Publisher:
Artists Gate Press
Publication Date:
N/A
Copyright Date:
N/A
ISBN:
979-8-9854349-0-3
Binding:
Paperback
U.S. SRP:
7.99
SEBASTIAN AND THE MIGHTY TOKEN
By Jonathan Day
- Posted by IR Staff
- |
At first, Jonathan Day’s SEBASTIAN AND THE MIGHTY TOKEN seems to be a book about chess. But as the story unfolds, it covers far more ground, offering comment on the importance of ambition and hard work, the nature of rivalries, and what it means to meet adversity head-on. The titular protagonist is a schoolboy living by Central Park in New York City. His sister Lilly is a high achiever, a straight-A student who is also the class president; he plays chess, though not superlatively. A neighbor, Mr. Bernstein, offers him chess lessons, and later, when his play fails him, something far more important – a simple subway token, which the elderly widower assures Sebastian will help him be as strong and as smart as he can be. The story is suffused with realism, and Sebastian and Lilly chafe just enough to be believable as siblings, but not enough to make either unlikable.
There are two minor issues with the work. On occasion, the characterizations are a little too sketchily drawn – details such as the three cheeseburgers Sebastian’s chess-playing nemesis has lined up at the side of the chessboard don’t ring true, and one or two incidental characters, such as the high school girl in ratty clothes Sebastian and Lilly chance upon at the zoo, speak in neat epigrams that sum up their position swiftly enough to ensure they do not impede plot development. (“In my ‘hood, kids became the patients of emergency doctors or gangsters defended by lawyers.”) There is also a slight issue with pacing; Sebastian and Lilly’s father, who is absent for most of the novel, gets his backstory shoehorned into the narrative with barely twenty pages remaining. His disappearance is set up early on, but does not seem to impact the family in quite the way one would expect, and a little more preparation would give the ending, which has remarkable poignancy, additional weight. These are quibbles, however, for the book is an otherwise very enjoyable read
Jonathan Day’s SEBASTIAN AND THE MIGHTY TOKEN is an engaging read, offering a salutary tale about how essential it is to pay it forward and the importance of never giving up.
~Craig Jones for IndieReader
Publisher:
Artists Gate Press
Publication Date:
N/A
Copyright Date:
N/A
ISBN:
979-8-9854349-0-3
Binding:
Paperback
U.S. SRP:
7.99
- Posted by IR Staff
- |
Jonathan Day’s SEBASTIAN AND THE MIGHTY TOKEN is a sensitive and graceful exploration of discovering one’s inner strength. Sebastian’s journey of overcoming grief and finding himself is inspirational and there’s much to take away from this book which talks about the power of community, friendships, and family. A beautiful read for all ages.
SEBASTIAN AND THE MIGHTY TOKEN
Jonathan Day
Artists Gate Press
979-8-9854349-0-3
Rated 4.6 / 5 based on 1 review.