Mermentau, Seal of the Forgotten, by Zack Scanlan is a wonderful read for lovers of any young adult fantasy authors. His storytelling skills are incredible, I could literally see a movie inside of my head while reading this book! His descriptions are graphic and beautiful. He also has A LOT of humor into this book! His character Gumbo is a big part of that humor. I think that teachers should give this book to students that are reluctant readers. Right from the beginning I was drawn up into the mystery world of Mermentau. Mr. Scanlan's characters are also super believable. I love the little romance between Ellie and Jackson. I'm sure that many modern teenagers could relate to the awkwardness of some of their experiences! The only thing I didn't really like about the book was that it seemed to move a little too fast for me. Events would just run into each other, it was like reading a race. There weren't enough moments for the reader to rest and get to know some of the minor characters. Also, some of the magical concepts weren't explained enough for me. But it was an incredible read with a fantastic plot, and I can't wait to read the sequel! Zack Scanlan is a very promising author with great talent!