Hegarty, Shane. Darkmouth:
The Legend Begins, illustrations by James de la Rue. Harper, 2015. $16.99.
403 Pages. Violence: PG. Language: G (1 swear). Sexual content: G.
Darkmouth is the last blighted village where legends
(monsters) still enter the mortal world and attack people. Twelve-year-old Finn’s family has been legend
hunters for generations, keeping the village safe. His dad is a legendary hunter and everyone
expects Finn to take over the family business.
Except, Finn is the worst legend hunter ever and deep down he doesn’t
even want to be a legend hunter. Finn
doesn’t have any friends and until Emmie, a new girl arrives. A legend arrives, a hogboon, named Broonie who
tells Finn that he is a part of a prophecy, “The Legends are rising, the boy shall fall.” Emmie isn’t who he thinks she is and a close family
friend betrays them. Finn must find his
courage to save not only his family, but maybe the world. This first book in the series starts
strong. Finn is a likeable character who
feels forced into a life path he doesn’t want and doesn’t quite fit in. The town and its history are both intriguing;
as well as, the nefarious legends. The
plot moves quickly with lots of action which is sure to appeal to both boys and
girls. The black and white illustrations
are perfectly monstrous and help create the tone of the story. "Darkmouth" is a new and promising modern fantasy series.
EL-ADVISABLE.
Samantha Hastings, MA, MLS.
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