So many YA fantasy novels seem like Harry Potter wannabes these days. Well, y’all, I’m here to tell you, this is a wannabe that actually has some meat to it and could very well be the next big thing. I was hooked from the get-go as 12-year-old Max is followed by a weird man, and then things go awry in the Art Museum. From there he is given the Harry Potter treatment – recruited to a special school for kids with magical abilities, stalked and nearly caught by the “bad guys,” saved in the nick of time by the good guys, learns of the presumed-dead Astaroth, this series’ HWSNBN. It goes on and on. But, although I drew comparisons to the J.K. Rowling series throughout my time reading this story, I felt The Tapestry has legs to stand on its own.

I actually got this book from the library to see if my son would be interested in reading it, but I got hooked. it might be a little bit too advanced for him (he’s 8) but I’d say a fourth or fifth grader could easily get into it. It’s a bit dark in places, similar to HP, and bad stuff happens from time to time.

If you are someone who has a void in his or her life ever since you read the final pages of Deathly Hallows, then this might be the series that will give you some pep back in your step. Max is every bit as likeable as Harry, and there’s just as much magic, intrigue and good old middle school hijinks as the Potter novels. I am going to check out the second book as soon as possible and learn about the rest of the series.