Side characters can be heroes too in this charming and fast-paced adventure that is The Land of Stories meets The Phantom Tollbooth!
Indira has been a character-in-waiting her entire life. So she can't believe her luck when she's finally chosen to travel to Fable and study at the renowned Protagonist Preparatory, a school known for producing the best heroes.
But Indira's dreams of achieving hero status don't exactly go as planned. A failed audition lands her in the school's side-character track, and her best efforts to prove advisors--famous characters like Alice from Wonderland and Professor Darcy--wrong are constantly sabotaged. Indira is starting to feel like an evil antagonist might be to blame.
As the danger spreads, Indira discovers all of Fable is under siege. With her friends Maxi and Phoenix by her side, she pieces together clues that will reveal who is behind the dark magic threatening them all. But the more Indira uncovers, the more doubt she feels about her place in this world of stories. After all, can a side character really save the day?
What an interesting idea, the thought that the characters in our books had to - basically - audition for them! Some are never chosen, some become protagonists, some become side characters, and some even - horror of horrors - get picked for a story that never gets finished. This is the middle-grade world created by Scott Reintgen, and I found myself quite enjoying it. Indira Story wants to be a protagonist - feels in her bones that she should be one. But she fails her audition, and is told she's struggling in classes. How is she supposed to get that coveted spot in a story just for her?
I quite enjoyed myself with this one - it's fun and interesting and unique, with characters that were also fun and interesting. This would definitely make a great read-aloud for a classroom or at home. No spoilers, but it seemed like there might be more to come? I look forward to seeing how that might happen, and I do recommend this to anyone who enjoys a touch of magic, a touch of adventure & mystery, and a whole lot of heart.
