Title: Stanley Brambles and the Lost City
Author: Owen Spendlove
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 978-1-4917-7866-1
Pages: 367
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Reviewed by: Tiffany Ezuma
Hollywood Book Reviews
Stanley Brambles and the Lost City is the second installment in the Stanley Brambles series. The book is accessible to all readers even if they haven’t read the first book—but after finishing this one, I’m positive you would want to go back and devour the first! The story starts with Stanley, an average thirteen-year-old boy who’s worried about the typical things like surviving the eighth grade, going through puberty, avoiding bullies, and having a serious crush. Like most teens, he thinks that his town, East Stodgerton, is boring. But things take a turn when Stanley begins having a dream about a giant blue crystal that’s floating in the air. The dream begins to worry Stanley until he has to get to the bottom of it.
Along with Alabaster and Nell, Stanley’s two best friends, the trio is swept into the jungles of Verduria on Terra, the mythical land they explored before. When they get to Terra, the kids team up with Grey, Stanley’s distant cousin who helps them find Quetzal’Khan, the home to the crystal he dreamt about. When they arrive in the new city, Stanley and company discover that something evil lurks there that’s damaging the jungle and its inhabits. Over the course of the novel, the gang must overcome the evil force to save themselves and the other innocent parties.
As an author, Spendlove has a particular talent in pairing fast-paced adventure with everyday things like worrying about how others perceive you and exploring new, romantic feelings, which preteen audiences will find relatable. Another strength of Spendlove’s is his ability to create suspense. He will often foreshadow that something major is about to happen, which keeps readers flipping the pages to find out what will happen next; it makes for an easy-to-read, and entertaining reading experience.
These books, as well as the previous and upcoming third installment, are great reads for ages 10-14. The books will appeal to readers, who like series such as Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Maximum Ride, Artemis Fowl, and Harry Potter. Just like the protagonists in the other series, Stanley is a kid you can root for and someone you’d want to follow anywhere!