Genre: Fiction—Young Adult
Completed: 23 July 2015
Summary & Review:
Jack and his two best friends spend hours exploring the New Jersey Pine Barrens on lazy summer days, but when they discover a body buried with a strange artifact, their world suddenly becomes much more exciting—and dangerous. After the police investigation turns up that the victim was murdered as part of a sacrificial rite, Jack and his friends start looking into the mysterious Septimus Order, a powerful secret society.
This is the first young adult novel that Wilson has written and I really liked it. It would probably be best aimed at a young teen or older pre-teen as far as reading level. Notwithstanding that, it was a fun book. Wilson did a great job tying in some of the larger themes older readers are familiar with from the Repairman Jack Series (one of my favs) in this book about Jack’s younger life. This book is the first of a trilogy of young Repairman Jack so the story didn’t fully resolve which left me looking forward to the next installment.
Another thing I really liked about this book was how deftly Wilson worked in advice to teen readers within the story. He offered words of wisdom on topics from a friend struggling with alcohol and drugs to developing a work ethic to honesty and honor. Plus, he also introduced a young reader to some excellent vocabulary and gave their explanations without sounding too teacher-y. Well done, sir!
Rating: 7.5
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