Book Review of Josh Anvil and the Cypress Door by Bruce Arrington

Synopsis:

Middle Grades/Young Adult

Josh Anvil's fate turned on a dime. A city in flames, with no relief in sight.

Aliens on a mysterious mission.

You have arrived in Josh's world.

Josh Anvil, at only fourteen years old, mysteriously finds himself possessing sensational powers, like making things come alive just by talking about them. He has amazing healing abilities that can even revive those on their death bed.

But Josh finds himself targeted by a menacing force. Some one or some thing is obsessed with taking him out. The FBI kidnaps him and tries to force his cooperation, a powerful monster dragon wants him toasted, and their own homegrown tree turns killer and tries to crush his house, with all of his family inside. These are just a few of Josh's challenges.

And if that wasn't enough, Josh stumbles onto the secrets of the Baton Rouge arson fires, and the puzzle pieces begin to come together. But before Josh is able to meet this threat head-on, he is thrown into a life struggle for himself, his friends and his family.

Review:


Josh Anvil and the Cypress Door by Bruce E. Arrington
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

This is a fantastic science fiction/fantasy story! I loved it!

Josh Anvil is a fantastic character. Unfortunately, he doesn't see himself the same way. He has low self-esteem, which is caused by his dyslexia and being bullied at school. He is also an excellent story teller! I liked him very much.

This is wonderful and exciting read for young teens. I was completely swept away by the tale! It has two of my favourite things, aliens and dragons. This is a slightly unusual mix, but the author has created an amazing story that allows the imagination to run wild! Set in Baton Rouge, the story catapults the reader into an adventure like no other I have read before! Josh's powers are amazing; they made me jealous! The dragons are cute (for lack of a better word!), and this story made me wish that they were alive! There is also Josh's best friend, Troy, who is also a fantastic character! I loved his attitude and his wit! Some of his comments made me laugh! However, there is also danger being faced by the residents of Baton Rouge. Fires are being set, and Josh finds himself in a fight against a deadly foe. I struggled to put this book down! The descriptions of places and people made the book come alive! There are some amazing scenes that I loved, but I think the best ones are on the island. I loved the rollercoaster, but would be terrified to try it out for myself! The ending has an amazing cliffhanger, and I am now looking forward to reading the next book to find out what happens next!

Bruce Arrington has written an exciting fantasy adventure, but he also highlights the issue of dyslexia. I think that this is a more common problem than has been reported. Not having dyslexia myself, I cannot pretend to understand what it is like to live with it. However, I can understand how frustrating it must be for sufferers. People like Josh (and my nephew, who has been diagnosed with dyslexia) need more understanding and patience, not ridicule and bullying. I am glad that the author has made his characters have faults and flaws, because that is how we, as humans, are; The characters come alive because of these faults. Kudos to the author!

I highly recommend this book to young readers aged 12-16, but I also recommend this book to adults who love to read YA fantasy books filled with dragons and/or aliens. - Lynn Worton

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