Review: The Blackhope Enigma

Name: Emily

School: St Andrews and St Brides High School

Occupation: Young person

Age: 13

Book: The Blackhope Enigma

Rating: 6

Review:
Blackhope Enigma is written by Teresa Flavin. The book is a fantastic fiction story with adventure at every turn. It is about a three young children who take an accidental adventure into a painting called the Return to Arcadia where they race against time to go get out. In this story Blaise and Sunni are doing an art project on the artist Fausta Corvo (also known as the Raven). Dean shows up at Blackhope tower where he stumbles through the labyrinth on the floor in front of the painting. He was disappeared into the painting before Blaise and Sunni eyes. Sunni soon followed leaving Blaise to walk out on his own. Reporters and detectives were all at the scene of the crime, everyone asking the same question “How did they disappear?” Blaise vanished into the painting the next day in front of two detectives. Sunni leaves some clues and markers so she can find her way back. Meanwhile… in the real world, the art teacher, Mr Bell's cousin Angus bell has come to visit him after being released from prison. He discovers the password and goes into Arcadia to find Corvo and three missing paintings. Back inside Arcadia, Sunni and Dean have final met but are no longer in the painting, they are underneath it, in the under layers. They have dicovered a beautiful land where everything is real, even though it is in a painting. They discover a man named Hugo Fox-Farratt who has been in the painting since the 20th September 1859. Hugo invites them for dinner and they meet Inko, a servant who has never spoken. Blaise has found Angus, Mr Bell’s cousin and thinks that he is there to rescue him. Sunni and Dean are soon captured by the Marine, one of Corvo’s three assistants who is trying to trap Dean in a drawing, as he thinks they are spies trying to steal the secret paintings. They are soon on the hunt for Blaise as they have seen him in the open of the forest. They are transported to a maze where they all have to stay together or be lost forever. Dean is the leader but he is also being hunted by a minator. Once they have escaped the maze, Sunni and Dean escape onto a ship to discover they are the captain, followed by Marine who is on the ship of Elisabeth. Meanwhile Blaise has escaped the maze after been attacked by a horse man with a cross-bow. He has a shop of his own and is carrying a map he had found, and is on the track of Sunni and Dean. Angus Bell is on the last ship which had just been destroyed by Blaise. They all find their ships being destroyed by a whirl pool when they find a magic island. They find a painting of Corvo’s workshop and Sunni soon finds herself inside it. Blaise is on the verge of death and Sunni is inside the painting for a matter of moments. Back in the cave, Angus has a knife up to Dean’s neck. He is soon gob-smacked when, from behind, Sunni came Corvo the famous painter. Angus is trapped in a painting for eternity. Sunni, Dean, and Blaise all return home safe and lock the labyrinth so no one else can get through. Life soon goes back to normal for Dean, Blaise and Sunni. My favourite part of the book would be the part where they are all on a ship chase as it is exciting and thrilling and you never know what is coming up next. Also where Sunni, dean, and Blaise are reunited together. Plus Sunni almost kills someone with a knife. Then there is the fight between Blaise and Angus ship good for Blaise, Angus ship is destroyed by a cannon ball and there is no sign of Angus. Until he ends up been ship wrecked on some abandon rocks. There is a few more thing I like but that is my favourite. I hate the fact there was not as much adventure I hoped for and it was a bit boring at some point but the worst bit was when sunni and dean where staying with hugo. There was nothing new about the book and there is only a short bit of excitement near the end. Also it is the same thing being repeated again and again. If I could change anything I would add more adventure and action. Make it more appealing to the readers so they are more drawn to it. Also I would add more to the bit where they are on board the pirate ships as it was by far the best part of the book. My favourite character would be SUNNI as she is adventurous. And is not afraid to do anything, to get home to her normal life. Also she is a great artist.