3 out of 4 stars
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Billy, Ricky, and Sarah (Billy's sister) travel together on the E&N Railroad. Sarah has a soccer game nearby, and, since the boys have a project due on the railroad, it's a great time to do their research. Unfortunately, on the way, Billy and Ricky disappear, leaving Sarah to continue to her game alone.
Meanwhile, Billy and Ricky are sucked into the future. The leaders of that time need their help. Since the two are wizards, the Council wants them to stop an evil wizard named Mohryia. Will they be able to defeat this evil? Will the boys be able to keep their family safe (and in the dark)?
The E&N Escape by P.N. Holland is a young adult novel in the science fiction/fantasy genre. It's a fun book with short chapters designed to keep readers coming back for more. There are a few minor cuss words sprinkled throughout, but they are few and far between. With no explicit content, this would be appropriate for middle school or high school age kids. In fact, Amazon lists the age range as 12 to 18.
Billy narrates the story from the first person point of view. When he's away from his sister, the story switches to third person limited. The switch was written well, and the story flowed smoothly from one to another.
The best children's and young adult books sneak education into them. They teach, oftentimes, without the child even knowing. This book did exactly that, which I found fascinating. We learn about the Kinsol Trestle, which is a real location in Canada. Teachers or parents could use this to engage the student further.
The book seems to be part of a series, but I couldn't tell where in the series this book fit. The information isn't on Amazon. It isn't the first, however, as there were hints throughout the book about previous adventures. We learn the boys are wizards, yet it isn't discussed how they came into their powers. I assume that's detailed in a previous story. Still, the plot worked well by itself with most of the story wrapped up. The only real hiccup to reading this book alone was a lack of character growth or knowledgeable; the protagonists weren't as relatable as if the series was read in order.
In addition, the book needed another round of editing. I found mistakes throughout the book. Though none were egregious with the majority being extra periods or missing apostrophes, there were more than ten mistakes.
I rate The E&N Escape 3 out of 4 stars due to the editing issues and somewhat shallow characters. It's worth a read; still, even though it's a stand-alone, the books would be more enjoyable if read in order. It would be helpful for the author to list the order of the books in the back or even number them. The audience for this would be anyone who loves a young adult adventure full of magic with a battle of good versus evil.
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The E&N Escape
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