Down the Mysterly River Featured

Being a big fan of adventure, science-fiction and fantasy novels, I was a bit surprised that it took me awhile to get into the storyline.

My biggest hurdle was that it reminds me of so many novels that I started to lose interest. Initially the story reminded me of The Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia, Winnie the Pooh, even a little bit of The Wizard of Oz. It hinted to my childhood reading of The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. It took me about 100 pages in to discover the unique voice that kept me hooked. Down the Mysterly River joins what I believe is the unique genre to enter the world of the young adult novel- revisited fables and fairy tales. It is the very fact that it includes so many familiar themes and elements that makes this book an excellent read.

Max is a great example for young readers to follow. He finds himself in a confusing, dangerous situation. Because he is a skillful boyscout who truly cares about others, he is able to survive. He knows enough to understand that in difficult situations you must work with others around you.

Overall, Down the Mysterly River is a good quality book. The characters are amusing; the young detective storyline is interesting. Although I did have trouble keeping interested in the storyline at first, once the plot line picked up I had trouble putting this book down.