Forget about cool, calm, or collected. Get your running shoes out and beat a fast track to your nearest book store! The 13th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters by James Dashner has been sighted on some book store shelves early! The official release date is March 3rd . . . but if you can find it, you definitely want to get your hands on it ASAP.
Why? Well, let me tell you . . .
I was one of the lucky few who got to edit and review the manuscript for James. If you haven't figured it out, that means I've already read the book. And I'm here to tell you that it's AWESOME!!! As a book reviewer, I don't say that lightly. When you start reading this book, you will be totally, 100% sucked in and glued to your coach, bed, or favorite reading spot until it's finished.
The characters in The 13th Reality will have you laughing out loud. Even their names are funny. I mean, who ever heard of a boy named Atticus Higginbottom, aka Tick? (I once asked James how he came up with his character's names. I'm still waiting for the answer . . . James????) Here's a little blurb about The 13th Reality:
"James Dashner’s new fantasy novel will keep kids and adults mystified as they try to find the answers behind the baffling riddles and puzzling clues that reveal the secrets of The 13th Reality —the source of every frightening myth, dangerous legend, terrifying nightmare, and the home to a dark power.
Atticus Higginbottom, a.ka. Tick, is an average thirteen-year-old boy until the day he begins receiving strange letters in his mailbox. Postmarked from Alaska and cryptically signed with the initials “M.G.,” the letters contain riddles and clues that test Tick’s courage and determination to learn the secrets behind the 13 parallel realities. The choices Tick must make ensures he has the guts, intelligence, and strength to join the Realitants, an organization sworn to protect the realities, and battle the evil power that seeks to control them.
The first volume of an outstanding new children’s fantasy series, The Journal of Curious Letters is filled with adventure, humor, riddles, and, oh, yes ─ danger . . . As M.G. warns Tick, “Very frightening things are coming your way.”
I have to tell you, those riddles mentioned above - they really got me. I'm not exactly a great riddle solver, but I tried and tried to figure them out. When I finally gave up and read on to find out the answers, I just wanted to hit myself on the head and say, Duh! It was especially fun when I told my hubby the riddles, then timed him to see how long it took him to figure them out. He was much, much quicker than me. :)
It's been a long time since I've enjoyed the plot of a book like I did with The 13th Reality. Now all you chicks, guys, and kiddos - I'm totally serious about what a great book this is. So go get it, read it, and come back here to let me know what you think of it.
P.S. - I know James loves to hear from his readers as well. You can contact him via his websites which are "linked" from here to both his book website and his author website in the first paragraph of this blog. Enjoy!
