Carla Jablonski Resident Scholar Profiles TOP SCHOLAR: Debbie SCHOLARS:
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Review Summaries
"Timothy Hunter is a typical 13-year old boy, living in London with his uncaring father and worrying about looking cool and how to ride his skateboard better when four trenchcoated strangers appear. Turns out that Tim could be the most powerful magician of all time, but he has to choose whether he wants to live in the magical world or the unmagical one. Seems like a simple choice, right? But Tim is not sure which choice is correct, so he asks to see a sample of the magical world so that he knows what he is choosing.
First he travels to the past with the Stranger where he sees the creation of the Earth and different ages through time, including a meeting with Merlin. Then he travels through the present with John Constantine, who whisks him off to New York City to have his fortune read and then to San Francisco to meet the world-famous magician Zatanna. From there, Dr. Occult takes him to visit the world of Faerie where Tim is kidnapped by Baba Yaga and the Faerie Queen tries to keep him in her court. Then Tim is on a trip to the future with Mister E, where he discovers what the future will be like if he turns to dark magic. After his whirlwind trips to the 4 realms, Tim must decide if becoming a magician is worth the price that he must pay.
This was an okay story, but nothing really spectacular happens in it. It feels like nothing happens, really, except Tim keeps going from place to place meeting new people and seeing new things. I found that I didn't really care for Tim a whole lot and I certainly had no feelings for the 4 mysterious people who took him on his journeys, but maybe they are more developed in the next story. Anyway, I am sure that the fantastic trips that Tim takes look much better in the comic book story, but they do not do as well here in this novelization. I don't even really feel like it is the author's fault, necessarily, but with other books out there about teenage wizards (such as Harry Potter), this book really pales in comparison.
"
Debbie, Resident Carla Jablonski Scholar
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Overall Review
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Plot
Composition of Book Descript. of chases or violence - 10% planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40% Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%
Tone of book
- very upbeat
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- fantasy story on current Earth
Coming of age
Yes
Youngster becomes
- a powerful magician
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Kid's book (ages 7-14)
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- student
Age:
- a teen
Has magical/special powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character:
- can cast many different spells
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- long-lived adults
Profession/status:
- mage/magician
Has magical powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist:
- can cast all sorts of spells
Eccentric:
Yes
- obsessed
- emotionally unstable
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Earth setting:
- 20th century
Takes place on Earth?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
How much dialogue?
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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