The Wondercurrent

Rella PenSword and the Red Notebooks #1

by J.R. Parks

If the PEN is MIGHTIER than the SWORD, how DEEP must the INK run to defeat its FOE? 

In a distant but recognizable future, where interdimensional travel and dream travel intersect, a young girl from Earth One, Rella Deveraux-Pensword, is called upon to protect and defend Hleo: a very special, enchanted refuge for children who need protection and healing. In order to help defend Hleo, Rella must stop Archimago (the shape-shifting story thief) and his menacing miscreations, The Shadowsplitters, from destroying The Wondercurrent: the source of life and hope for all who remain under Hleo's protection.  

When Rella's own parents (who are part of a secret alliance of Storykeepers) go missing, she is forced to flee her home. As she flees, she is mysteriously transported to Hleo, where she finds a magic scroll and a secret message with a mission specifically meant for her.  To fulfill her mission, Rella teams up with a fellowship of four other children (Eurie, Quinn, Scarlett and Sebastian) and an assortment of wild and whimsical animals, including Thalas (a giant, strong-willed hawk with metallic feathers), Alister (a sleepy, sleepy bear who resides halfway in and out of trees), and Menagerie (a chameleon-tiger with a sacred family lineage).

Will Rella be able to help save Hleo? Will she ever see her parents again? Will the guardians and the children be able to save The Wondercurrent?

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens

314 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 16, 2019

Reviews

[Ben Gartner · Rating 4 out of 5]

From my twelve-year-old son:

This was a story about Rella PenSword who is transported to Hleo and fights the dark waters from entering the Wondercurrent. She’s also looking for her parents. Some of my favorite characters were Rella, Eurie, Quinn, the wooden boy Sebastian, the bear Alister, and the most mysterious one: Samara.

I liked how there was so much adventure, like when Rella first came to Hleo she didn’t know what was happening and then at the end she didn’t want to leave because she met so many new people and animals. One of the scenes I liked best is when they were fighting the shadowsplitters with the yellow orbs and the dark waters were moving up the Wondercurrent.

The story was adventurous and I definitely would recommend it to my friends. I really want to read the next book!

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this with my 9-year-old. She enjoyed it.

This book is imaginative and some of the writing is very good, but this is an unfortunate example of the value of a good editor. This book was self-published, and while I’m not saying all self-pubbed books are bad, it is a crapshoot sometimes. There were so many grammatical errors, spelling errors, incorrect punctuation...you name it. And overall, I feel like the story doesn’t fully coalesce in the way it really wants to. With the guidance of a good editor, this book would be AMAZING.

[Brian Clopper · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn’t finish this. Too many ideas and characters and it loses the plot on every page. The author is creative, but the ideas need to be streamlined and channeled better. Also not a fan of the narrator interrupting and addressing the reader as dear reader. It’s unclear why the characters refer to the earth as Earth 1.

[Crystal Biehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I should have locked myself away from people when I picked this book up! Life’s many interruptions meant I only just finished this book! It was a great read! The language is poetic and the imagery is beautiful.

I loved the story - especially the strong female lead character. It was wonderfully magical story.

I recommend this for kids aged 10+ and adults who like to be transported to magical worlds where good can still defeat evil and believing can make a difference.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here’s the thing: this book reads too maturely for its characters, but perhaps not too maturely for its intended audience. But in truth: I kept being taken out of the story by the seven year old protagonist using SAT words.

The story is interesting but felt slightly haphazard in execution.

Can’t all be gems, I guess. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Heather Huggins · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this to my daughter who is 8 at night before bed. It had interesting characters that had great potential, but it felt confusing and kind up all over the place. It also could have moved a little faster. We read the entire book hoping to come to a conclusion but it will evidently have another book at some time.

[Eli D · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has a good idea but poor follow through. Many times during this book I got lost and even after re-reading the pages surrounding the area of confusion it still didn't make sense. I wouldn't recommend this book.

[Kori Lyons · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn’t finish … so poorly edited, my 9 yo who normally devours fantasy realism tossed it aside. I picked it up to read aloud to her, but it’s all over the place and the writing errors are so distracting that I tossed it into the little free library …

[Sirah · Rating 3 out of 5]

When she was an even smaller child, Rella lost both her parents to a mysterious quest. She talked to a girl in her dreams. And at some point she arrived in an alternate world where physics are much looser and dreams aren't so far from reality. She discovers that the world is in danger, so she teams up with some other kids to try to do something about that.

On the one hand, this whole book feels like a dream. On the other hand ... this whole book feels like a dream. The style jumps around in a way that resembles how my brain wanders while I'm not fully conscious. There's a lot of head hopping and completely unforeshadowed events and items. And in some ways, it's a neat effect. But in others, it was difficult to tell who the protagonist is and what the point of anything is trying to be. If you go into this book expecting something of an Alice in Wonderland experience, I don't think you'll be disappointed. But if you're looking for a clear plot and well-crafted world building, this book is not it.

[Barbara Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rella’s parents belong to a secret group of storytellers. First, her mother disappears, eventually her father suffers the same fate. Rella must now flee her homeland. She finds herself in the land of Hleo, where she joins up with four other children. They encounter shapeshifters and mysterious animal guardians. Rella must find a way to defeat the plague ravishing the land and retrieve the red notebooks. Fans of Harry Potter will enjoy this adventure.

Some reviewers discuss errors in the manuscript but many of these appear to have been corrected in this rendition. The characters are interesting and the action fast-paced in the 300 page adventure.

I think younger middle-grade readers might find the read a bit difficult and would classify it more as a young adult read. A good discussion book for issues like friendship, inclusion, facing fears and cultivating humility.

[Hots Hartley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imaginative, vivid worldbuilding with interesting jumping between real world and fantasy story.

Rella is a likable character but seems to act more like a young adult than a 9-year-old!

The explanatory scenes and adult dialogue were a bit heavy, but the fight scenes and exploration are top-notch. I loved the plot twists and clever metaphors for creation!

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept, yet, pulls the reader out of the story by trying to decipher if in a dream or reality.
The shifting of dream characters to reality made it frustrating to follow. The story in and of itself is what book lovers truly enjoy, books, ink, writing, and the word mightier than evil.

[Nicole Cunningham · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn’t finish. Lost interest at typo “pubic library.”

[Heidi Wunder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait to.read the next book

This is a good story for kids and adults alike. The story is fun to read and moves quickly. I like the short chapters especially for kids