The Jimmy Fincher Series -- James Dashner

by Tristi Pinkston | More from this Blogger

27 Oct 2006 06:01 AM

"A Door in the Woods" is the first book in the Jimmy Fincher series. An assortment of strange events occur in which Jimmy finds himself facing a door out in the middle of the woods, and he goes through it to discover that he holds the key to saving the world. He can't believe what he's hearing; it's so far-fetched and beyond anything he's ever imagined, but the world is being overtaken by an evil force and he is the only one who can do something. As we go with Jimmy on his adventures, we see him receive certain gifts that will help him to accomplish his goal. My favorite is the ability to use and manipulate ice, which we learn about in the book "A Gift of Ice," appropriately named. Just as Spiderman can shoot out webs, Jimmy learns to create ice at his fingertips and to use it to protect himself and to fight his enemy.

Along the way, we meet Jimmy's family: his mother, father, and brother Rusty, as well as Joseph, good friend of Jimmy's father. They work well together as a team, supporting Jimmy in his quest and doing whatever he asks of them. We also meet Jimmy's new friends: Tanaka, a half-crazy Japanese warrior, Hood, a mysterious being who travels by means of using the Ring, and my personal favorite, Scott, who Jimmy meets in volume three of the series, "The Tower of Air." In each book, Jimmy must acquire a new gift and gain new information until he has everything he needs to defeat the Shadow Ka and the Stompers.

Author James Dashner weaves an incredible web of fantasy, friendship, and suspense as he brings Jimmy close to peril countless times. With a sharp turn of phrase reminiscent of his own boyhood in Georgia, Dashner's writing is never cliché. As the series concludes with the final book, "The War of the Black Curtain," we see how Dasher's carefully planted clues come to exciting fruition. I honestly did not see the ending coming, although looking back, clues were there. I am usually one who can find the formula and figure it out by midway through the book, but "The War of the Black Curtain" literally had me exclaiming with surprise. It was a perfect way to bring this exciting series to a close.

While these books are considered middle grade, I, as an adult reader, loved them, and I know that your grade-school child (and probably you) will too.

Learn more about Tristi Pinkston

I've been a blogger for Families.com since August of 2006.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger