Invisible City

Children's Literature - Jean Boreen

In this first book of what looks to be a series, Joshua Garcia embarks on an adventure in Mexico related to the strange death of his father, UFO sightings, and the ancient Mayans from whom he is, supposedly, descended. When Joshua pursues the situation by traveling with two of his friends to Mexico, he is pulled into a series of adventures in which he learns more about this father and grandfather and the deadly legacy they have passed on to him. Told through a combination of personal blogs and narrative, the story is well researched and moves quickly overall within the plot which has Joshua being the only one who may really understand the Mayan prophecy that the world will end in 2012. There are some aspects of the story that are almost too hard to believe, even within the realm of the fantastic, but overall, should pull readers into Joshua's exciting life. Reviewer: Jean Boreen, Ph.D.

School Library Journal

Gr 5–8—An action-packed adventure involving conspiracy theories, end-of-the-world prophecies, government agents, futuristic technology, and a bit of the supernatural. When Joshua's father dies in a suspicious plane crash in Mexico, the 13-year-old flies across the Atlantic to investigate. Explanatory passages mix neatly into the action, and readers put the pieces together along with Josh, who narrates in the present tense. Background information is clearly explained, and ancient Maya prophecies of world disaster in the year 2012 play a central role. Eventually Joshua discovers a secret society that has remained hidden for centuries. In an appealing twist, the members are not just keepers of ancient traditions; they're high-tech geniuses with airplanes so cool they resemble UFOs. The story zips along as Josh survives high-speed chases by car, airplane, and boat along with various threats from spies, agents, witches, and crocodiles. With everything that's going on, there's not much room for character development. Joshua is engaging enough, but his relationships with the two friends who accompany him, the mother he leaves in England, and his newly discovered sister are not especially convincing. Occasional stiff dialogue and plot contrivances are barely noticeable because there are so many intriguing ideas and exciting scenes to keep the pages turning. Josh's quest for an ancient codex reaches a satisfying ending in this first book in the series, and at the same time builds anticipation for further revelations in sequels to come.—Steven Engelfried, Wilsonville Public Library, OR

Kirkus Reviews

British-Mexican 13-year-old Josh Garcia has always been a fan of UFOs and conspiracy theories, but he never thought he'd find himself actually mixed up with both. He returns home from a boring day at school, however, to the news that his archeologist father has died in a plane crash over Mexico. Josh can't believe the conclusions of the authorities: His father was killed by his mistress's jealous husband. When that idea sends Josh's mother to the psychiatric ward, Josh jets off to Central America with his best friend, Tyler, and Olivia, a 16-year-old blogging buddy. Unknown relatives, shady American intelligence agents and a living Mayan city all play a part in what turns out to be Josh's destiny. The first of three already out in the United Kingdom, Harris's American debut is a great idea in need of some good old-fashioned editing. Glacial pacing, characters without character and a blog that couldn't be more fifth-wheel conspire against this tale of the impending Mayan-predicted apocalypse. A gee-whiz website, secret (crackable) alphabet and vigorous hand-selling might help this find an audience among patient thriller seekers. (Adventure. 12-14)