Return to Exile
by E.J. Patten
Published: September 6, 2011
Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade
Format: Hardcover (512 pages)
Source: For Review
Eleven years ago, a shattered band of ancient monster hunters captured an unimaginable evil and Phineas T. Pimiscule rescued his nephew, Sky, from the wreckage of that great battle. For eleven years, Sky Weathers has studied traps, puzzles, science, and the secret lore of the Hunters of Legend believing it all a game. For eleven years, Sky and his family have hidden from dark enemies while, unbeknownst to Sky, his uncle Phineas sacrificed everything to protect them. For eleven years, Sky Weathers has known nothing of that day. But on the eve of Sky's twelfth birthday and his family's long-awaited return to the town of Exile, everything changes.
Return to Exile was like Ghostbusters (with teens) meets A Series of Unfortunate Events with a tiny bit of Inception sprinkled on top. It was a pretty cool combination. Just when I thought that nothing else could go wrong, it would go all Unfortunate-Events on me and get worse. The witty humor was one of my favorite things. There are two girls that talk like Jane Austen and they were so hilarious!
I felt like there was a lot going on in the plot. There are lot of unanswered questions thrown at you right from the beginning and while some got answered, too many were unanswered for my taste. The mythology is mostly new and it’s a lot to take in all at once especially since some of the monsters are very similar to each other. Even though I was a little confused sometimes, I found the monsters creative and interesting. My favorite new monster would have to be the Echo – it was the exact opposite of an Ent from Lord of the Rings. I really liked the theme throughout that not all monsters are bad. I even learned some gross science amidst all the cool action. It was a fun and entertaining read.
Content Rating: Everyone. It’s a fairly clean read with some very minor violence.
I received this book for review from the publisher, Simon & Schuster, in exchange for an honest review. I was not told what to say, I was not paid to write this review and all the opinions expressed are my own.
About E.J. Patten
In April 1974, a beautiful baby boy was born at a small hospital in Mesa, Arizona. E. J. Patten (“Eric James”) was in the next crib over. The first story he ever wrote involved a strange ad, a Laundromat, and a bowl of chili; thankfully, it was never published. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Arts, and a Masters in Business Administration from Brigham Young University. He currently resides with his wife and three children in Utah.
My name is Jessica. I love to read Young Adult and classic literature. I’ve been a book blogger for six years and I haven’t gotten tired of it yet. I’m a very curious reader. Writing about all the questions and thoughts I had while reading a book is the best hobby ever.
Those comparisons make for some high praise bookwise. I might have to check this out to see if it lives up to those accolades.
Have a great day.
I just won this and my 10 year old wants to read it. I think it might be a bit over her head though. Looks like a nice book though.