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A review by samantha_randolph
The Lost Legacy by Gwenda Bond, Chistopher Rowe
4.0
When Stephen’s grandmother dies, his dad decides to move them to New York City to The New Harmonia hotel, where his grandmother worked as the chef. Stephen was used to hearing about his grandmother’s interesting clientele, but when he arrives, he discovers they’re more interesting than he knew; they’re monsters (or supernormals)! Stephen is actually half-supernormal himself on his mother’s side, who left him and his father. Stephen’s family is on thin ice at the hotel, and when a magical artifact is stolen with Stephen as the suspected culprit, it’s up to him and his new friends to get it back and save the hotel.
After loving Bond’s LOIS LANE YA series, I was thrilled to dive into her debut MG novel, written with fellow writer, Christopher Rowe. The two prove a fantastic team in this hilarious, warm, and exciting adventure. Stephen is a highly relatable protagonist for anyone who has ever gone through several changes at once. He is grieving over his beloved grandmother, uncertain about his new living situation, and shocked at the new revelations about his family. Before he can get a handle on any of that, he’s accused of theft, and his own father isn’t sure if he should believe him. However, what I love about this story is the excellent way Stephen and his friends have a private, outside-of-parental-figures world but also have family members who genuinely care for them, even though they sometimes make mistakes. THE LOST LEGACY captures the nuances of family, both biological and chosen, while providing hilarious comic relief throughout.
The secondary characters are as fun as Stephen is, particularly a certain dragon who loves art. Sofia and Ivan are already friends when Stephen meets them, and Bond and Rowe do a fabulous job of the slow progression of the three forming a new friend group. The trios teamwork will have you smiling and rooting for them, not to mention eager for their next adventures.
With a fitting comparison to Hotel Transylvania, THE SUPERNORMAL SLEUTHING SERVICE: THE LOST LEGACY is a delightful tale of monsters, magic, and the meaning of family and friends.
Originally posted at YABC: http://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfiction/21153-the-supernormal-sleuthing-service-1-the-lost-legacy
After loving Bond’s LOIS LANE YA series, I was thrilled to dive into her debut MG novel, written with fellow writer, Christopher Rowe. The two prove a fantastic team in this hilarious, warm, and exciting adventure. Stephen is a highly relatable protagonist for anyone who has ever gone through several changes at once. He is grieving over his beloved grandmother, uncertain about his new living situation, and shocked at the new revelations about his family. Before he can get a handle on any of that, he’s accused of theft, and his own father isn’t sure if he should believe him. However, what I love about this story is the excellent way Stephen and his friends have a private, outside-of-parental-figures world but also have family members who genuinely care for them, even though they sometimes make mistakes. THE LOST LEGACY captures the nuances of family, both biological and chosen, while providing hilarious comic relief throughout.
The secondary characters are as fun as Stephen is, particularly a certain dragon who loves art. Sofia and Ivan are already friends when Stephen meets them, and Bond and Rowe do a fabulous job of the slow progression of the three forming a new friend group. The trios teamwork will have you smiling and rooting for them, not to mention eager for their next adventures.
With a fitting comparison to Hotel Transylvania, THE SUPERNORMAL SLEUTHING SERVICE: THE LOST LEGACY is a delightful tale of monsters, magic, and the meaning of family and friends.
Originally posted at YABC: http://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfiction/21153-the-supernormal-sleuthing-service-1-the-lost-legacy