Review of Riley Youngblood and the Passport to Santalamanchia

[That Reviewer]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Riley Youngblood and the Passport to Santalamanchia" by Brian Martindale.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The ancient spirits needed someone to help them, and after a careful scrutinization, they chose a young boy named Riley Jay Youngblood. Riley had no idea about the responsibility on his shoulders. After coming across a strange passport to a strange place called Santalamanchia, Riley embarked on a journey to this strange place. He encountered a lot of events that helped define his personality. Would he live up to what is expected of him? Find out in Riley Youngblood and the Passport to Santalamanchia.

Riley Youngblood and the Passport to Santalamanchia was a book that I couldn't drop once I started reading. It was exciting, mysterious, and thrilling. There was no boring scene in the book. The aura of mystery surrounding the book began when Riley discovered that the strange booklet he picked up was a passport to a strange place. This mystery continued to the very last page of the book. The thrilling aspect of the book came from the different adventures that Riley underwent in the story. One event that was the height of all events in the book was Riley riding a giant dragonfly to rescue people. I had my heart in my mouth the whole time reading this, as it left me tensed, which also heightened my excitement.

Every aspect of this book came to life because of the detailed descriptions. The author used words that maximized each description and made it feel like I was present in each event. From the description of the humongous dragonfly, I could see this gigantic creature in my mind's eye right in front of me. This was precisely how I felt for most of the read.

One aspect of the book that was most endearing was the dialogues. From the beginning of the book, the author communicated the English prevalent in the story's setting using the conversations. The book started with this opening statement from one of the characters: "Youngblood! What are you doin' muckin' about in my hedge? Get outta there!" You could see that the author was trying to inform the reader of the kind of characters to anticipate in the book.

I couldn't find any fault in this book. I had earlier read the Kindle version of this book and had a few niggling issues with it. However, reading the print version was like a completely new experience for me. The editing was exceptionally done, and the overall narrative was reworked to create a better appeal. Thumbs up to the author and his team of editors for the overhaul; it came out great. On that note, I would confidently rate this book four out of four stars. I would highly recommend it to lovers of thrilling and adventurous books, especially one based on alternate realities.

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Riley Youngblood and the Passport to Santalamanchia
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Chinaza Nnabuenyi]

This mysterious story will be very inspiring to read. I love the author style of writing. Great review!

[Snigdha Pandey]

I really enjoy fantasy books like this where the protagonist find themselves in a different world. I think I'd enjoy this book. Thanks for the great review.

[Salah bourouba]

sounds like an appealing fantasy book, books that are hard to put down rare, interesting book, great review.

[NetMassimo]

This seems like a fascinating novel that keeps the readers' attention with its adventures full of mysteries and alternate realities. Thank you for your great review!

[Rishi_reviews]

This seems like a pretty amazing story filled with adventures, and I always like a book like that. Thanks for the review.

[Rebecca De Figueiredo]

The book begins in 1984 when we’re introduced to Riley. An active and thoughtful boy, he finds himself in an eerie forest, (an old Indian burial ground), with a mouse, tree frog and fire-bugs as company. The book continues in the same intriguing fashion.

[Rebecca De Figueiredo]

The book begins in 1984 when we’re introduced to Riley. An active and thoughtful boy, he finds himself in an eerie forest, (an old Indian burial ground), with a mouse, tree frog and fire-bugs as company. The book continues in the same intriguing fashion.

[Lorna Philip Enslin]

A detailed review from That Reviewer, thank you. The Amazon sample tells the story of a young boy: Riley Jay Youngblood and the fantasy world that he lives in. We all need a bit of escapism from the chaos of the world around us and this book is the perfect escape.

[Lorna Philip Enslin]

A detailed review from That Reviewer, thank you. The Amazon sample tells the story of a young boy: Riley Jay Youngblood and the fantasy world that he lives in. We all need a bit of escapism from the chaos of the world around us and this book is the perfect escape.

[Mamman Alhassan Thomas]

The tale of Riley Jay Youngblood, a young child, and the fantastical setting in which he lives. This book is the ideal diversion from the chaos of the outside world, which is something we can all use sometimes.

[Mary-le]

Riley discovers an unusual booklet wedged in his neighbor's cedar hedge, revealing itself as a magical passport to a realm named Santalamanchia within an alternate dimension of Earth. Surprisingly, the passport bears Riley's name and image, indicating it's meant for him. Overcoming challenges with his friend Rick and adversaries from a neighboring street, Riley eventually embraces the passport's call. Throughout numerous adventures, Riley exhibits courage and bravery, demonstrating that following one's instincts can lead to incredible possibilities. I suggest this book primarily for teenagers, but it's suitable for a wide range of readers.

[Jorge Leon Salazar]

This book offers emotions, mystery and adventures with alternate realities. It provokes curiosity to know what the need of the ancient spirits is and if Riley Jay managed to successfully fulfill what they entrusted to him. There seems to be no boredom anywhere in the book.

[Kshitija Sonawane]

As I read through the description of this book, it kept reminding me of Alice in Wonderland and the wizard of Oz. I love books like these and maybe you will too. Congratulations on BOTD, and best wishes for future projects.

[Whiney Jones]

This is an exciting, adventurous and misterious story. It is kind of scary too with unpredictable events. Kudos to the author! BOTD well deserved.