Ben lives with his Aunt Samantha who is, quite frankly, a horrible person. He has lived with her for the past six years and can't remember his life before that, so doesn't remember his parents or why they had disappeared. Life with his aunt is miserable and so he designs buildings of all shapes and sizes that would impress Gaudi. And then, one morning as they are leaving for school, Ben has a seizure and wakes up in the Elf world with no memories and no idea who he is - all he has with him is a compass in his pocket with the name Jayben on it, and a torch.
It turns out that, years ago, a giant put a spell on the torch and the elves forgot everything that had happened previously so they now hang their memories in jars so they don't forget. However, Null (an evil villain) is determined to find the torch in order to become the most powerful being and so is destroying the forests. It's up to Jayben to find and use his own magic to light the torch and save the world. But can the boy who has no idea who he is help to save the world?
Jayben is a rather wonderful character who is trying to navigate the human and elf worlds whilst also trying to understand his seizures. He is uncertain about what is happening but I quickly noticed that he is a kind and caring character, and always keen to keep those around him safe. Discovering he is the Ninth Dreamer and the one who is supposed to save the world is quite the weight for anyone, especially for someone who has no memory of who he is; however, his determination shines through.
I think Jayben and the Golden Torch is the first book I have read where the main character has seizures and it's great to see this being represented in MG fiction. The use of a page to represent the seizures is a wonderful way to show the memory blank that Jayben experiences when he has these seizures and I am sure it will help children who read the book to feel that they are not alone.
The world building within the book is vivid and allows you to picture the elf world in all of its glorious detail.
Released on the 2nd February, Jayben and the Golden Torch is a story of courage, determination and finding yourself, and I can't wait to take it in to school.
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