Author: B.B.
Alston
Genre:
Adventure Fantasy, Middle Grade
Publisher: Egmont Books
Publication date:
19 January 2021
Number of
pages: 416
ISBN 13: 9780062975164
"What if I told you that living among us are all the things we've
come to pass off as myth? Dwarves and sphinxes, mermaids and oddities you could
see with your own eyes and still not believe – these and countless more dwell
in our towns and walk our streets. One might be your neighbour or even your
favourite teacher."
Wow! It's been a
LOOOONG time since I read such an exciting book!
Amari and the Night
Brothers by B.B. Alston is the first installment in the Supernatural
Investigations Series. AND IT'S AMAZINGGGG!
I
was expecting an adventure and fantasy but what I got was tons of humor, snark,
bravery, adventure, and not just a touch of fantasy tons of it mixed with all
kinds of supernatural and mythological creatures.
Amari
Peters is a 13-year-old black girl, living in a low-income housing neighborhood
with her mother. Her brother Quinton disappeared a few months prior, supposedly
while working.
Amari
is constantly bullied in school for coming from a low-income family. Until one day,
when Amari gets a visit from a beggar-like-looking-man who asks her to sign for
something, says he "won't erase her memory" but that she should check
her brother's wardrobe after midnight.
When
she does, she finds a suitcase with strange-looking clothes and sunglasses. Putting
the sunglasses on, Amari sees her brother in a hologram. He tells her many
things but many questions also come to light. Amari is invited to attend a
summer bootcamp where, if she succeeds in for several summers, she would be eligible
for a scholarship at an Ivy-League university.
"There's
a huge part of me that wants to tell her about Quinton's Wakeful Dream. She deserves
to know. But how do you explain being visited by your missing brother in a
dream where you took a flying boat to go look at some underwater trains without
sounding delusional?"
There
she discovers a new world of fantasy and mythical creatures living amongst
humans. The bootcamp is part of the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, an entity
and task-force that manages affairs between humans and non-humans, that is the
secret world.
This
reminded me of how Harry Potter discovered a whole world of magic just
surrounding him. Many aspects of the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs reminded me
of the Ministry of Magic in the Harry Potter books.
Especially
the bureau's Director Van Helsing (yeah those Van Helsings!), who was a lot
like Cornelius Fudge. And I'm just going to leave it at that.
There
were many parts in Amari
and the Night Brothers that reminded me of the Harry Potter books – but
the characters and book are significantly different.
There
are many interesting and lovable characters in Amari and the Night Brothers
including Amari herself, Elsie, Agent Fiona and others. Then there is Lara Van
Helsing, a Draco Malfoy-like character (that you can't help but hate) while her
brother is something else entirely. And I loved how Amari confronted him about
being nice one minute and a meanie the next.
"I try again to think of something I'm really good at. Falling asleep
on the sofa after school I doubt the Bureau would have much use for that."
I instantly fell in love with Elsie and not just because she's part dragon. There was lots of character development for Amari and her friends.
There's
a ton of humor in almost every chapter and with every character in Amari and
the Night Brothers. Here's one after Amari goes to the Bureau of
Supernatural Affairs and meets Agent Magnus.
"Just to be clear…you're having a conversation with the
elevator?" I mean, sure I talk to my laptop sometimes when it's not
working, but it's never spoken back.
The
story is narrated from the first person perspective of Amari herself, a super
sarcastic, fun, and brave character.
Amari's
sole purpose in joining the Bureau is to uncover what happened to her brother
and find him. But…
"I thought for sure that coming here would finally give me some real
answers about Quinton, but it's just as big a mystery in the supernatural world
as it is back home."
At
the Bureau, the students like Amari discover their abilities. But Amari doesn't
have an ability or rather she has an illegal ability. She has magic blood. Something
deemed by the Bureau as instantly evil. Why? Because of the Night Brothers.
Two
brothers who had magic blood like Amari and nearly destroyed the world. One of
the brothers is dead but the other lives…
As
a black kid, she discriminated against in the known or human world. When she
goes to the Bureau, she finds another kind of discrimination, with everybody
trying to get her to lose and leave.
Overall
I loved Amari, how she's human, who makes mistakes, how she's intelligent,
brave, and creative.
It's
the first time I notice or realize a main character as a black girl. And it was
both interesting and different. And I laud B.B. Alston for that. That and letting
Amari take over the story.
Originally,
the author had other plans for Amari but the character pretty much took his
writing pen and crafted a world and character of her own.
Overall,
I absolutely loved Amari and the Night Brothers and can't wait for other
installments to be written and published.
That
said, the book doesn't have an open ending. :D
Overall rating: 5 stars
Note: I got a free Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) of Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston as part of a blog tour with The Write Reads.
Add Amari
and the Night Brothers on Goodreads.
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