2 out of 4 stars
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Mystic: A Journey There and Back Again was written by Mauritius. Two children, Jannie and Timmy, get lost at sea when they sail out on a plastic dinghy. After a couple of challenges drifting off into the sea, they are rescued by a sailor on a magical boat called Mystic. Along the way, they meet a lot of interesting people such as a young sailor that appears to be immortal, Poseidon, and the Queen. While trying to find their way back home, they find themselves in many interesting situations. Saving the human race is among their tasks in order to return to their parents and their home. Will they succeed, or will they be doomed to a world of destruction?
One good message that this book portrayed is that we should always treat the environment with respect. Doing so would keep our environment clean and allow us to live healthier lives. However, as this book portrays, there are always going to be people out there who couldn't care less about the environment that we live in and others who will do anything to save it. This was a very unique novel, and I liked that it was short and simple. I found the main characters Jannie and Timmy, who are brother and sister, to be very likable characters. The sailor that has sailed upon Mystic for a century is a very interesting character as well. A good ending was provided for each of the characters, which was another aspect I enjoyed of this story.
Even though the story provided a good message, I found that a lot of the events didn't really match up with each other. Because the events didn't seem to line up, in my opinion, I found myself wondering why certain events were happening throughout the book. I found myself confused a couple of times throughout the book. There were certain situations that a lot of people would typically find themselves in when being lost at sea, and then other situations that didn't. I found it a little strange that the parents weren't even paying attention to their kids. For this reason they were able to sail off into the sea by themselves. Also, I find it a little hard to believe that children who aren't even teenagers yet were able to have enough control to get the dinghy out into the middle of the ocean in the first place. Another thing I would have actually liked is a couple more action scenes. There were a few scenes that were action packed, but they were spaced out by several chapters. A few grammatical errors were also present throughout the book as well.
I would recommend this book for older children or maybe young teens. The simplicity of the story line might be better suited for children. Children and might also find the characters and the story line enjoyable and adventurous. Also because it is about 80 pages long, it will be an easy book for children to read. I know that most children might get bored and want to move onto a different book with anything over 150 to 200 pages. There for this should be able to keep their attention easily. That's why this book is best suited as a children's book. As a book for adults, I would have preferred a little bit more from it. However, for the parents who like to read books with their children, then this would be a good one to choose.
I rate Mystic: A Journey There and Back 2 out of 4 stars. I did not give this book a higher score for the reasons I mentioned above. I expected just a little bit more excitement from the book. I didn't think this book deserved a lower score because it is not the worst book I have ever read. It does portray a good message and I do think it would be a good children't book, even though it isn't labeled as a children's book.
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Mystic
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