Rating: My bookshelf (for the appropriate audience, Needs Parent Supervision for younger readers)

Reading Level: Late Elementary, Middle School, High School

An orphan is bullied until he snaps. He and the bully are transported to another world where they learn their families and identities are more closely intertwined than they could imagine.

Possible Concerns:

  • Bullying. The bully and his friend are pretty terrible, causing the orphan boy to get in trouble with teachers and to endanger his place at the school.
  • Poor choice/reaction. Finally the main character loses control and reacts to the bullying in an unhealthy way, responding with physical violence. The bully then accuses the orphan boy of trying to kill him, which technically could have happened. It is a very tricky situation because the bullying was so severe it’s hard to blame the boy for responding how he did.
  • Magic. Strange creatures, strange worlds, portholes between them.
  • Plane Crash. There is a mysterious plane crash into the ocean; the orphan boy saves his friend by swimming with her unconscious body to safety.

Things I liked:

  • Identity. One of the biggest themes is whether the orphan boy belongs, whether he has a family, and whether he has what it takes.
  • Friendship. Forgiveness and faithfulness are themes.
  • Spiritual light; spiritual blindness. There are strong themes that mirror the spiritual reality of blindness to light, seeking power and oppression, and the darkness cannot overcome the light.

Overall there is quite a bit of peril, and quite a bit of bullying. But the spiritual themes are strong, so I would allow it on the top shelf of my bookshelf with the caveat that it is best for a mature (and not too sensitive) reader.