The Barossa Mag Autumn 2019 | Page 39

BOOK REVIEW //T H E B AROS S A MAG | 39 BOOK REVIEW REVIEW BY TODD KUCHEL Map of Days WRITTEN BY RANSOM RIGGS Upon his return home after vanquishing the threat of Caul and his army of Hollows, Jacob Portman has returned home to parents who question his sanity. As they set off to admit him to an asylum, the car is suddenly brought to a halt by a blockade of people. Jacob questions his own sanity at the sight of his beloved Emma and the rest of his peculiar friends. As far as he knew, they were unable to leave the Devil's Acre loop in which he had left them. With Jacob’s parents placed in an induced sleep, his peculiar friends explain how their time clocks have been reset, enabling them to live each day like Jacob. containing a list of secret missions his Grandfather, Abe Portman carried out with an unknown person named H. Following Miss Peregrine's creation of a portal in Jacob's very own back yard, Jacob is taken back to Devil’s Acre and overwhelmed by fans due to his heroics in the previous novel. Jacob establishes contact with H and with his friends along for the ride, goes against the Ymbryne’s wishes; embarking on a mission in the footsteps of Abe Portman. There, the Ymbryne Council employ, Jacob and his hero friends with jobs that are so mundane, they can’t help but feel poorly rewarded for their efforts. With the discovery of a bunker beneath Jacob’s grandfather’s home, Jacob uncovers a journal I read and enjoyed all three previous novels in the Peculiar Children series, presumably to the end. I hadn’t anticipated another release. I was however pleasantly surprised by the arrival of this fourth instalment. It had been a while since reading the series. Nevertheless, The Map of Days picks up right where the Library of Souls ended and so was like picking up conversation with an old friend. Although at times I found myself disliking the main character, I found that because this novel was not required to complete the series, it was a true adventure, spontaneous and less of a designed piece of the puzzle. I look forward to the next chapter. All four books in the Peculiar Children series are now available from the Raven's Parlour book store, Tanunda. From Triumph to Studebaker Barossa Funerals is well known for providing families with excellent personal care, attention to detail and choices. “While our 1940 Studebaker Hearse adds a bit of nostalgia, now we have expanded our hearse fleet to include a Triumph Motorbike Hearse to cater for the bike enthusiast, plus a modern high roof Statesman Hearse” says Dennis Noack. This takes the stable to five hearses for families to select from. The Chapel in Tanunda has a new covered deck area, 360° photography of the chapel can be found on our website. The restructured and enhanced website, barossafunerals.com.au provides a myriad of easy to find information and selections as well as notices for deaths and funerals. Enquiries and chats are always welcome. Barossa Funerals 8563 0900 ~ barossafunerals.com.au Funeral Home 1 Petras St, Tanunda Chapel 51 Basedow Rd, Tanunda