Review Detail

Max's life is turned upside down when a girl from his dreams shows up in the waking world and entreats him to guard her magic orb. Shouldn't be too hard, but little do he or Sarina, the moon spirit, know that the orb will awaken for Max, drawing dangerous forces to its presence. On top of that, Max's new foster home is a little unusual, but maybe a few close calls are just what he and his new siblings need to start opening up to one another and find their courage to face the world.

I loved the blend of supernatural elements and teen drama. With the orb, Max is introduced to a whole new world of spirits and monsters and old rivalries that have yet to die, while on the mundane side, he has to navigate a new school, crushes, and belligerent bullies, and both sides remain important throughout the story. While this isn't connected to an established pantheon, the feuding powerful beings evoke the feeling of ancient gods, and it's awesome and spooky when Max and friends meet them face to face.

While this is mainly Max's story, there's also several POV chapters from Sarina and others, which give a sort of cinematic, panoramic view on the magic and trouble brewing out of sight for Max. Overall, the full cast of characters definitely make this a story to pay attention to, to keep track of the names, as well as to catch some of the dark humor (I never did figure out if the foster parents were joking about their security measures...)

Pick this up for a young teen read that blurs the line between magic and coincidence and where it's up to the kids to save the day.