Fathom Five: The Unwritten Books (Paperback)

~ James Bow (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

On the surface, Peter McAllister has a good life: a good school, good friends, good times. So what if his best friend is a girl -- and sort of a geek? And so what if she might be more than a friend.

Underneath, it's a different story. It's been years since the death of his parents landed him in this small town with his hardly-there uncle, but he still feels as if his life in Clarksbury is just an inch deep. Does he really belong? Only Rosemary seems real. But that reality comes crashing down the first time he kisses her -- and she rejects him.

Then a mysterious woman named Fiona appears. She tells him he's a changeling -- a fairy child left to live in the human world -- and that it's time to come home. Can Rosemary convince him that Fiona is lying? Or is it possible that Fiona is telling the truth?

About the Author

James Bow's first novel, The Unwritten Girl, introduced readers to the strange and compelling worlds of Rosemary and Peter in 2006. A transit enthusiast, urban planner, and freelance journalist, James lives in Kitchener, Ontario, with his wife, poet Erin Noteboom.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Boardwalk Books (April 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550026925
• ISBN-13: 978-1550026924
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,771,240 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best friends forever, November 20, 2007

By	Kim Baccellia, YA author "Kim" (Southern California) - See all my reviews

Peter McAllister has a good life. So what if his best friend, Rosemary, is a girl.

But underneath it all, Peter has a lonely life. His parents are dead and he lives with an absent uncle. Then a mysterious woman named Fiona shows up. She tells Peter he is a changeling-a siren child left to live in the human world-and now it's time for him to return. Rosemary thinks differently. Can Rosemary convince Peter that Fiona is lying? Or is it possible she might be telling the truth?

After a choppy beginning, I was able to really get into this story. Peter longs to have a real family, something Fiona promises. The author does a good job showing the conflict between Peter on whether he should leave Rosemary and his life or follow Fiona. I also like how Rosemary has courage to stand up for what she knows to be true.

This is a fast-paced read that will swept the readers away into the mysterious world of sirens.

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, August 24, 2007

By	TeensReadToo.com "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

Rosemary and Peter have returned in this stand alone sequel to The Unwritten Girl.

It's a few years later, and Rosemary and Peter are best friends and virtually inseparable. Almost. When Peter tries to move things beyond friendship, Rosemary gets scared and runs away. Alone and feeling vulnerable, a vision from Peter's past is able to convince him that he doesn't belong in this world. Rosemary alone can return him to his true home, and help him find his real place. Before she has a chance to decide if she's ready to step beyond their friendship, Peter has disappeared into the mist.

Rosemary must, once again, travel to a strange world. A world full of unbelievable obstacles and extremely dangerous inhabitants. Only Rosemary can see them for who they are, and that makes them like her even less. Not only must she convince Peter that he's in the wrong place, and that she needs him (which involves figuring out her true feelings for him), she'll have to do it all in a very short period of time. Plus, she'll have to sneak in, since she's been banished and faces death if she's caught.

James Bow is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors. While part of me misses the time with Rosemary and Peter between the two books, it's really just because I like the characters so very much! The jump in time is done so well that you, as the reader, don't really question it. And the characters themselves are precisely where I would have imagined them a few years later. Okay, maybe not "precisely," what with the crazy land-in-the-mist thing.

I'm going to stop rambling and just tell you that this is a really, really good book. It's part adventure, part fantasy, part love story (without being too mushy), and you should definitely read it!

Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman