Rumblestar - Abi Elphinstone

Rumblestar - Abi Elphinstone

(Due for release, 30th May)

"Life, Casper, is wigglysplat."

Casper is an eleven year old boy who likes routine, lists and timetables, so when he accidentally finds himself in Rumblestar, one of the Unmapped Kingdoms, with Utterly Thankless, a girl who seems to be his complete opposite, things couldn't get much worse!  However, Rumblestar is under threat from an evil harpy called Morg who wants to steal the unmapped magic, and this could have dire consequences for Casper's world (our world) as well as Rumblestar.  As a result, Casper and Utterly head out on the adventure of their lives, but will they succeed and save Rumblestar or will Morg and her army of Midnights defeat them?

K's opinion:

I knew I wanted to start this review with a quote from the book; the problem was that I had too many to choose from (a great problem to have, by-the-way!).  From the opening lines ("The trouble with grown-ups is that they always think that they're right..."), the book is awash with beautiful description and poignant phrases (I'm thinking firmly of Bristlebeard here!) that make you want to dive into the world of Rumblestar and the Unmapped Kingdoms, and experience them first-hand.

And I must give a nod to the characters who help to make this world seem so real.  Casper Tock is a boy of rules & routines, his life rigidly mapped out on his timetables in order to avoid the bullies he fears, so the chaos into which he is plunged seems all too much for this boy who so desperately just wants to go home.  I love the fact that he is a quirky character and not your typical 'boy'.  In a world where we encourage children to be themselves, Casper is a character that I think may will relate to.

  

The there's Utterly Thankless (such a brilliant name!) who seems to live in the moment and finds it incredibly easy to ignore the rules!  Yet there is something more to her and her misbehavior; something that is driving her on and I enjoyed the many layers of her character.  Although she and Casper are polar opposites, they compliment each other perfectly.

And let's not forget Arlo, Utterly's miniature dragon who shows everybody that being small and unable to speak is no hindrance to be inga good friend!

This is a world full of magical creatures, good and bad; from the drizzle hags to the Midnights; from Zip the refreshingly honest and funny hot-air balloon to Bristlebeard, the wise and insightful snow troll, and everything in between.  The variety is what makes this book so good.

Rumblestar is a story full of action and adventure which tells of friendship and being brave, even when you're scared.  It shows us that heroes come in all shapes and sizes, and that being a hero can creep up on you quite unexpectedly.

O's opinion:

This book is such a good read: it is full of adventure and humor along the way, with added mystery and scariness! This novel is so well written it makes me want to jump through a grandfather clock and visit Rumblestar!

Casper is my favorite character as he is always on time and is never late, but he is plunged head-first into a world where his special skills mean nothing to Utterly, who couldn't be more different to him! This makes me want to be like him because even though he doesn't know where he is, how he got there, or even if he is going to get home, he still caries on, despite his fears: as long as he's with Utterly everything will be fine - or so it seems ...!!!!!!!!

This is undoubtedly Abi at her best and we don't feel that our words can quite do the book justice.  We can't wait for the next in the Unmapped Chronicles.