Hello everyone!
I'm here to talk about No Exit by Hamilton C. Burger, a wonderful Middle Grade book about a group of kids who finds themselves fighting the existing order and trying to get back what's theirs and helping their community all in one run.
We follow the Apple Grove Gang in an adventure - it's the first day of summer, school is out and they're free for several months, to play with their friends but... What if they can't?
Their usual place of fun, the Community Center, is closed down by the mayor and Cliff, Bug's brother, is out of a job at the toll station and the Community Center too, so they have two major issues that they want solved before they can enjoy the summer. But they are just children and what can children do against the mayor and other politicians?
Well, a lot, it seems, with hope and determination. And a little bit of luck too, of course. With a little help from their friends, looks like everything is possible and people can be actually happy.
This book has that Sunday afternoon movie kind of feeling, where children are off to save the world and it seems so much easier and nicer than the real world. Even if the bad guys are evil, sometimes only because they feel like being evil, for money or because they don't like children, they are always defeated and the children are always the ones to do it, on their simple way.
I think that's what I liked about the book and I've been having a hard time putting into words. It is a simple book, with an easy-to-follow plot, characters that are as deep as children can be - not very complicated but very emotional, honest and simply willing to help-, and a lovable "you can be anything you want" kind of mood. It really put me in a great mood that I couldn`t translate and for that I apologize, specially to the author, who has been waiting for the review for months now.
For children looking for a simple big book or adults who just need a break from all the complicated issues in life, to enjoy some childhood simple-ness again, I highly recommend this book.
You can buy No Exit at Amazon. It also has 2 more books on the series, Gold Fever and Amazing Journey.
