The Boy Who Knew Everything

felicisowl - A highly-anticipated sequel to "The Girl Who Could Fly", I am pleased to announce that "The Boy Who Knew Everything" is every bit as whimsical, fantastical and magical as the first book. Full of warmth and adventure, this book is firmly rooted to real-world problems as well as magical conflicts. It keeps readers on their toes and gives them room to figure out the mysteries that appear throughout the book - and even though this book has plenty of twists and turns, it has heart - the author writes from a young perspective and is well-aware of what kids are actually going through, supernatural or not, and it adds a refreshing touch of reality to an exciting adventure book. If you had a chance to look at the children being described in this book, you would say that they were normal children without sparing a second glance at them - you would be wrong. These children possess supernatural abilities, whether it's the ability of super strength or X-Ray vision - and they have the power to fix world problems and prevent world crises. But they need a leader - someone who can unite their talents and use them for the greater good. Unfortunately, there is one problem in their otherwise flawless plan - the "leader", an introverted genius by the name of Conrad Harrington III, refuses to accept their offer - "Things happen for a reason. No one wants us to get involved." But Conrad suddenly faces a different perspective when his adoptive father, Joe McCloud almost dies from heart problems - which could have been prevented if the team worked together. Many things, small tragedies that Conrad notices every day around him, could have been prevented if they worked together as a team. He starts training the extraordinary children, and soon local miracles start happening - like flood victims being rescued and lost cats being found. But Conrad starts noticing a pattern - everywhere the children go, he notices a small red rock, like someone's following them - and when two members of the team, Ahmed and Nalen get kidnapped, Conrad knows for sure - someone wants to stop them. It might just be the President of the United States - or as Conrad knows him better, his father. But when his father mysteriously disappears after saving Conrad from a bullet, Conrad and his best friend, Piper are whisked into a magical and dangerous journey into the mysterious land of Xanthia to find out the truth. This book is not perfect - in fact, I enjoyed it a little less than "The Girl Who Could Fly." It's full of cliches, it has two-dimensional "main" characters who are basically props, and other reasons why I might have disliked this book - so besides from my instant liking to any and all fantasy books (with the blatant exception of vampire romances) I liked this book because it evened everything out - even if it had cliches, it was original most of the time and even when there were two-dimensional characters introduced, the main, three-dimensional characters were strong - I especially enjoyed watching Letitia Hellion grow from a villain to a misunderstood hero. The author, Victoria Forester slipped up in some minor parts, but still had everything right for the most part, and I really enjoyed this read - I tore through the book and I'll recommend it to every reader who's enjoyed a book with a little bit of everything - adventure, fantasy, mystery, hints of suspense and sparks of realistic fiction at times.

July 1, 2015
While no one knows everything, this follow-up volume to The Girl Who Could Fly (2008) has the same great premise as the first: that special gifts can be wonderful and also cause a peck of trouble. Conrad Harrington III is supersmart, but he definitely doesn't know what the future holds. Piper McCloud, the girl who could fly and the heroine of the first book, is back with her loving parents, who seem to gladly take on the whole crew of exceptional friends who met at evil Dr. Letitia Hellion's school, where they were being treated to become "more normal." Conrad's work on a time-travel machine pays off in a crisis, and the group of gifted kids coalesces around the idea of using their special abilities to prevent disasters and rescue others in need. Unfortunately, this attracts attention, and Conrad's mother, currently the first lady of the United States, arrives, saying Conrad's sister is in peril, and only Conrad can save her. Conrad is off to the rescue, taking readers beyond science fiction and into fantasy as events unfold. Classic quest elements are present, as is the unending battle between good and evil. Forester provides plenty of action, engagingly spunky (if fairly two-dimensional) characters, and sufficient length to bring resolution to most elements of the plot, though sometimes at the expense of logic. While critical thinkers may not find this particularly coherent, those willing to go with the flow will enjoy the ride. (Fantasy. 9-13)

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August 1, 2015

Gr 5-8-The long-awaited follow-up to The Girl Who Could Fly (Feiwel & Friends, 2008) finds Piper ("the girl who could fly") and Conrad ("the boy who knew everything") living in relative calm on Piper's family farm. Some time has passed since they and their fellow exceptional children escaped Dr. Hellion's prison of a school, yet the calm lasts only briefly as a few disparate events quickly unfold and turn everything upside down. In quick succession, the near death of Piper's beloved father, his father's election to the presidency, and a successful experiment in time-bending spurs Conrad to finally step up as leader of their band of misfit children. Under Conrad's tutelage, the kids carry out anonymous goodwill missions in response to fishy "natural" disasters. Yet their mission proves far from straightforward. Who is behind these disasters? Is there indeed a secret place where exceptional kids are free to be themselves? As in its predecessor, this installment straddles the real and the imagined. At times, this blend coalesces beautifully, but often it proves a bit clunky. The folksy colloquialisms uttered by Piper and her parents still feel out of place, leaving readers a little unsettled as to the setting. Its greatest strength emerges when the tale balances quiet moments of self-realization, identity, and friendship with an action-packed plot. VERDICT Fans of The Girl Who Could Fly will embrace this sequel.-Jill Heritage Maza, Montclair Kimberley Academy, Montclair, NJ

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