Questers Academy: The Box Of Locks - Sam Hay

 

Tom is a super-recogniser, which means he only needs to see somebody for a couple of seconds and he will remember every detail of their faces.  When friends don't turn up for a day at the Natural History Museum, he meets Leesha whose aunt works at the museum.  Just after they meet, they hear of the disappearance of a mythical firebird and Tom is able to immediately identify the culprit, having earlier bumped into him as he left the underground.  After that, Leesha persuades Tom to spend the day with her at the museum.  Before long, the pair are embroiled in a race against time to find the final key that will open a Box of Locks, unleashing a doom stone on London causing catastrophic damage.  

Tom has only recently moved back to London with his family from Wales and is still finding his feet.  When old friends can't meet him at the museum he begins to worry, but Leesha is quick to swoop in and befriends him.  Her confidence and knowledge of the museum give Tom a bit of a boost and, before he knows it, he's messaging his mum to say he's happy to stay for the day.  It's shortly after that that Leesha reveals that she is part of Questers Academy a summer school of extraordinary children with key skills who are charged with protecting rare artefacts.  The mythical firebird going missing is the first of these things, and when the Box of Locks goes missing, and her aunt reveals that 29 of the 30 keys that protect the device have been found; Leesha is determined that she and Tom will be the one to crack the case but this leads to a wealth of danger and a day of adventure and danger that Tom will never forget.

I loved Leesha's confidence and determination; it balanced Tom's uncertainty wonderfully.  Until now, his skill of being a super-recogniser has been one that has been nothing more than a novelty to his siblings, but now his unique talent is exactly what is needed to help Leesha.

Set in the heart of London, The Box of Locks is a book that will set hearts racing and will get readers thinking.  With plenty of clues to keep you on your toes, and short chapters, this is a definitely a 'just one more chapter' sort of book that you won't be able to put down!  

Publishing on the 4th June, and with the promise of more to come, Questers Academy: The Box of Locks is a book that will make the perfect read this summer, especially if you're planning a trip to London!