Review: Countryside: The Book of the Wise (Countryside #1) by J.T. Cope IV

Summary-

You have a power within you, one that is within everyone...It s the same power that fills that building, that keeps that tree alive...and the same power that has attracted your attention...I know it s all a bit strange to you, but I assure you it is quite real...
Eleven-year-old Luke Rayburn has never seen a skyline without skyscrapers or fallen asleep to anything but the sound of traffic. But his life is about to change in ways he never imagined.When his father leaves for a year of military service, Luke and the rest of his family move into their grandparents home in the remote town of Countryside, a place like no other. There, Luke will be drawn into a centuries-old quest for an almost-forgotten book whose secrets will determine the fate of the world. He will have to reach deep to discover the power within him as he battles the forces of darkness and an alliance of sinister men who seek to destroy any who get in their way.

Review-

Countryside was an exceptionally delightful and unexpected read for me. I tend to judge a book by its cover and this cover simply looked like a young boy in front of a school. A tad bit misleading. The story is about a young man, Luke, whose father is from a different realm of the world, a realm that can be reached by stepping through magic archways with hidden symbols. This realm, or holding as it's called, is filled with Centaurs, Dryads, Angels, Demons, Darkmen, soulless creatures and a book that gives the reader the power to end the world. It's a fun and exciting world that still retains bits of modern times--the kids go to school, play on the football team, and worry about dating.

Author J.T. Cope has created in his protagonist, Luke, and the other characters, people who are ordinary humans who possess exceptional skills or abilities. I found myself connecting with Luke, his siblings, his parents and the townspeople as members of my own family--I enjoyed some of them and disliked others. To me, the ability to make a reader feel strong emotions, whether good or bad, is a mark of a very talented writer. And I definitely did feel many emotions as I worried about young Luke and Matt on their adventures, Luke's football team as they played in a stadium full of Darkmen, and Luke and his friends and siblings as the dark fog wafted its eerie way through the story. Very, very good adventure series. I will be eagerly awaiting book two!

Publisher-Village Green Press, LLC

Reviewer Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reviewed by~Cindi Clubbs

Thank you to the author for the donation of this book to the Read for your Future book program in exchange for a honest review!