DG The DoppleGanger Chronicles: The Secret of Indigo Moon
Author: G.P. Taylor
Copyright: 2009
Publisher: SALTRIVER, an imprint of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc
ISBN 978-1-4143-1948-3
Genre: mystery/adventure
Edition: hard cover, graphic novel
Pages: 291
Source: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. provided me with a complimentary copy of The Secret of Indigo Moon in exchange for my honest and unbiased review of this novel.
Synopsis: "Eric Morrissey 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 the mysterious 'indigo moon' was the furthest thing from their minds.
At Isambard Dunstan's School for Wayward Children, these things just seem to happen.
In this second installment of The Dopple Ganger Chronicles, 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 who it's safe to trust."
My review: Awakened one night by a strange noise during a storm, Eric Morrissey Ganger snuck from his room to the top of a stairwell so that he might ascertain the source of the noise. What he heard and saw that night put him and his two friends Sadie and Saskia Dopple in a great deal of danger as they discovered a hidden tunnel; hid from, chased and were chased by bad guys; tried their hands at detective work; and put their very lives in mortal danger. How exciting! To make it even better, this is a graphic novel with a portion done like a novel interspersed with comic book renderings which carry on the tale. It is an unusual recipe for success which children as young as 10 and as old as middle school (junior high, pushing high school) would gladly immerse themselves in. The characters aren't perfect. In fact they're individuals being raised in a school atmosphere after being left behind by one or both of their parents. Their very homes are their school. Because of, or in spite of, this point, these three individuals know no bounds to exploration. They face fear head on, their curiosity becoming the better of them.
Eric, Sadie, and Saskia are a handful but the reader likes them. Not that their behaviour is necessarily a good example, but that they are willing to take opportunity when the situation arises to right a wrong and to seek justice. We like them despite their inclinations toward trouble. The plot moves quickly with a twist near the end that may surprise you. This is top-notch story-telling!
Though this is the second book in a series, the reader will not feel it necessary to read the first novel, The First Escape prior to reading this book. Though, they certainly will want to go back and read it after they've discovered the adventures the protagonists have in The Secret of Indigo Moon and must have had previously.
The next book in the series, The Great Mogul Diamond, is sure to be just as exciting! Check the author's website for availability: http://www.dopplegangerchronicles.com or Tyndale House Publisher's site http://www.tyndale.com/00_Home/index.php.
Rated 4.5/5
I don't read MG novels, but I like them when they're graphic novels. I especially like (fictional) troublesome kids. They're plenty annoying but they're exciting as well.
ReplyDeleteThe Procrastinator's Corner