Ten year old friends Alex and Sapphire discover something strange on the city bus map – a street that existed for only one year. As they set out to solve the mystery, they encounter the possibility of another world, another dimension perhaps, lurking in a vacant lot, but they are not the only ones on the trail. Who will discover the truth, and who will pay the price required by the witchcraft of positive thinking?(goodreads)
Review
This was a quick, pleasant read. There wasn't a lot of depth to the story, but it was very engaging, and the two main characters (Alex and Sapphire) were likeable. I do think that there could have been a great deal more charater development for Alex's brother Argus; in fact I almost wonder if HE should really have been the main character - or if he actually WAS the main character, but you don't realize it until all is said and done. There's definite possibilities for a sequel with Argus as the main character...Even though the characters are 10 years old (or younger, in the case of Argus), this is not a children's book. YA, yes, and adults would enjoy it, although they might find it a bit superficial.
I thought many times as I was reading that it seemed more like an adult reminiscing about his childhood, and projecting logic and maturity onto the characters that would simply not be possible at their ages. I was also pretty disappointed with the ending, as the author seems to just get bored with the story, and ends it without much care. Overall it was a fun, quick read, but I'm very glad I got it for free.
Summary
Even though I enjoyed this little book (and it was little - it probably only took me 90 minutes to read, if that), I couldn't help feeling that it read as though it was a prequel to a longer, more in-depth book.
Reading level adult
Rating 3 stars
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