Leo Lomax isn't like other kids. He has a sound-bending power that allows him to hear and see the past when he touches objects. Except his power is changing in scary ways. An eerie blackness lurks on the edges of his vision, threatening to swallow him. To top it off, his Uncle Crane has yanked Leo from his normal school, away from his friends and brother, and Crane is keeping Leo under constant surveillance. Crane offers to return Leo's life to normal and fund a fact-finding mission to investigate the death of Leo's parents, if Leo will only help him find the legendary conjoined-twin mask. There is one catch though, Leo will have to travel to Borneo and steal the mask from its rightful owners.

THE SHADOW MASK by Lin Oliver and Theo Baker is filled with thrills, danger, and deception. I loved the attention to detail in this book through the specificity of objects and setting. From the nose flutes at the street markets in Samarinda to the albondigas soup from a New York deli, it's these small details that help create a vibrant picture of Leo's world. Seeing the world through Leo's perspective is fun.

Leo's smart and scared at times, but more importantly, he refuses to give up. Leo and his brother Hollis both have unique abilities but they remain refreshingly down-to-earth and likable. They don't think of themselves as special. They're regular boys who've lost their parents. They're scared and hurting, but the world hasn't beaten them; no matter what their Uncle Crane throws their way. They also continue to act like brothers. I always love seeing the various ways siblings are portrayed and Leo and Hollis capture the brotherly dynamic well. They don't always get along. They don't always tell each other their secrets, but when it counts, they have each other's back.

Although written for ten to fourteen year olds, THE SHADOW MASK is amazingly flexible in appealing to a wider audience. Have fun reading this with your child. There's adventure, action, cool settings, and lost treasures to be discovered!

Book Summary

Leo's cruel and greedy Uncle Crane is forcing him to use his ability to hear sounds from the past to steal the other half of the mysterious Siamese twin mask that was once owned by Leo's father--or be separated from his younger brother forever.