying. When he and the Rangers go Camp Redfeather, Arlo finds himself not only in the middle of the mystical shenanigans that have followed him to camp, but between his two best friends as well. This book has all of the magic and mysticism that the first one does, but throws in time travel, time manipulation, and alternate realities as well.
Much like the first book, it took me a while to catch on to what was going on and I felt confused in places, but none of my confusion detracted from the story at all. I was just slow on the uptake and it just took me longer than some to catch on and figure it out than it might for others. Just like the first book as well, August balances the fantasy and magic with real life; these are kids-- 12 year olds-- and yes, they maybe more mature than other 12 year olds, but they still have 12 year old drama, like being in the middle of a fight between your two best friends. I love that the realism isn't thrown out the window and that despite the fantasy, we're still seeing Arlo, his friends, and his family dealing with real life issues along side the mystical.
I definitely recommend this series for fans of Harry Potter and especially as a series for those MG kiddos that loved the Harry Potter movies, but perhaps are not quite at that level yet to read the books. I know I get asked that question a lot at my job ('Suzy loves fantasy and the Harry Potter movies but I think they're too hard. What do you recommend that is similar?') so I will definitely be adding this series to my list of recommendations.
Much like the first book, it took me a while to catch on to what was going on and I felt confused in places, but none of my confusion detracted from the story at all. I was just slow on the uptake and it just took me longer than some to catch on and figure it out than it might for others. Just like the first book as well, August balances the fantasy and magic with real life; these are kids-- 12 year olds-- and yes, they maybe more mature than other 12 year olds, but they still have 12 year old drama, like being in the middle of a fight between your two best friends. I love that the realism isn't thrown out the window and that despite the fantasy, we're still seeing Arlo, his friends, and his family dealing with real life issues along side the mystical.
I definitely recommend this series for fans of Harry Potter and especially as a series for those MG kiddos that loved the Harry Potter movies, but perhaps are not quite at that level yet to read the books. I know I get asked that question a lot at my job ('Suzy loves fantasy and the Harry Potter movies but I think they're too hard. What do you recommend that is similar?') so I will definitely be adding this series to my list of recommendations.