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I loved this book! I thought it was very well-written and engrossing. I loved the characters and the concept and I just couldn't put it down. The characters were well-fleshed out and realistic as were both worlds. This is a great YA or adult book. I highly recommend it!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Rich-kid Oliver is as quick to help a stranger as he is to accidentally harm a friend in Through the Portal, by Justin Dennis. Oliver's a typical teen perhaps but more thoughtless than those I’ve known best, and in the end he's not the hero of this tale. His friend, poor-kid Jem, is clever, eager to please, and easily led, but that might change. Both boys are sucked through a portal as at the bottom of a lake near Seattle and the story begins.
While I found the characters somewhat childishly annoying in their Seattle world, this novel really takes off when they enter Callisto. While still thoughtlessly idealistic (“Where I come from, individuality is cherished,” says the boy who’s been teased for being different), both boys soon know they have a lot to learn.
The new world is nicely imagined, with lots of intriguing details to carry the story (including a dragon), and some clever analogies with modern America. The Regime attempts to control all magic, adults attempt to protect those in their care, and Jem, together with his new friend Sierra, tries to save the world without adequate backup. Some mysteries remain unresolved at story’s end, but Jem’s learning to take a stand, Oliver’s learning responsibility, and the adults are learning that teens may have something to offer after all.
Occasional errors in grammar and word choice do slow the story sometimes and some of the explanations are a little too easy, but Through the Portal by Justin Dennis promises to be the start of an interesting teen trilogy with plenty of action, intriguingly scientific magic, and, of course, dragons.
Disclosure: I received a free ecopy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Ebook courtesy of the author
Some kids get teased a lot at school. Some kids defend those that are teased. Friendship is a beautiful thing. Everyone needs a friend they can depend on.
In Justin Dennis¿s debut novel, Through the Portal, we meet Jem Surwae and Oliver Pautelle. Jem is poor and often the victim of the bullies at school. He isn¿t looking forward to entering high school next year. Oliver lives in a mansion and takes up for Jem.
On the last day of school, at 1 AM, the boys decide to go scuba diving. When they discover a hole in the bottom of the lake, their whole lives change and they¿re soon on an adventure that takes them through a portal to another world. A 4-foot tall man, a giant bear, and Red Dragons are just the beginning. The boys meet sisters, Sierra and Rimaya, who use magic even though the Regime has outlawed magic for the people. Jem and Oliver want to help fight the Regime before they take control and kill everyone opposed to them, but they soon find themselves in big trouble. You¿ll have to read the book to find out how, or if, they succeed in their goals.
Likeable characters and interesting encounters with unusual creatures in a fantasy world make for a fast read. The author has written a story that will appeal to fantasy lovers who like characters with spunk. This is the first book in a trilogy, so join in the fun and follow Jem and Oliver on their travels. I believe Justin Dennis has a promising future in writing ahead of him.
Miss-Lynn
Posted September 27, 2011
Through The Portal is the first in a fantasy trilogy that I fill will score big especially with the youth. It's the story of two teenage boys Oliver and Jem who have been friends for quite some time. Jem being the quiet studious one while Oliver is always out for a good adventure. Taking a summer school class they are finishing up and getting ready to enter high school in the fall, when Oliver comes up with a brilliant idea late at night. he wants to go scuba diving and try out the new gear.. So starts the adventures of these two boys. While diving in the lake and skimming the bottom, a hole opens up with a light shining in it. Well as they say curiosity gets the better of one sometimes and as Oliver swims in, Jem has to follow in order to save him from whatever fate lies ahead. Appearing in a strange land they have this feeling they are no longer in Washington or even on earth for that matter. When the first person they meet tries to get them killed by leading them into a cave , they are saved by Sierra a local farm girl. It's through her that they learn about where they are and the troubles that abound in the land. Not only is there a fire breathing dragon , but there is a Regime that has taken over the country is stealing their magical powers and refusing them to be able to use their magic, even when its useful. When Jem, Oliver , Sierra and her sister are accused of using magic, they are tossed out of the kingdom. Now Jem and Oliver vow to help restore peace to the land and get them out from under the tyrant clutches of the Regime. Can they do this before the dragon gets to them? This is a great fantasy book that I enjoyed very much. It has a great plot that produce danger through out with many twist and turns. The characters are quite easy to become involved with and as you read it feels as if you are in the midst of this amazing country or world that the boys have fallen into. There are times one will catch their selves laughing at some of the things that go on between Oliver and Jem.. The author has written a great book and I look forward to the second part of this trilogy.
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Overview
When Jem and Oliver accidentally fall through a portal to another world just before their first year of high school, they quickly discover that all is not well here. The first person they meet, a creepy old man named Atychis, almost gets them killed by a ferocious, fire-breathing dragon. They're only narrowly saved when Sierra, a shy farm girl from a nearby town, uses illegal magic to help them escape. Allowed to stay with her family while they try to figure out a way back home, Jem and Oliver begin to learn of magic and the Regime that is oppressing it.It isn't until the Regime kills a woman that the three kids realize they have to do something to ...