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“Entertaining, surprising, and family dynamics.“
Reading age
8-12
Genre
Fantasy
Publisher
G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication date
February 22, 2022
My summary of the book
Flashback: fifteen years ago, eight supernatural criminals of Estero escaped into a tropical hideout. During that time, most of these criminals had disappeared without a trace trying to find Elena Golden (one of the criminals) that stayed in Estero.
Five children- Birdie, Brix, Tenner, Seven, and Cabot, who have magical powers, are left alone after the last adult on the tropical island dies. Before dying, he gave his daughter a map with a note, “Go to Estero, find your mother Elena, and give her the map.” Now Birdie and the other kids must decide whether to go to Estero or not.
My thoughts
The story’s beginning is very slow, and the author keeps repeating on and on about the criminal’s disappearances. May this book target a younger audience?
After the slow start, the story was entertaining, and I liked the descriptions of the island. It made me want to go to an island or any tropical place.
Nice twists and surprises filled this book at every corner. I loved the family Dynamics; it sets a relaxed vibe. The idea of supernatural criminals is genius, and I loved thinking about the family’s good times. Puerco is such a cute pig, and my favorite character was Tenner because he caught my attention from the start.
My rating
About the author
“Lisa McMann is the New York Times and the USA Today bestselling author of dozens of books, including The Unwanteds series, the Wake trilogy, and her most recent novel, Clarice the Brave. She is married to fellow writer Matt McMann, and they have two adult children. Lisa spends most of her time in Arizona, California, Vancouver, British Columbia, and loves to cook, read, and watch reality TV.” – Book Depository.
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