The Wizard's Eye

Description

126 pages
$9.95
ISBN 0-9694180-8-6
DDC j813'.54

Publisher

Year

1993

Contributor

Illustrations by Jennie Lamont
Reviewed by Lynn Manuel

Lynn Manuel writes mystery novels for young adults and is the author of
Return to Cranberry Farm.

Review

Paul Nickerson’s aunt does not approve when he is left on his own for
two weeks, but the 14-year-old and his cousin Martie know that nothing
ever happens anyway on Nova Scotia’s South Shore. All that changes,
however, when old Harry tells them the story of the infamous Red
Randall, the pirate who once sailed the Nova Scotia waters and was
rumored to have left behind a hidden treasure. While the cousins try to
fit together the pieces of the puzzle, their research is complicated by
the arrival of the menacing Major Hugh Fitzwater and his New York
henchman George, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the
treasure.

How Paul and Martie manage to outwit the Major and discover a treasure
map in the form of a wizard’s face makes for a fast-paced and
extremely exciting read. In fact, it is such a page-turner that it is
easy to overlook the credibility gaps in the teenagers’ hearing the
story of the famous pirate for the first time after having spent their
whole lives on the South Shore—and, unbelievably, hearing it just when
the Major shows up to search for the treasure. But the author’s fine
eye for detail and the realistic setting combined with a skilfully
written, intriguing plot more than offset these flaws. Recommended.

Citation

Scott, Andrew M., “The Wizard's Eye,” Canadian Book Review Annual Online, accessed March 29, 2024, https://cbra.library.utoronto.ca/items/show/20293.