The blurb states: "Recommended for lovers of mythology and monsters, mystery and magic." Totally not my style. In most cases I would have passed over it without a second though. I'm so glad I didn't.

This book was easy to fall right into, just as Dean and Sunni "fall" into a painting and get wrapped up in adventures there as they try to find their way back. The story is full of imagination and, yes, "mystery and magic", but it somehow manages to stay within the realms of realism as well. You almost expect that if you could find Blackhope Castle and the magic labyrinth you would be able to find Arcadia, the idealistic land within the painting, as well.

Score one for not following my reading instincts and going outside my usual genre interest!

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The cover is what grabbed me first, but the story is why I keep reading. It is sooo different from what I am used to reading, but in a good way.

Sunni Forrest, ridiculous name by the way, is a talented artist who has some competition at school. Mr. Bell, the art teacher, assigns the class to choose a painter and complete a project. Blaise,the competition, and Sunni have both chosen to research Fausto Corvo.

They meet at the Blackhope Tower while conducting some research, but instead find themselves caught in the mystery of the disappearance of Dean, Sunni's stepbrother. Each of them end up inside Corvo's famous painting--the Mariner's Chamber, but their surviving this painted world is questionable.

Teresa Flavin used such vivid description to bring the reader into the painting along-side Dean, Blaise and Sunni. These three characters are diverse, but are able to work together to solve the mystery to get back home alive. I knew going in that they would survive and eventually make it home; however, I never was able to guess just how. That makes this worth the read! ( )

Paintings and Labyrinths and Monsters, Oh My!
Sunni and step-brother, Dean, are at Blackhope Castle so Sunni can work on an art project. While Sunni is studying a painting, Dean studies the labyrinth on the floor and accidently transports himself into the painting…Sunni manages to figure out how he did it and follows him…leaving her friend Blaise as the only person who knows what is going on.

Meanwhile, Sunni and Dean must figure out how to get themselves back out of the painting. Along the way they discover other people in the painting, monsters, swash-buckling adventures on the high seas, and the answers to several centuries worth of questions and mysteries surrounding the painting and it’s creator.

This was a wonderful story in vein of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Blackhope had a little of everything…mystery, thrills, adventure, and a hint of romance. Flavin created several little worlds that all interlaced beautifully. Her writing was very atmospheric…I loved that when Sunni and Dean examined the picture from within the picture, the details were smudged, kind of like when a picture on the screen is blown up and you can see the individual pixels. It’s the little details, like this, that really made the story…but Flavin didn’t bury the reader with them.

Sunni, our heroine, was quick thinking, while Dean was her comedic foil…snarky without trying to be. Blaise, Sunni’s friend, was the perfect balance to Sunni and with the two of them working together it was clear they could accomplish anything. Bellini, the art thief, out for himself no matter the cost, foiled at every turn…and really got his comeuppance in the end. I loved where he ended up (couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy!). You never really knew who Hugo was and if he could be trusted! And Marin, well, I started out hating him, but loved him by the end of the story!

This book is geared more towards 5th-8th graders, but could be enjoyed by anyone who like a little magic with their adventure. ( )

While studying a strange painting by a Medieval painter in Blackhope Tower, Sunni Forrest’s annoying step-brother, Dean, is mysteriously transported into the old painting. Sunni has no choice but to enter the painting herself in hopes of rescuing him. Eventually, she is joined by her friend Blaise who witnessed Sunni’s disappearance and is determined to bring her back. The group find themselves lost in a strange new world called Arcadia, which at first glance seems almost perfect, but on closer inspection is filled with danger and mystery. The three of them must work through a maze of paintings within paintings if they ever expect to get out. Along the way they meet a host of characters, both good and bad as they battle their way across mysterious lands, high seas and a deserted island to find their way back home.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Ms. Flavin has crafted a truly unique and engaging story for reader’s of all ages. The book flows well, is filled with adventure, magic and a host of engaging characters that kept me plowing through until the end. While some of the situations faced by the characters seemed a bit hollow to me, it didn’t ruin the overall flow of the story and younger readers probably won’t mind. If you are a fan of exciting adventures, or if you are looking for one last book for your child to read before they go back to school, I highly recommend this one.

(Review based on an Advanced Reader’s Copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley) ( )

The Blackhope Enigma is a fun mystery that all starts when Sunni’s stepbrother, Dean, accidentally transports himself into one of Fausto Corvo’s magical paintings. Sunni, determined to get him back, follows the labyrinth path and joins him in the picture, leaving Blaise standing alone and shortly thereafter being shuffled out of the room by a guard. Determined to get Sunni and Dean out, Blaise finds a way into the picture with them, despite the media and police crowds searching for two lost kids.

In a fast-paced story, Dean, Sunni, and Blaise have to work their way through a maze (literally and figuratively) to escape from the paintings within the painting and make their way back home. Of course, it’s easier said than done most of the time. The three encounter a fun cast of good guys, bad guys, and everything in between as they battle deadly creatures, sail on the high seas, and trek through a deserted island—all in the hopes of finding a way back to their own world.

The book has its share of predictable and slightly cheesy situations, but they don’t interrupt the flow of the story or detract from its overall telling. Teresa Flavin has crafted a fun story that many readers will enjoy. It’s full of fast-paced adventure and mystery with just a splash of magic and history. Readers will be drawn in by her descriptions of this magical world (or worlds) within the painting.

The premise of this book really struck me as original. I don’t think it can even really be compared to any books I’ve read lately and I struggle to draw a comparison between this book and many others. It’s not quite time travel yet it doesn’t really have a real fantasy feel to it. For me, that just shows how well the story is woven together to seamlessly incorporate elements of contemporary, fantasy, and historical stories. I also really loved the descriptions that Teresa provided as they moved between worlds within the paintings, describing the white paint that covered the magic world that existed under the exterior painting.

There were a few points at the beginning where I felt like things were almost going too fast for my liking. We meet our characters and next thing you know they’re in the painting! I wouldn’t have even thought to look for Dean in the painting and it was surprising (and maybe a tad unrealistic) how quickly Sunni figured it out. Once the actual adventures began inside the painting, I definitely found myself settling into and enjoying the story, but the beginning just seemed a tad rushed to me.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this. It was a fast-paced read. I think I would recommend it to “tweens” (or young teens) as a good read. I think it would appeal to a wide variety of readers since it incorporates elements of many different types of stories. ( )