October 26, 2009

Review: The Dopple Ganger Chronicles: The Secret of Indigo Moon by G.P. Taylor

Title: The Dopple Ganger Chronicles: The Secret of Indigo Moon
Author: G.P. Taylor
Publisher: Tyndale

From Goodreads:

Erik Morissey Ganger, famed explorer and detective (well, in his dreams), and his mischief-making sidekicks, twins Sadie and Saskia Dopple, didn’t go looking for a secret tunnel beneath the school. They never intended to make the acquaintance of a shifty private eye with a nose for trouble. It wasn’t part of the plan to come face to face with an old enemy, one with an agenda of his own that could destroy them all. And unraveling the “secret of indigo moon” was the farthest thing from their minds. Confirmed troublemakers Erik, Sadie, and Saskia plunge headlong into a new and perilous mystery, one that challenges everything they thought they knew about their lives, themselves, and whom it’s safe to trust

A bit about the layout of the book: This book is a blend of regular and graphic novel. I found this description on Barnes and Noble of how it’s written: This book is in an exciting new format called an "illustra-novella," in which the story is told alternately in graphic novel format and plain text with occasional illustrations. I had never read a novel written in this style before, it didn’t take me long to get use to the way the book was written.

My review

For readers who need constant action – this is the book for you! This is a very fast paced novel that kicks off from line one and doesn’t slow down! Within a few short pages the main character Erik is already following shady characters into dark tunnels. Soon the other two main characters, Sadie and Saskia have joined in the pursuit. As the night goes on, one thing after another happens to these three characters. Once one situation is resolved they land right into another tight spot. This neck breaking speed continues until the mystery is solved and those responsible are caught. I found that with a pace this fast I felt I need to read the story fast too. I raced through it like Erik, Sadie and Saskia raced through the night. If you are someone that doesn’t like to read – I think once you get going on this book, you’ll never slow down enough to think about quitting! Nor would you want to.

One small complaint: the end of the book came very quick, and I was left feeling like there wasn’t enough of a wrap up. This is part of a series, so I’m assuming future books will provide that. Also, this is the second book, and I hadn’t read the first one. It didn’t interfere with my reading too much but there were a few minor things I was uncertain of.

Bottom Line: fun fast paced novel perfect for reluctant readers.  Be sure to check out the website here.

Best for ages: 10+

Book received from publisher

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