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Cassie is a young and precocious young girl who lives with her family in Maine. She loves to tell of her best friend, Patrik, and their journeys to the ancient world of Lemuria. Her parents and others believe she merely possesses a vivid imagination. Cassie’s father indulges her stories while Cassie’s mother frets over her childhood development. However, Cassie’s father is aware of certain mysterious happenings in relation to the potting shed on their property. Cassie loves to play there with friends and Patrik, but there are concerns about something dangerous underneath the shed. Cassie can commune with Patrik and knows when he is in need of help. Their friendship fills Cassie with a mature outlook and a passion for life that is unparalleled in any adult.
The imagination of a child is shown in vivid detail in this heartwarming fantasy tale. The story moves between the bucolic splendor of Maine, where Cassie and her family live, and the hidden world where Cassie and Patrik search for crystals and other magical properties. The story’s realism is highlighted by those who believe Cassie’s stories (friends) and those expressing skepticism (Cassie’s Mother). As the story’s plot develops, even the highly dubious become a little more open to belief in the mystical. Cassie possesses the heart and spirit of an old soul, her words and wisdom illustrating a deeply mature individual as opposed to the young adolescent that everyone sees. This is a truly wonderful book with a broad appeal that is equally fascinating and thought-provoking.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review