Hollow Earth

September 17, 2012
In the first novel from actor John Barrowman (best known for his lead role in Torchwood) and his sister, readers meet 12-year-old Matt and Em Calder, telepathic twins who can make the pictures they draw come magically alive. For centuries, “Animares” like the twins (among them Vincent van Gogh) have been governed by the Council of Guardians, which controls and guides their abilities, “Because an Animare may be a danger to others or themselves.” Matt and Em, however, are the result of a previously unheard of marriage between an Animare and a Guardian, and the limits of their powers are unknown. The twins’ art
magic is ingeniously portrayed, and the Scottish setting is nicely handled as a corrupt member of the Council and the evil secret society known as Hollow Earth pursue the children. The novel’s action sequences, which repeatedly require characters to whip out sketchbooks and pencils at dire moments, can be cumbersome, though, and while the twins are entertaining protagonists, other characters come across as cartoonish. Ages 8–12.