Review of The Kindling, by Braden Bell

Homework? Of course. Crushes? Sure. But who knew seventh grade included superpowers?

From the back cover:

Loud shrieks sliced the air, followed by the smell of burning cloth. Conner looked over in time to see Geoffrey jumping up and down, yelling and shrieking. Smoke poured from the seat of his shorts while blue and yellow sparks snap-crackle-and-popped all around the heater.
All thirteen-year-old Conner Dell wants to do is pass pre-algebra, play lacrosse, and possibly kiss Melanie Stephens. He didn’t mean to set anyone’s gym shorts on fire or make school lunches explode. But now that the strange powers inside him have been ignited, Conner’s normal teenage life is about to go up in flames!

The Kindling, by author Braden Bell is a page-turning adventure filled with excitement, suspense, humor, magic, and fun, perfect for middle-grade readers and adults alike. Bell’s writing is filled with vivid images, wonderful characters and plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader completely entranced from start to finish.

From the first page, the excitement and intrigue begin. A series of strange events start happening to Conner Dell, his sister Lexa and her friend Melanie and suddenly their whole world turns upside down. Not only are kids starting on fire but a creepy guy keeps following them, and no one else can see him! Even the teachers at school are acting weird.

Not sure who they an trust or where to turn for help, the children soon find themselves in a battle of good and evil, a fight of light against darkness.

Author, Braden Bell, also a middle school drama teacher, definitely knows his audience and his writing reflects that. The dialogue is witty and fun, the characters are relatable and quirky and the plot clips along at a breathtaking pace.

The story also reflects deeper themes of family, loyalty and the hope that good will triumph over evil.

With all the books available for youth that don’t bother providing anything edifying, I was pleased to read a book that not only kept me entertained but left me feeling uplifted.

The Kindling is a great book for youth and the first in the series. Let’s hope the next one hits the shelves soon!

To go to Braden's web-site click HERE and to purchase the book on Amazon click HERE