LitPick Review
Orion Poe has a pretty boring life in eastern Maine—helping his cantankerous old grandpa, exploring the forest next to his cabin, and playing on the banks of the ocean, wishing something exciting would happen. Incidentally, the ocean is where his life is turned upside down after a small ship crashes into the cove near his house, bringing a mysterious Mr. Collins with an affinity for privacy, an attachment to his enigmatic backpack, and haunting nightmares about something called “The Terror.” Orion thinks him a little odd—and, after a platoon of threatening men come to the cove and shoot Mr. Collins dead, Orion is determined to find answers. After exploring Mr. Collin’s backpack and finding a cryptic map, Orion is swept into a harrowing adventure in order to solve the mystery of The Lost Explorer. Along with the eccentric and impulsive Professor Meriwether, the strict Captain Crump, the insufferable Peerless Jones, and the crew of the Sea Leopard, Orion embarks on a journey to the top of the world, attempting to find answers to the many questions he has to unravel. Soon, it’s one dangerous adventure after another—near shipwrecks, run-ins with icebergs, fighting off all kinds of rabid animals, and more. Will Orion be able to solve the riddle and get back to his Maine cabin…….alive?
“I jumped out of the trees and busted for the clump of grass. I was almost there, too, when all of a sudden—BANG!—went a gun, and at the same time a man with a musket stepped out of the fog in front of me.”
Opinion:
I would describe this book as inconsistent. In some parts, it was airtight, truly incredible writing. In others, it was all in pieces. There was explosive dialogue with a wonderful addend of dialect, but, then, there were too many inside phrases, too many I thinks and I did’s…..they never spoke aloud! Sometimes the sentences were too long and too awkward, with redundant descriptions that sat on the borderline of mind-numbing. The setting also changed too much—it seemed like the explorers were in a new place every couple of pages. I also felt that the author, at the end of the book, went the easy way out on some of the major plot holes that the book had, covering them with shoddily executed one-liners that didn’t really relate. One thing that this book was consistent AND exceptional in was the characterization. Summerhouse’s character development and personalities made them almost irresistible—you loved some, you hated some, you connected with some. It was flawless. Altogether, though, I felt it was a slightly bogus book that could have been executed better.
“I was falling through a shadow of snow. The next something solid came flying up out of nowhere and –SMACK!—everything went black.”
I would recommend this book for all ages, as there is no profanity and sexual situations. There is a little bit of violence and death, so if that bothers you, you may want to skip over this book.
Will Orion Poe be able to solve the mystery of the Lost Explorer AND find a way to get home unscathed and alive? Read Orion Poe and the Lost Explorer by William Summerhouse to find out!
