Between Two Ends by David Ward
Just released: May 2011
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Genre: Action, Coming of Age, Fantasy, Pirates, YA
Hardback: 304 pages
Rating: 5
Description from the amazon:
When Yeats and his parents visit his grandmother's creepy old house, Yeats reunites a pair of pirate bookends and uncovers the amazing truth: Years ago, Yeats's father traveled into The Arabian Nights with a friend, and the friend, Shari, is still stuck in the tales.
Assisted by the not-always-trustworthy pirates, Yeats must navigate the unfamiliar world of the story of Shaharazad--dodging guards and tigers and the dangerous things that lurk in the margins of the stories--in order to save Shari and bring peace to his family.
Amusing quote:
Skin looked at him expectantly. "Come on, lad," he said. "Another insult."
Yeats shuffled as far from the pirate as he could. Then he cleared his throat. "I've seen better mustaches after a glass of milk," he said.
The pirate twirled the ends of his mustache agitatedly. The insult had obviously been effective, for Skin leaned menacingly toward Yeats one second then forced himself back to the tiller the next.
When he was in command of himself he gasped, "I like that one too. What's the question?"
- page 88, chapter 7
My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): magicals
I'm a sucker for stories about characters who find themselves in books. And, this one is another gem of a story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Indeed!
Bookends as portals, wishes and possibilities are just a few of the fantastical elements of this story.
PeekAbook: a reading snippet by author
* review copy courtesy of author and netgalley
* part of ...and a bottle o'rum event
