Review: Quest for the Spark (the new Bone novel)

Bone is a very popular (understatement) series of graphic novels. Many a reluctant reader has been enticed into reading because of the Bone series. Parents will be thrilled, then, by this latest Bone offering – it’s an actual novel without the graphics. Kids who’ve been reading and enjoying Bone may be ready to step up and get into this longer version of their favourite book. We asked book enthusiast Alexander Kelly to read and review the new Bone novel.

By Alexander Kelly, age 11

Quest for the Spark is about Tom Elm, a 12-year-old farm boy who dreams of being a hero.

When an evil being called the Nacht is awakened, people in the valley start to fall asleep. To save his family and the kingdom, Tom must embark on a quest to find the spark, the only thing that can save his family and the people in the valley from endless sleep. With help from an odd team of questers, Tom must find the spark before everyone is encased in endless sleep.

This novel is written by Tom Sniegoski and not Jeff Smith, the author of the Bone series, although Jeff Smith did illustrate the book. If you liked the Bone series, you might like this book although the style of the writing and the author are completely different. Unlike the Bone series, it is not a graphic novel but is an actual novel with some illustrations. Some of the characters and setting will be familiar to people who have read the Bone books. The two stupid rat creatures, Roderick the Raccoon, Grandma Ben and Queen Thorn appear in this novel.

You might like this book if you are aged 6 to 9. For older readers this book might be a bit basic and even a little cheesy. Correct me if I’m wrong, but a book with characters named Smelly and Stinky might be a tad childish for some older readers.