I gotta be honest — the cover for this one creeped me out. That’s why it took me so long to pick up the book — until about fourteen or fifteen years old. People do, after all, judge books by their covers. Keep that in mind if you do plan on self-publishing. But I digress. It was, in actuality, quite good.
Fourteen-year-old Leven Thumps (a.k.a. “Lev”) lives a wretched life in Burnt Culvert, Oklahoma. But his life is about to change and his destiny be fulfilled as he learns about a secret gateway that bridges two worlds — the real world and Foo, a place created at the at the beginning of time in the folds of the mind that makes it possible for mankind to dream and hope, aspire and imagine. But Foo is in chaos, and three transplants from that dreamworld have been sent to retrieve Lev, who alone has the power to save Foo.
Enter Clover, a wisecracking, foot-high sidekick; Winter, a girl with a special power of her own; and Geth, the rightful heir to Foo. Their mission: to convince Lev that he has the power to save Foo. Can this unique band of travelers help Lev overcome his doubt? Will Lev find the gateway in time? Or will Sabine and his dark shadows find the gateway first and destroy mankind?
Amazon Blurb for Book One: The Gateway
This middle grade tale was told in a friendly, humorous voice that wasn’t afraid to poke fun at the world and characters. While the first book was certainly bizarre and a bit slow, the action and the secrets picked up as the series continued. I will say, if you want everything to make sense, this is not the book for you. However, if you want something more whimsical, something along the lines of A Wrinkle in Time that’s not quite so odd, or like The Phantom Tollbooth without the irritating puns and blatant lack of coherence and backstory, then this is for you.
Leven Thumps is a lighthearted, clean fantasy series with plenty of good morals for the Christian reader to draw out. I assume that, based off a few tidbits here and there, the author has a more eastern-religion leaning himself, what with some mentions of balance and fate and what have you, but it is not overpowering and there are certainly strong themes of friendship, loyalty, leadership, courage, and forgiveness.
The story was highly creative and hilarious, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. If you are a middle-grade reader who enjoys fantasy, a teen reader looking for a reminiscent, clean series, or a parent with children who love the likes of Fablehaven or The Story Thieves, I highly recommend Leven Thumps. Violence is minimal and non-gory (mostly whacking, punching, and non-bloody, though if you are sensitive to sentient toothpicks getting stepped on, I might advise you to refrain.)
Alright, my friends, that’s all for this week. Has anyone read this? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Catch you later! Bye!
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