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A review by shelby_7664
Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire by John August
4.0
A few weeks ago, my husband sent me the first episode of this new podcast called Launch, saying that he thought I would enjoy it. So I gave it go, and turns out he was right. I loved it!
Launch is hosted by screenwriter John August, who recently decided he wanted to write a children’s book. So he did. And then he made a podcast about the creation of the book, starting with the moment he began writing his story, to in the latest episode discussing how books are printed. John August talks to people involved in every step of the process, including the man who designed the typeface used on the front of his new book.
After listening to the first four episodes, I decided that I actually really wanted to read this book, which was released on February 6, and is called Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire. It is a middle grade book, and is similar to the Percy Jackson or the Mysterious Benedict Society. So we went to our local Barnes & Noble and picked up a copy.
I have read some fantastic middle grade books as an adult, and I have also read some that I think I would have enjoyed much more if I had read them earlier in life. I was a little worried that this would fall into the latter category, as the Percy Jackson books did for me.
However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The main character (Arlo Finch) is a young boy who moves to Colorado with his mom and sister. In an attempt to fit in, Arlo joins the Rangers group, which is similar to Boy Scouts. However, Arlo soon discovers that the Rangers do more than learn basic survival skills and go on camping trips. They learn about using the magic of the Long Woods to create snapfires and thunderclaps, and how to avoid creatures such as NightMares and Wisps. Arlo draws some attention from the darker forces of a newly discovered world, and as a result finds himself on quite an adventure.
Although this story seems to be another variation of the same plot line that is told in nearly every middle grade book (young boy finds himself on an unexpected adventure and turns out to be especially talented at some special skill, saving the day) there are a few things that make Arlo Finch’s story different. The writing of this book is very intelligent, and definitely helps cater the story to an older crowd. The book is also structured well- chapters are an appropriate length and always have little “cliff-hanger” endings, the pacing is spot on, the characters are well-developed... basically, I wasn’t bored, but the action also wasn’t so fast-paced that details are missed. Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire is the first in the trilogy, with the next book set to release in the spring of 2019. Although this book definitely set up plot lines for books to come, it was also a complete story in and of itself.
I had high expectations for this book and fortunately they were met. I am very excited to continue with the series. This group is appropriate for a wide variety of readers- from the 8-12 age group it was initially intended for, up through adults who need a little bit of extra magic in their life.
Launch is hosted by screenwriter John August, who recently decided he wanted to write a children’s book. So he did. And then he made a podcast about the creation of the book, starting with the moment he began writing his story, to in the latest episode discussing how books are printed. John August talks to people involved in every step of the process, including the man who designed the typeface used on the front of his new book.
After listening to the first four episodes, I decided that I actually really wanted to read this book, which was released on February 6, and is called Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire. It is a middle grade book, and is similar to the Percy Jackson or the Mysterious Benedict Society. So we went to our local Barnes & Noble and picked up a copy.
I have read some fantastic middle grade books as an adult, and I have also read some that I think I would have enjoyed much more if I had read them earlier in life. I was a little worried that this would fall into the latter category, as the Percy Jackson books did for me.
However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The main character (Arlo Finch) is a young boy who moves to Colorado with his mom and sister. In an attempt to fit in, Arlo joins the Rangers group, which is similar to Boy Scouts. However, Arlo soon discovers that the Rangers do more than learn basic survival skills and go on camping trips. They learn about using the magic of the Long Woods to create snapfires and thunderclaps, and how to avoid creatures such as NightMares and Wisps. Arlo draws some attention from the darker forces of a newly discovered world, and as a result finds himself on quite an adventure.
Although this story seems to be another variation of the same plot line that is told in nearly every middle grade book (young boy finds himself on an unexpected adventure and turns out to be especially talented at some special skill, saving the day) there are a few things that make Arlo Finch’s story different. The writing of this book is very intelligent, and definitely helps cater the story to an older crowd. The book is also structured well- chapters are an appropriate length and always have little “cliff-hanger” endings, the pacing is spot on, the characters are well-developed... basically, I wasn’t bored, but the action also wasn’t so fast-paced that details are missed. Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire is the first in the trilogy, with the next book set to release in the spring of 2019. Although this book definitely set up plot lines for books to come, it was also a complete story in and of itself.
I had high expectations for this book and fortunately they were met. I am very excited to continue with the series. This group is appropriate for a wide variety of readers- from the 8-12 age group it was initially intended for, up through adults who need a little bit of extra magic in their life.