The Imaginarium of the Innocent (Spoiler Free Review)

Title: The Imaginarium of the Innocent
Author: H. A. Bentcourt
Genre: Fantasy
​Series: No
Rating: 4/5
Age: 10+

Synopsis

​While young Wendy and her brothers were taken to Neverland by Peter Pan, Alice fell through a rabbit hole and the Pevensie siblings crossed over to Narnia, another boy was taken to another fantastic place: his own heart.
Great losses crumble the worlds of even the steadiest individuals. In The Imaginarium of the Innocent, ten-year-old Tobias Young’s sense of home is torn from him in one night of wartime devastation in Belgium. Instead of security, love and peace, Toby now faces deep despair and cold numbness. In the aftermath of the destruction of his soul, he is crippled and orphaned in London.
Not only does Toby struggle to accept his handicap, he battles the will to be happy. With the help of a magical soaring eagle, Eoloswing, Toby enters the endangered Imaginarium as the Nightingale—a young man destined to save his newfound friends from the evil of the Hopeslayer. As Toby searches for answers and happiness—with his new roommate and his sister—in both the orphanage and the gorgeous and captivating floating island of dreams, he must learn to address his own heart and remember to retain his own Spark of Elan.

My Thoughts

(non-spoiler)

​Written by author H. A. Betancourt, The Imaginarium of the Innocent is children’s book similar to that of the Chronicles of Narnia. The book follows ten-year-old Toby on a heart warming adventure. The readers accompany young Toby through the tragedies that build and shape him as a young boy to the fantastical adventure that molds him as a young man. This book is inspiration both in its story telling and in its characters.
              Toby is a unique character in that he lacks the characteristic of being able to relate to his readership but manages to hold interest. Everything from Toby’s demure manner to his boyish charm pulls the reader in. Our curiosity regarding the main protagonist is sparked by his tragic beginnings. Right from the start readers will empathize if not relate to Toby and want him to succeed.
              Overall this book was good. The author built an incredible world filled with magic and wonder. However none of the characters stood out enough to make me want to re-read this. I would recommend this book as a rainy day read. It is definitely worth your time and will fill your heart and mind with both entertainment and wonder.