Dancing Jax by Robin Jarvis
31 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in Recommended Reads, School Librarian Reviews Tags: Robin Jarvis
This is a mesmerising and fantastic novel – which made my heart beat faster!Set in Felixstowe it begins with some unsavoury teenagers breaking in to a creepy Victorian house which has been boarded up for years. There are urban legends surrounding the history of previous occupants but only Sheila the girlfriend of the ringleader is aware of these. They are all affected by the damp dark atmosphere in the house but Sheila’s boyfriend Jezza is unaffected and really excited about exploring. Things start to get really weird when they discover packing boxes full of books, all the same, called Dancing Jacks. Jezza acts as if he was meant to discover them and these books have an immediate hold on every reader who turns the first page. The story follows the lives of the young people of Felixstowe and how they are drawn in to events controlled by the Dancing Jacks. There is a terrible tragedy and only Paul, the son of a local school teacher seems to notice the link to this mysterious book which is being read by everyone, but can he make anyone listen before it is too late? It is so exciting and in places quite horrific and at times the situation seems totally hopeless; such is the power of events taking hold in the town. A great story and I just cannot wait for the sequel.
Lesley
