The Emerald Tablet by P.J. Hoover
Release Date: October 21, 2008
Publisher: C Bay Books, Blooming Tree Press
Age Group: Middle Grade, ages 10 and up
Pages: 304
“When Benjamin Holt sees his mom disappear into a pinprick of light, he shouldn’t have been surprised. His life is already weird...
Benjamin and his best friend Andy love being different from the other kids, They like being able to read each others minds and us their telekinesis to play tricks. In fact, they are getting set to spend the entire summer doing just that when Benjamin’s mirror starts talking. Suddenly, he’s looking at eight weeks of summer school someplace that can only be reached by a teleporter hidden in his hallway. And the summer only gets stranger.
At school, Benjamin discovers that he isn’t really human but something called a telegen. It turns out that the powers he always thought made him special only make him normal. But then the mysterious Emerald Tablet chooses him as its champion, and all chances of an uneventful summer (well, as uneventful as summer school on a hidden, submerged continent can be) disappears.”
What a fantastic debut novel! I really can’t wait to read the rest of this series. Atlantis has always been something I’ve found fascinating the whole basis of the mythology surrounding it... does it really exist, or is it a load of bull. I’ve read about it fictional literature and I have to say that I loved Hoover’s take on it!
Supreme beings capable of telekinesis, telepathy and teleportation! Hiding Lemuria in the “Ring of Fire" and extremely cool gadgets like the Geodine, simply brilliant! My only complaint is that I wish the characters would have wowed me as much as the fantasy world that Hoover created did. Not that I didn’t like the characters, but sometimes I find them to be a little flat. Something I’m hoping to remedy as the series continues.
I also liked the fact that even though this was a fantasy novel, I never once rolled my eyes and thought that would never happen. Hoover remained true to the limitations she created in her world and on her characters and that was greatly appreciated! The solutions to the problems they faced were realistic and their solutions where more than satisfactory.
And although the ending leaves a lot to be explored I was still happy with the conclusion of the novel! A fun, fast-paced and extraordinary read!