Josh and the Magic Vial.
Description
$17.95
ISBN 978-1-897235-10-0
DDC jC813'.6
Author
Publisher
Year
Contributor
Anne Hutchings is a public-school teacher and librarian in Ajax,
Ontario.
Review
At first glance, a novel consisting of 396 pages may seem overwhelming. However, short chapters (most no more than four or five pages) and fast-paced plot make Josh and the Magic Vial easily manageable for young readers.
The book is further divided into sections. A short prologue sets the stage, taking us back to early 20th century London. There we meet the young and doomed Charlie Underwood and Inspector Horace Puddifant, who plays a pivotal role in the tale. It is there, too, that the name Vortigen is first mentioned.
“The Vial” takes us to present-day Vancouver where talented 12-year-old Josh Dempster dreams of one day achieving fame and fortune with his fantasy comic book series. Josh and his best friend, feisty, red-haired Millie, become involved with the strange old woman Lil “Endorathlil,” who is rumoured to be a witch. When Lil’s minions, Conky and Ian, steal Josh’s backpack, Josh retaliates by “rescuing” the mysterious vial Lil wears around her neck.
In “Puddifant’s Tale” we return to Victorian England where we follow the Scotland Yard Inspector as he attempts to find the reason for the mysterious deaths at the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, and, in doing so, seals his own fate.
The final section, “In Syde,” tells how Josh, trapped in Vortigen’s kingdom of Syde, fights desperately to defeat the evil villain and avoid being controlled by his power that directs everyone and everything within his grasp, and how, with the power of love, Josh is rescued and returned unharmed, though changed, to his family and friends.
The 5½-by-8½ size of this paperback may be somewhat off-putting to young adults who generally prefer the standard 4¼-by-7 format. The cover illustration, too, seems geared to a younger audience. Nevertheless, Josh and the Magic Vial with its strong, believable characters and its themes of good vs. evil and the power of love will undoubtedly appeal to middle school–age fans of the fantasy genre. Recommended.