Book Review - G.P. Taylor's The Secret of Indigo Moon
The Secret of Indigo Moon by G.P. Taylor
Published by: Tyndale Momentum
Publication Date: September 1st, 2009
Format: Hardcover, 287 Pages
Rating: ★★
To Buy
It's a dark a stormy night when Erik Morissey Ganger leaves the safety of his bed at the Isambard Dunstan School for Wayward Children and goes to investigate a noise. While initially thinking it could be Sadie and Saskia Dopple playing a prank on him it's actually villains! And there's a secret tunnel! In the tunnel he finds a letter from the former headmistress, the one who had disappeared a year previously. But his "subtle" questioning of the cook the next day gets him nowhere, except reprimanded by the headmistress. Though despite investigating things he shouldn't the headmistress has a treat for him. There's a journalist from the newspaper who wants to interview him and the Dopple twins about their adventures at Muzz Elliott's house! Though Dorcas Potts might be there not just to interview the trio. She might be there to pick their brains about their next door neighbor, Lord Gervez, a man seldom seen who collects antiquities. Seeing as Dorcas is a crime writer, she warns the kids that villains will resort to anything, even murder. But could she be trying to solve a big case herself without interference from meddling children? And why have the kids spotted that villain Potemkin the potty magician about? Isn't he supposed to be in prison and not lurking about secret tunnels? Tunnels that might just lead to Lord Gervaz's house!?! Their meddling might just put them into more danger than ever before! Potemkin has plans to not just make off with antiquities but to avenge himself on the trio and he has created a macabre contraption at the Blue Moon Theatrical Supply building to do just that. Can they escape unharmed once more, uncover the secret of Indigo Moon, and figure out what it has to do with their former headmistress or are they doomed?
This is going to be a rant, so to clear the air first, I didn't hate this book, I thought the Indigo Moon/Inigo Jones architecture rife was cute. Though I really thought Inigo Jones was Indigo Jones, so apparently I should have paid more attention in art history because think of all the Inigo Montoya jokes I missed out on making! As for the religious bent this series is taking, well, it was kind of expected with Taylor being an Anglican vicar. But the sidelining of the girls wasn't cool. OK, release the rant! At the front of my copy there's all this praise for the series organized under different headings; "What Readers Are Saying," "What Teachers Are Saying," and "What Parents Are Saying." Now, I usually don't read the hype for books, which is a bit weird because it's my dream to have a pull quote from one of my reviews in a favorite author's book... but for some reason I did. I really shouldn't have because it soured my opinion of the whole series. This series was basically being booked as God's gift to reluctant readers. OK, I DO agree that as a bridge between comics and chapter books I think it will encourage hesitant readers to risk moving on from just comics, divine intervention or no. But they go on to say that G.P. Taylor has single-handedly created this new medium. WHAT!?! Um. So much no here. I was literally left speechless when I read this. I was also left speechless by the handle "illustra-novella." Whomever is trying to make that handle happen please kindly go die in a ditch. To put in mildly, no, G.P. Taylor did NOT create a new kind of book. Just no. I mean, what about picture books? What about illustrated classics? What about Brian Freakin' Selznick!?! Yes, I know what hype is, I'm not naive, but this was just too much. It strained credulity and negatively impacted the book.
Post a Comment