The Other Book

Edward Pollock lives an ordinary life at his ordinary boarding school, where the food is bad and the teachers are way too serious. But one day he's inexplicably drawn to a strange and powerful book, and suddenly the boarding school isn't quite so ordinary anymore. Capable of boosting men to heroism or destroying them in malice and evil, The Other Book has laid dormant for 400 years, waiting for someone to restore it to its original glory. While Edward must do his best to keep The Other book safe, a mysterious new teacher at the school becomes intent of getting a hold of the Book for her own sinister purposes. This dark and thrilling new fantasy takes a look at what happens when bad people control the forces of magic.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6–9—Edward, 12, finds The Other Book, old and dusty, in the school library, and suddenly his life is far more interesting than he would like. Connected with Merlin, this magical tome gives whomever possesses it tremendous powers, which have been horribly misused in the past. While trying to protect the book and figure out what's going on, Edward experiences terrifying visions, ghostly knights, betrayal upon betrayal, kidnapping, and a sinister new teacher who will do anything, including commit murder, to get her hands on it. Part Arthurian quest, part gothic boarding school fantasy, the story includes a fair amount of violence and a not-completely-coherent plot. Characters appear out of the woodwork to rescue or impede Edward, who seems to make the wrong decisions over and over. Darren Shan fans might find this one appealing, but most readers can skip it.—Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

After an opening chapter set in the Middle Ages, the scene shifts to a present-day English boarding school, where the students may not be wizards, but powerful magic is afoot. Twelve-year-old Edward Pollack discovers a dead raven, a mysterious stone monument, and an object of elemental power called the Other Book, which at times is actually absorbed into his body. The plot twists as Edward tries to discover how to protect himself and the Book from the powers of evil, represented by haughty, nefarious Lady Anne and her minions. Woven through the novel are references to Arthurian legend as reinterpreted in the works of nineteenth-century poets and painters, particularly Tennyson in his Idylls of the King. The backstory and plot are more intricate and fully developed than the stock characters. Though readers may find the complexity confusing at times, Womack’s first novel shows promise. And that’s fortunate, since the ending paves the way for sequels. Grades 5-8. --Carolyn Phelan

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