Book 3 for Charlie Bone - AKA The Blue Boa
As an adult reader, this story was not as good as the first two, in my opinion. Being the middle book in a five part series, I was hoping for a bit more action among the characters. My young readers, however, liked it just fine and their opinions count more than mine.
Just before Belle, a pretty girl Charlie's age, comes to stay with his three evil great aunts, Charlie's Uncle Paton Yewbeam (Yay!) overhears his sisters plotting to release something, or someone, as evil as they are, and he resolves to try and stop them. Borrowing Charlie's wand, Paton leaves on his mission and seems to disappear. The Yewbeam sisters, Venetia, Eustacia, Lucretia and Grizelda (Charlie's grandmother) grin evilly when they hear this.
Meanwhile Charlie returns to Bloor Academy and his next adventure. He soon discovers there is an invisible boy, Ollie Sparks, being held captive in Bloor Academy's attics. Charlie and his friends are able to find him and resolve to help him. Along the way they discover their new teacher, Mr. Boldova, is really the older brother of Ollie.
The Sparks family was told young Ollie had died and while his parents believed the Bloors and grieved for their lost boy, their older son never believed it and came to the academy under a false identity to search for the truth.
Among his friends, Charlie's leadership is acknowledged when he decides he is going to find a way to help Ollie, and they all but roll their eyes and fall into step behind him. That's Charlie, always charging in!
Paton Yewbeam returns after a long absence, drained of his powers and finds no sympathy from his sisters, who are gleefully chuckling amongst themselves that he got what he deserved for trying to interfere.
It is up to Charlie to use his endowment power to help Paton and free Ollie.
Since the first book, the idea has been growing in the back of Charlie's mind that his father might not be dead, but is instead being hidden by his own mother, Charlie's Grandma Bone, with the help of her sisters. He believes this even more after this book.
Paton, my personal favorite character, uses his powers in a spectacular way and his sisters get a lovely comeuppance.
That's all I ask for in these books. More of Paton Yewbeam.Read full review
