Dark Hills Divide (Land of Elyon, #1)

by Patrick Carman

Inquisitive twelve-year-old Alexa Daley is spending another summer in the walled town of Bridewell. This year, she is set on solving the mystery of what lies beyond the walls. Legend says the walls were built to keep out an unnamed evil that lurks in the forests and The Dark Hills. But what exactly is it that the townspeople are so afraid of? As Alexa begins to unravel the truth, pushing beyond the protective barrier she's lived behind all her life, she discovers a strange and ancient enchantment - and exposes a danger that could destroy everything she holds dear.

• ISBN10: 0439959950
• ISBN13: 9780439959957
• Publish Date: 17 June 2005 (first published 15 November 2003)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 25 February 2010
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Scholastic
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 256
• Language: English

Reviews

A straightforward fantasy adventure with talking animals, danger and a long awaited quest. Alexa Daley has lived her whole life inside the stone walls that surround Bridewell and all she has ever longed for is to find a way outside. When her friend and the constructor of the walls, Thomas Warvold dies, Alexa is thrust into the middle of a long planned uprising and must solve the puzzles the Warvold family left behind in order to save the day.

This was nothing new in the fantasy adventure genre but enjoyable all the same. There is low angst, a big quest and a mysterious saboteur to be found. The mystery saboteur was a bit obvious now Elephant + Worship = Sebastian with a character named Ganesh it wasn't exactly hard but I can't remember if I ever made the connection when I read these as a kid. On the other hand I felt like a certified genius upon reread so win. I liked Alexa, she's a daring, headstrong and a reader - so it's really hard not to. The other characters played pretty small parts really but I liked Yipes and the other animals and Alexa's father and Grayson. I enjoyed the details of the quest - like the tunnels and the Jocastas - etched images on gemstones.

There's a little bit of violence but it's all pretty tame - perfect for younger readers. 4 stars.