VOICES FOR ALL
The Legend of ZoaBrio
by Scott Vincent
Venzi Productions
Middle Grade Fantasy
288 pages
ages 9 and up
12-year-old Stacey discovers the secret to communicating with animals. Animals rejoice, thinking she is their long awaited savior who can return them to ZoaBrio (pronounced Zo-ah-BREE-oh), a land where animals and humans once lived as equals. But not everyone loves a savior. A clan of cats has kept the secret hidden from humans for generations, ensuring that cats and dogs remain humans' favorite companions. They are determined to destroy Stacey and keep her discovery a secret. Stacey must find and overthrow them before they silence her forever.
Voices for All is an adventure comedy about friendship, freedom and equality, no matter what your species. Join Stacey, her friend Alex, a wise-cracking gorilla, and a cast of animals yearning to be free as they fight for a world where animals are not as voiceless as we once thought.
MY TIDBITS
This is a wonderful adventure full of fantasy and humor, which is sure to grab young readers until the very end.
The class field trip to the zoo isn't exactly what Stacey expected—all animals are staring at her! When several animals escape their cages and later end up in Stacey's backyard looking for her, she's not sure what to think. Luckily, Louis, the gorilla, can speak and informs her that because she wears a special amulet around her neck, she is the animals' long awaited ticket to ZoaBrio, a land where animals and humans not only live in harmony but even speak to each other. Not does Stacey have trouble wrapping her head around this, but Louis and her other new friends insist she should be able to ziff (a type of thought conversation). When two dogs attempt to steal her necklace, she soon discovers that not only does she have to figure out this entire ZoaBrio thing, but an evil cockroach is determined to stop her.
This is such a fun story! Stacey is as normal a girl as could be and is extremely easy to relate to. Her reactions and decisions are understandable and very appropriate for her age, especially considering the strange situation. She's brave, pretty level-headed and doesn't dive into situations without thought. Her hesitation and doubt makes her easy to like and cheer for the whole way through.
The author does a lovely job at bringing the animals to life. Although I started this book with a Dr. Doolittle expectation, I couldn't have been more wrong. These animals, especially the gorilla, are packed full of personality and fun. The sense of humor dances along with the fast-paced adventure and makes sure that the tension, even when high, maintains a light side as well. It's simply a joy to follow these animals as they try to help Stacey find ZoaBrio and deal with the evil NOZE. There's friendship, there's imagination, there's action and the humor never falls short.
Summed up, this is a fun read packed with animal imagination and an adventure young readers are sure to enjoy.
And here is he. . .
Scott Vincent is a debut author who loves animals and likes to imagine what they are thinking. He grew up surrounded by a menagerie of different species, and he worked as a zoo volunteer one summer during middle school. He currently lives in Southern California with his wife, daughter, and son.Author website: www.scottvincentfiction.com. Follow Scott on Twitter with @ScottVincent65
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