The Enchanted Attic: Facing the Hunchback of Notre Dame

Author: L.L. Samson

Release Date: May 1, 2012

   A hidden attic. A classic story. A very unexpected twist. Twin twelve-year-old bookworms Ophelia and Linus Easterday discover a hidden attic that once belonged to a mad scientist. While relaxing in the attic and enjoying her latest book, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Ophelia dozes off, and within moments finds herself facing a fully alive and completely bewildered Quasimodo. Ophelia and Linus team up with a clever neighbor, a hippy priest, and a college custodian, learning Quasimodo's story while searching for some way to get him back home—if he can survive long enough in the modern world.

   Ophelia and Linus have TERRIBLE parents, they barely even pay attention to their 14 year-old twins. The Drs. Easterday are perfectly happy spending all of their time on field research and leaving the children with various care takers. This time, the twins have been sentenced to 5 years with their elderly great aunt and uncle (also twins).  5 WHOLE YEARS!!!! One day, the twins discover a strange attic and this is where the story truly begins.

    I loved this book! The author's style kind of reminded me of A Series of Unfortunate events, where the narrator actually adds a little of his thoughts and insights as he "writes" the story. Unlike Mr. Snickett, the definitions do not actually take the reader back out of the story. They are thrown in as part of the context and seem to follow along with the flow of the story. The author even adds in a few literary devices and writing tools. I loved him as much as I loved the story's main characters. I highly recommend this book for someone who is trying to introduce a younger audience to classic literature, or that Lemony Snickett fan who is looking for something a little less depressing to read. 4.5 stars for sure!

   Being a kid's book, the story itself was a short read of around 140 pages. I was never bored with the story line, and I mostly felt fulfilled. I just want to find out what happened with Quasimodo. Did his story change? Did his life turn out as tragic as Victor Hugo originally wrote it to be? I can only keep my fingers crossed that the children will see him again in a future adventure!



  
   After their adventure with Quasi, the twins and Walter are a little wiser about the attic and it's mysterious circle and ready to take on a new adventure. Armed with a little more knowledge about the mad scientist's lab, the children plan to pull Captain Ahab from the pages of Herman Melville's classic and rehabilitate him a bit. The next installment promises to be a whale of a tale, and is scheduled for a September 2012 release!

   Well, why are you still sitting there reading this review? GET TO THE STORE, NOW!!!!