Escaping Ordinary

July 15, 2020
In this fast-paced sequel to Saving Fable (2019), protagonist Indira Story and her friends must save their world from a powerful force before it destroys them. Following the completion of her first story, Indira is looking forward to a vacation. At Protagonist Prep, however, Brainstorm Underglass has other plans: She sends Indira on a quest tutorial titled "Hero's Journey" to teach her the art of complementary teamwork. Her assigned teammates include: Allen Squalls, a boy who was so traumatized by the ousted Brainstorm Ketty that he needs to recover his confidence; Indira's best friend, Phoenix, who might be a potential romantic interest in her next story; and Gadget, a talented girl who needs to learn to focus on the story rather than on the technology in front of her. Although Indira and her companions begin their quest in the town of Ordinary, they are interrupted by an unexpected, all-powerful entity who threatens to destroy their world, and it is up to the team to save their world...again. In many ways, this outing is far more compelling than its predecessor: While both novels revel in witty literary humor, Indira's second adventure has an evenly paced plot and characters that are better developed and more accessible. Brown-skinned Indira's name suggests that she is Indian, but her cultural identity is not plumbed; her teammates seem to default to White. A delightful read. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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August 7, 2020

Gr 4-7-Indira's Author has finished her story, and now she is being sent on a Hero's Journey tutorial by Protagonist Prep. She must learn how to be part of a team, and to not use her hammer for everything. As soon as her team lands in the town of Ordinary, things go awry as they discover an Author has slipped into their world and is destroying everything in his path. Famous literary characters once again make appearances (what's a Hero's Journey without a pompous King Arthur, or a training camp led by Aragorn?), as well as even more world-building that will satisfy readers' curiosity of how stories are created (like factories that produce plot twists and poetic justice). Alongside these new parts of Imagination, our characters are dealt a heavier dose of the Real World through the antagonist Author (who writes fanfiction, which is a nice nod to nontraditional authors), fascinated with video games. Reintgen writes powerful characters complete with flaws that make them compelling, and crafts exciting action sequences that jump off the page. As Wendy from Peter Pan says to Indira, "It sounds like an awfully big adventure. Do not forget to have some fun." And fun is what awaits you in this tale, Dear Reader. VERDICT A worthy follow-up to a standout series opener. A strong meta-fantasy purchase; buy the first installment if your library doesn't already own it.-Kerri Williams, Center Moriches Free P.L., NY

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