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29 Jul 2008 02:00 AM

The Questory of Root Karbunkulus - Kamilla Reid

by Tristi Pinkston | More from this Blogger

"The Questory of Root Karbunkulus" is a new young adult fantasy novel that features quirky characters, an unusual quest, and a beguiling main character, a young lady named Root. Raised in a strange house by two aunts who show her no love or affection, Root is startled when a telephone begins to ring in her house-a telephone she can't find. She looks in cupboards, closets, every nook and cranny, and finally follows the sound to a secret trap door in the living room. Opening it and going down the stairs, she locates the telephone and discovers that she's been chosen to go on a quest.

These elements all by themselves might make the reader think the book is a Harry Potter rip-off, but there are enough twists and turns to the story to make it stand on its own two feet. Besides, there are enough common elements in every fantasy story that make them all seem alike, in one way or another.

One of the most unusual and charming parts of the story, to me, is the first chapter where we meet Betty. She's a wisteria vine and she spreads her tendrils far and wide to catch any bits of gossip she can. Her personality, if you can say that a plant has a person-ality, is so clever and fun, I fell in love with her right off. She lives on the cottage of a man named Argo Bumplekins, who is in fact the man who calls Root to tell her of her quest. He nurtured her "wake," a spiritual connection to her, in a cradle in his garage for a long time and feels a personal responsibility for her success.

As we skip forward in my recounting of the story, Root is assigned two friends to accompany her on the quest. They're both boys and as different as can be, and they learn that they each have a magic gift. They've got some sort of inkling as to what it might be, but until they are out in the world and faced with danger, they don't fully grasp the power they possess and must learn it for themselves.

There are other teams sent out on the same quest, to find the fabled "miist" and bring it back to headquarters. It's only the first item on a list of several, but those teams who fail can't move on to the next item, so it's crucial that Root and her friends obtain it. They do, after many incredible adventures.

I enjoyed the personality shown in the writing during the slower, narrative parts of the tale. During the action scenes, the pace picked up enough that the writing became garbled and lost some of its charm for me. I did like the clever way the children overcame their challenge to obtain the miist, as well as the other creative obstacles they faced down. I recommend this book for a diverting, fun read that you can share with your child ages ten and up.

(This book was published in 2007 by BookSurge.)

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Learn more about Tristi Pinkston

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

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