The Emerald Tablet by P.J. Hoover

At the start of summer, the farthest thing from Benjamin Holt’s mind is the possibility of summer school. However, it seems his plans are changed. Benjamin is not what you’d call a normal person; he and his best friend Andy have special powers that allow them to communicate silently and use telekinesis to play pranks. It turns out that Benjamin and Andy aren’t human; instead, they’re of a similar species called telegens. So these special abilities that set Benjamin apart from humans only makes him normal among the other telegens attending the school on the hidden continent called Lemuria. But normality is elusive for Benjamin, especially after a mysterious stone called the Emerald Tablet chooses Benjamin to be its champion. Now, Benjamin is charged with the task of saving the world. It seems the summer has just gotten a lot more interesting.

The Emerald Tablet was an interesting, unique, and fun story. I loved the originality of the new continents Lemuria and Atlantis besides the seven accepted ones. Plus, I have to admit, I am a sucker for stories involving special talents such as the ones that Benjamin and his friends possess. These powers (most of which contained the prefix tele-) are part of what made this story so fun to read; they added a humorous and yet dangerous factor. The plot was suspenseful and well drawn out. However, the characters were a slightly different story. I felt that Benjamin and his friends were a little boring at times, and I didn’t get to know any of the characters besides Benjamin well, and even then I didn’t completely understand the protagonist. The interesting and slightly futuristic plot is really what captured and held my interest throughout the book, as well as the twists, riddles, and deception, but the characters could’ve been improved on.

In all, The Emerald Tablet was a solid first young adult novel, and I’m glad there will be at least two more books in this Forgotten Worlds series. If you enjoy fast-paced stories about hidden futuristic worlds, I recommend The Emerald Tablet, but if you’re more concerned with the characters than the plot, then you shouldn’t read this novel.

Rating: 3.75

Review copy from author P.J. Hoover