Book Review: Raven's Gate

Raven's Gate: Book One of the Gatekeepers by Anthony Horowitz

(Click on the book cover to see which libraries own it.)

SUMMARY: When Matt, a 14 year old orphan, is arrested for breaking into an electronics warehouse, he is given a choice of juvenile detention or participation in a country foster program. He goes live on a remote farm, and soon discovers that his caregiver Mrs. Deverill and her neighbors are not just ordinary country folk. There is something sinister happening in the village of Lesser Malling, leaving a trail of blood that brings Matt closer and closer to an evil place called Raven's Gate.

OPINION: We read this book a while ago in my Book Grub book group, and I didn't really like it. But Chris, a member of my Primos teen book group, has been hounding me to re-read it, so I gave it another shot. Raven's Gate is an action-packed contempory fantasy thriller with one narrow escape after another, and it definitely is a page-turner. I liked how Horowitz forged a connection between ancient ritual and modern nuclear power, but I found a lot of the other fantasy ideas pretty generic. I mean, couldn't modern-day witches do better than reciting the Lord's Prayer backwards? Overall, I would say this book is good for people in grades 5-8 who are looking for an easy and exciting read. If you like action/adventure series like Alex Rider or action/fantasy series like Cirque du Freak, this is a series you will get into. I did promise Chris that I would read all four of the books because he claims that they get better, so we'll see.

SERIES TITLE: This series is published as The Gatekeepers in the U.S., but in England it is know as The Power of Five. They are the same books.

AUTHOR WEBSITE: Visit Anthony Horowitz online at http://www.anthonyhorowitz.com/