Book Review: Olivia Cole and the Legend of the Silver Seed by Ricky Melamed

My Review: 

I loved the world and the creatures involved in this story, and it has a perfect setup for a sequel. It’s written in a style for younger readers, and is easy to understand all around. The descriptions enrapture you and take you on a whimsical journey. Olivia and her friends learn to trust their instincts, face their fears, and lean on one another. They have to learn quickly and stay on their toes as one thing after another come to stand in their way. It very much felt it was written from the points of views of children, and was executed extremely well.

My only gripes about the book is the main kids can be entitled/bratty at points, and it just put a sour taste in my mouth. That being said, they are flawed and each their own character. There are also a lot of instances people just started shouting, shrieking, or yelling with no buildup or explanation, bringing me out of the immersion. That being said, I would have loved to see what kind of impact the traumas they’ve faced have had on their mental states and bonds with one another.

Overall, it’s a solid read and it had me on the edge of my seat many times, especially at the end. I look forward to the next book and what other crazy places these kids zap to. Great read!

Summary: 

Two years ago, Olivia Cole's brother Tyler vanished, and her family has been torn apart. Now she and her best friends, Eddy and Penny, plan to spend their summer vacation together at her family's farm. But before their bags are even unpacked, Olivia enlists their help to find Tyler and bring her family back together.

While scouring the meadow for clues, they stumble upon a patch of strange metallic silver flowers. As they obsess over the mysterious flowers, Olivia is unaware that her troublesome neighbor Amanda, who has spent her life being ridiculed about her missing finger and unusual height, has secretly caught wind of their discovery. But the flowers aren't all she's keeping to herself; she's also hiding her heartache over Tyler, the first boy who ever made her feel loved.

Olivia and her friends catch Amanda investigating the flowers under the cover of night, but before she can confront her, all four are whisked through a mysterious portal into the world of Sumera.

With tensions boiling over between Olivia and Amanda, they part ways. Used to being alone and forced to fend for herself, Amanda trudges off into an ominous forest. Olivia, Eddy, and Penny are approached by the locals, who guide them on a journey across the churning sea, through a glittering underground city, and over barren ice lands in an effort to keep the sinister Queen Sasha from getting her hands on the humans.

While separately searching for a way home, both girls grow confident that Tyler must have been transported to Sumera, too. As their journey progresses, they uncover the troubled history of the legendary Silver Seed, a source of immense power that just may hold the answers they seek. Olivia and Amanda are forced to make a difficult choice: to focus on finding a way home or search for Tyler.

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