Strange visions, hideous monsters, startling revelations . . . and Hunter Brown's summer vacation is just beginning! When the middle-school prankster discovers a mysterious book, he's suddenly spirited away to Solandria, a supernatural realm held captive by the Shadow. Who will be victorious as Hunter battles to save the world . . . and his own soul? Kids ages 9 to 12 who read this book will gain a better understanding that even in the darkest of circumstances, hope comes from knowing a greater purpose is at work.
Average Rating: 5 out of 5 stars(5 out of 5 stars)
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4.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by M Tipps (Co. spgs. CO), December 07, 2009
I bought this book just looking for a good book to read, but after reading it I must say that the Miller Brothers have EASILY made it to my list of top authors! If you enjoy the cleverness and action of Bryan Davis and Wayne Thomas Batson you will love this book!!! Also don’t forget the sequel BECAUSE IT ROCKS!
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Andrew Phelps (lynchburg,VA), November 24, 2009
"Hunter Brown" is the best book I have ever read.The miller brothers are the best authors ever!!! Sometimes I can't find a good book to read now i can just read the "Hunter Brown" books because they never seem to get boring!!!
4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Novel Teen Book Reviews (Oregon), October 14, 2009
Hunter and his friends play the ultimate prank on the school bully. They hide in a dumpster to avoid his wrath but can’t get out. After yelling for help for quite some time, someone finally comes to their aid. This “janitor” promises not to tell the school principal where he found the boys if they’ll do him a favor. He hands Hunter a card with the address of a book shop and asks him to pick up an item and bring it back to the boys’ bathroom. Feeling as if they have no choice, the boys complete the errand. But when they return to the bathroom with a fancy, old book and a key, the janitor is nowhere to be found.
Hunter takes the things home and discovers that the book is magical. Before he can truly figure out what the book is for, he and his friend are whisked away to Solandria, a realm that is at war with the Shadow. There Hunter discovers that he must complete Codebearer training if he is to help defeat this Shadow and get home again.
With dragons, trolls, giant birds and lizards, and weapons similar to light sabers, this book was truly fun for all ages. I thought the premise and allegory was very powerful. Hunter is a delightful and sarcastic character. The minor characters were also fun. This was the strength of the book, in my opinion. There were some unnecessary backflashes that jerked me out of the story at times and some writing craft issues that teens probably won’t notice. There were also many punctuation issues. I was surprised to see such mistakes in a book from Warner Press.
I read it to my seven-year-old son, and he loved it, especially the illustrations. The Miller brothers seem to be quite talented as artists and animators, and now story tellers.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by dixie (U.S.A.), September 23, 2009
This book was great! I balled my eyes out the first and second time I read it, and I'm planning on reading it for the fourth time!
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Alyshia (Tacoma,WA), September 22, 2009
AWESOME!!! GREAT FOR ALL AGES!!! Me and my sister wont stop talking about this book! I recommend this book for everyone from book worms to book haters!All will love this book!!!!
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Alyshia (Tacoma,WA), September 22, 2009
AWESOME!!! GREAT FOR ALL AGES!!! Me and my sister wont stop talking about this book! I recommend this book for everyone from book worms to book haters!All will love this book!!!!
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Alexis (Tacoma, WA), August 23, 2009
This book was absolutely captivating. A highly recommended must read! Kids, tweens, teens, adults, and even book haters will be immediately drawn into this beautiful work of Art. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY JAW DROPPING!
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Alexis (Tacoma, WA), August 23, 2009
This book was truly captivating. I was drawn into the book the moment I picked it up. I highly recommend this to everyone kids, teens, and adults. While you read it you find yourself sharing the character's burdens, interests, sorrows, and you also learn great lessons about being true to yourself and giving your life up to the Author. It is truly a MUST read.
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Write a review of Hunter Brown and the Secret of the Shadow, The Codebearers Series
Author: Christopher Miller
Located in: Auburn, WA
Submitted: July 24, 2008
Tell us a little about yourself. I'm 32, married to my best friend and a father of two boys. I like to write at night listening to soundtrack music. My favorite dog growing up was named "Shadow". I've been to over 21 countries as part of missions trips in High School. My favorite country was Israel and seeing all of the ancient history that is there still to this day.
What was your motivation behind this project? Most books tend to present the hero of the story as having "good in them"! But being good and doing good things are two entirely different things. My world-view is that we are all inherently evil, we are born with a natural tendency toward that which is bad. It is part of our nature, and something we can only overcome with help from someone outside ourselves.
What do you hope folks will gain from this project? A better understanding that even in the darkest of circumstances there is hope knowing a greater purpose is at work.
How were you personally impacted by working on this project? Learning more about God's story unfolding in the world around us. He knew the final chapter before the first one was even written. There is nothing that is beyond his control.
Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkein, John Piper, J.I. Packer, Jonathan Edwards, Toby Mac, Michael W. Smith, U2, Walt Disney, The folks at PIXAR
Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know: We are never alone. No matter how dark your life gets, always remember that your story isn't finished until God writes the final page. He has a plan for your life, trust him and it will work together for the good. Even the bad stuff.