Reviews From Our Friends

The last akaway was an amazing and very well written book. It is adventuresome and entertaining at the same time. I read it in a couple of days, because I could not put down the book. It is set for younger readers but i think it is good for any age group. I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read more books by Gary Karton.

We are having a great time with your book. Very accessible for any age but especially fun for my new reader. Love the overall design and imaginative typography. The story has us...I'm about to take over and read it to him so we can find out what happens more quickly. What homeschool teacher does that?

Just finished reading the final few chapters with five-year-old Hiro by my side sound asleep on the couch dreaming of who (other than, of course, the last Akaway) knows what---wonderfully imaginative story, beautifully written---thanks for sharing it with kids of all ages everywhere as well as those adults who still believe in the innocence, magic & power of childhood!!!

Fantastically written, this funny thought-provoking story is pure brilliance. It has a great message while also a great read. Awesome for all ages. You won't be able to stop reading when the pages run out.

I really enjoyed this book because once you understand what the point of the story is then it becomes a really interesting book. My favorite characters besides Brody and Jake were Grammy who keeps her cool in the worst of times and Uncle Skeeta who really isn't a good character but he's very interesting and smart. One of the things I liked about this book is that the author explains what some of the challenging/unfamiliar words mean throughout the story. Mostly I liked the book because it is a very good mystery and it also taught me a lot of things such as what an Akaway is (I'd never heard of one before) and that kids can be very brave and undertake challenges that adults have failed at and still win. I definitely recommend this book. I wonder what my spirit animal is?

Do you want to spark your child's imagination and get him/her outside and in touch with nature more often and away from TV and video games? Than this is the story for him/her! The adventures of Brody & Jake were so much fun for kids of all ages and the relationship between the brothers rang true. With echoes of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events, you will find yourself hoping for the best for our heroes as their adventures continue. The 9 year old in our family zipped through this book. He simply loved it and insisted I read it too-- I am glad I did!

I would have killed for this book when I was young. As a more peaceful adult, I still found the alchemy of humor and magic irresistible. Karton's The Last Akaway is soul food for any age and an important challenge to, and honoring of, the imagination of youth. This is one adventure I would highly recommend to any reader. Bring on the rest of the series!

I'm just lovin' this book! Grammy is so witty and funny! It is engaging and great for birthday gifts. I'm 50+ and can't put the book down. I purchased four as gifts for my granddaughter and other children that I feel would enjoy reading it. Brody and Jake are amazing!!!

My intention was to read this book, as a family, together with all four children...but one of our 9 year old twin boys could not wait and has started to read The Last Akaway on his own. The first few chapters have captured his attention and he has been consumed by the story. This morning he asked if he could bring The Last Akaway to school with him so he could continue reading during their free reading time. So far...5 stars from him. More family reviews to come later. Great job Gary Karton!

My nine year-old twin girls just finished The Last Akaway and loved it. They are avid and confident readers and enjoy the usual popular kids' fiction (Rick Riordan books, Warriors, Hunger Games series, 39 Clues, Diary of a Wimpy Kid... etc.), and they both gave this one a solid "10." The themes appealed to their love of animals, magical adventure and appreciation of potty-humor (my sense is that is mild : )). They will be posting their own reviews soon, but I think this is a great bet for this age group. Because it's new and from a fresh author, I'm thinking it will take care of lots of birthday gifts this year (a book we know the birthday kid doesn't already have!!!). Here's what my daughter had to say: "I like this book because it's about magic; but not a flying car type of magic, it's about an animal magic that explains the traits of the characters. I also enjoyed this book because of all its dot-dot-dots and cliff hangers. For example, one of its cliff hangers was when at Rudy's birthday party everyone was trying to stop Brody and his friends from reaching the portal to Sarraka. They decided to stop them by making it thunder snow. But right then when they're going to make it thunder snow the chapter ends, and if someone is reading to you, and that is your stopping place, you are going to have ants in your pants until you read more."

This book was AMAZING!! It had every element a book needs, exciting plot, relatable characters, jokes, and the urge to want more! Gary Karton is a great first time author who knows how to connect with kids. And for not reading at all for a while, it took me only a day to read, and I could NOT put it down. I even fought with my sister over who's turn it was to read it ---YES, IT'S THAT GOOD! I hands down would recommend The Last Akaway to everyone!

This is a very good book. I've wanted it to be published for years (I know the author) and I am so glad it is now on the market! this is one of the reasons I want to be an author- this book will leave you wishing, wanting and wondering about the characters in this book. So I encourage you to read it- you will like it!

Beyond the exhilarating plot, the highly entertaining and multidimensional characters, and the richly drawn settings are two other enticing reasons to read this book, whether you're a 10 year old or a 70 year old. In fact, this would be a great book for any kid and adult to read together because it raises some provocative questions about the role of imagination in relation to technology and play - questions that beg a spirited and challenging debate. But the two other outstanding elements of The Last Akaway relate to the author's voice which completely nails the way kids really talk to each other, and also reveals a gleeful delight in playing with language. Karton is either a very precocious kid who writes very, very well, or an adult who has spent the lion's share of his time listening to the rhythms and nuances of children's verbal dancing.