This book is about a boy named Solomon and a girl named Ash. Ash lives in the normal world, the world with no beasts, no monsters, and no magic. Solomon lives in a world called “Darkside.” He has a pet dinosaur and in Darkside, monsters are very common. Some citizens even have magical abilities. However, in Darkside, some strange and violent things are rising up against the royal monarchy. Also, serious acts of vandalism have occurred in Ash’s town. The two need to figure out how to deal and solve all of their problems, but many surprises and lost memories await them.
This book has a very original plot, I haven’t read or seen anything like this ever. It’s very memorable seeing the two overcome the challenges, it’s also very interesting seeing the uprising in Darkside and seeing all of the betrayals. However, reading some of the chapters can be a bit confusing for the reader. Every few pages the perspective changes from Ash to Solomon and so on. Because of this it’s hard to know where the setting is and whose perspective I’m in. However, I like this structure of the book because it reminds me of another story called, “The Help”. The Help is an outstanding book and it has won 3 awards, and both of these books have a narrative change, which is sometimes confusing, but is very nice to see the different characters’ point of view.
A memorable moment in this book is how much Ash and Solomon care for each other. Even when it’s potentially dangerous or illegal Ash would do anything to protect Solomon. It’s like they are partners until the very end. The twist is also a shock when they find out about Ash’s true identity, but you’ll have to read the book yourself to find out!
Reviewed by Gabriel, Tuckahoe Library
HCPL TeenScene's Read + Review 