The Malifex (Middle Grade Fiction)

Rating:
Summary: AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: I LOVED THIS BOOK SOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!! It was really a terrific book. I only enjoy few books, and this is one of them. YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK!

Rating:
Summary: Great story, worth a read!
Review: So you're a Harry Potter fan, right? So you're waiting for Book Five to be published, right?
Well, while you're waiting, pick up this book. There are a lot of fun similarities to the boy wizard and enough differences to keep your appetite for British wizardry whetted.
Alton brings to life the countryside of England with this fun romp. In it we meet Sam, a typical young boy that loves video games and, when dragged on yet another vacation with his parents, wants only to stay in his room and play his video game.
His parents take him to Dorset, England and he finds himself in a bit of trouble - mind you, this is the England with Stonehenge and ancient tales of Druids, witches and evil spirits.
Sam meets Charly, a local girl his age and they promptly - and accidentally - wake up an ancient apprentice to Merlin who is battling an evil force called the Malifex.
And, of course, Sam is chosen to be the "young hero to fight the bad guy."
Sound familiar? Even though this smacks of the young Hogwarts-going wizard, Sam is no Harry. His friendship with Charly doesn't start off well and his reluctance to get involved (and get his nose out of his video game) is only changed when his parents are threatened.
Alton deftly blends English myth and mystical legends into his story, giving this Yank a taste of what it must feel like to cavort around the English countryside battling evil forces with the help of wizards and witches. But the Englishness of this story doesn't overpower the feel - in fact, I didn't even know that Sam was English until a few chapters into the story.
This delightful book is aimed at the tweens but adults can enjoy it as well. Alton is obviously trying to create a series and here's to hoping that it continues at this high level.