The Incredible Adventures of Absolutely Normal by Amanda Rotach-Lamkin

Description

Samuel Christopher McCubbins is an extraordinary boy. Handsome, brave, smart- he is everything a hero should be. This story is not about Samuel. Instead, it is about his cousin, Albert, who is absolutely normal. Gwytthenia, a magical kingdom adjacent to but largely unreachable from our own, is in trouble. A plague has been growing and turning all that was once beautiful and true dark and dangerous. The King is trapped in His castle by the dogma of His own people, and so He sends two trusted emissaries to our land to collect a hero. Instead, they grab Albert. However, even the passage from one world to the next is not without peril, and Albert wakes up stranded alone in a snowbank. There, he is discovered by a dishonored knight who just happens to be a penguin. The penguin, who goes by Malarkey, nurses Albert back to health and then sends him on his quest – to find the King and discover why he was brought here. The journey is not quite that straightforward, as journeys seldom are. Instead, Albert finds himself facing one adventure after another; a five-headed Chordra, dehydration, and enormous spiders just to name a few. However, though the land is beset it is also kind, and Albert finds that kindness through the friends he makes along the way. In addition to Malarkey, there is a dwarven rancher obsessed with 1950’s Americana, a satyr whose calling is to “fix hurts”, a fierce and brave Plainsgirl, and a flying bear. Poignant and powerful, “The Incredible Adventures of Absolutely Normal” is an old-fashioned fairytale, written in the tradition of “The Chronicles of Narnia,” and “The Lord of the Rings.” It follows the birth of a hero, showing that true heroism lies within us all if only we are brave enough to find it. There are subtle Christian references throughout, so while anyone can read and enjoy this novel, those with a background in Christianity will find themselves rediscovering old stories, told in a new way. Written for children from 8-12, “The Incredible Adventures of Absolutely Normal” nevertheless transcends ago and as such will delight anyone with a heart for magic, adventure, or who simply longs to lose themselves in a good story.