Saturday, October 01, 2011

The Hellandback Kids: Be Careful What You Wish For by L.L. Helland



The Hellandback Kids: Be Careful What You Wish For is about
four siblings, Chris, Brittany, Trisha, and Jon, who are
sent to their Grandmother's house in Scotland over the
summer. Maybe it's the ghost of their Grandfather that keeps
showing up, or the chicken that magically appears in
Britanny's room, or the wax bride that disappears from
Trisha's, but soon enough the four realize that something
wierd is going on. That realization is only enforced when
each of them is sent spiraling into a new world; Trisha to a
handsome suitor wanting to suck the life from her, Brittany
to bubonic-plague infested England, Jon to an important
corporate job, and Chris to a strange, cold land inhabited
by the fuzzy, green Bundlebobs. Although they are all
struggling through their own adventures, the Hellandback
kids find time to help each other, and learn an important
lesson: Be careful what you wish for.
The Hellandback
Kids: Be Careful What you Wish For was a very original story
that followed diverse characters in a fun, imaginative plot.
The story started out a little slow, but the adventures
quickly speeded up and drew me into to the Hellandback kid's
exciting summer. I enjoyed the large amount of symbolism
included in the story, especially Mr. Mole, Mr. Rat, Mrs.
Lips and Mr. Windbag who worked in the corporate world with
Jon. The author definitly drove home her message of being
careful for what you wish for well with four examples that
allow readers of different ages and personalities to relate
to the theme. The ending tied up all the immediate loose
ends, but still left me with enough questions to warrant a
sequel. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes
fantasy and adventure, and has a good understanding of
symbolism.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and
Country: Harleysville, PA USA