In this imaginative middle-grade tale, the first of his Young Explorer titles, Cameron highlights courageous kids, understanding adults, and a healthy dose of suspense that will keep readers on their toes. When 11-year-old CJ Kask travels to Peru in 1917 with his parents and a number of his Young Explorer friends, the group is puzzling out why a dig at an ancient Incan temple has mysteriously halted. The reasons soon become clear: a nefarious plan to steal gold by a corrupt camp physician and his cronies. CJ and his friends intercept Morse-coded messages, hoping to prevent the plot. But there’s a complicating factor: a mysterious wraith who seems to be protecting the land. When CJ and his friends are caught in a life-or-death struggle, survival and success seem far away. But will good triumph?

Cameron imbues this appealingly spooky adventure tale with strong young characters—including an impressive female protagonist, Sadie, and fearless CJ—who exhibit grace and intelligence throughout. This will endear his storytelling to middle-grade readers who may feel overlooked by the adults in their lives, as will his feel for tension, as he ably ratchets up the suspense at every possible turn, ensnaring readers in a captivating and fast-paced plot that builds to real surprises. The wraith—revealed as an Incan boy killed in a battle in Spring 1532—proves to be a powerful ally for the good guys, ably reinforcing the light in the concept of good versus evil and advocating for listening to one’s better angels.

The technologies featured, Morse-code receivers and other rudimentary communications methods, will jolt the present day’s cellphone-obsessed young adults, who have never lived in a world without a phone that is basically a handheld computer. Even reluctant readers will be immediately caught up in Cameron’s adventurous tale and will eagerly stand by for the next story in the series.

Takeaway: This fast-paced paranormal archaeological adventure will entice middle-grade suspense readers.

Great for fans of: Ben Gartner’s The Eye of Ra, James Ponti’s City Spies, Kwame Mbalia’s Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-