The Divide, by Elizabeth Kay, is the first book in a trilogy. Felix, a 13-year-old from London, suffers from a heart defect, which has limited his ability to do things that a normal kid could do. His heart is in danger of failing at any time, especially if he overexerts himself, so his parents have taken him to Costa Rica to enjoy himself. While hiking to the Continental Divide, Felix faints and is transported to a magical world on the other side of The Divide. Many things are the opposite of what Felix's world is like. For example, elephants and humans are thought to be mythical creatures, while elves, pixies and brownies roam around freely. Also, things are done using magic, in contrast to the science that Felix is used to.
Felix meets Betony, a "tangle-child," (an elf-like creature). Betony agrees to help Felix to try to find a magical cure for his heart condition. Meanwhile, Betony's older sister and brother encounter Snakeweed, a japegrin (pixie) who is a pharmaceutical entrepreneur. Unfortunately, his remedies are unsuccessful, but he still tries to sell them. Snakeweed finds out about Felix and desires to learn about his scientific knowledge so that he can profit from it. As a result, Felix and Betony also have to evade Snakeweed and his henchmen as they search for the cure.
The Divide presents a conflict of good vs. evil, with many good creatures coming to the aid of Felix, and certain evil creatures working with Snakeweed. The author also makes some interesting commentary about the effects of technology and development on a society (Felix compares the magical society to what he has learned about in history) and the environment (discussing how a decline in the population of one species affects others), among other topics.
The Divide has good pacing, and moves along quickly. I did find myself frequently flipping to Felix's guide to the magical creatures, but the author did a great job coming up with creative beasts like the worrit (a funny-looking dog that kills its prey by constantly telling jokes and causing the prey to laugh to death). The book also ends with a cliffhanger of sorts, so I am looking forward to reading the second one.
Rating: *****
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