Release Date: November 2013Genre: Fantasy
When and Where: Modern time period, Britain
Protagonist: Peter Stewart, teenager
The Story: Intellectually gifted by socially stunted, Peter Stewart is the consummate high school nerd; he has few friends and is bullied by the coolest kids in school. When Lily Portman transfers into his school, Peter's life drastically changes, and there's no way things can possibly go back to the way they were before. When an unexpected car accident allows Peter to break the laws of physics, Peter's adventure begins. Peter discovers he is the latest in a long line of descendents of King Arthur, and all the magic of King Arthur's story is based on a truth that is hidden for most people. Worse, Peter has a target on his back because of his lineage, and King Arthur's enemies are determined to destroy Peter at all costs. Interestingly, Peter is in denial about the existence of magic and of his own role in the tale, which makes Intangible all the more fun to read.
Reaction: Intangible had many strengths, but the greatest appeal to the novel is its correlations to the Arthurian legends and the unexpected physics references. Readers need not be experts at physics to appreciate the inclusion of the scientific connections, as the physics references are embedded more as a way to characterize Peter and his reactions to the magical events going on around him than they are to explain the magic to the reader. I found most of these references to be funny, as they really showed just how much Peter was trying to find a rational explanation for the unexplainable.
The main characters were engaging and I'd like to know more about them, particularly Kane and Lily. Other characters were archetypical characters that are found in similar novels. Isdemus reminded me quite a bit of J.K. Rowling's Dumbledore, just as Brock's parents reminded me of the Dursleys, also created by J.K. Rowling. I did think that the villain's presence was not strong enough throughout the book, though it does seem that, as the first in a series, Intangible was intended to set the stage for a bigger villainous presence in future novels. There were a few parts that were a bit redundant, such as when the same part of King Arthur's story was told twice in the tale, however, as a whole, Intangible was very entertaining and I really was curious to find out how the conflict would be resolved. The teaser for the next book in the series really has me excited to find out what happens next!
If You Liked... The Revenge of the Shadow King, The Once and Future King, or Harry Potter, then Intangible is probably right up your alley. Fans of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians will also appreciate Intangible, though the text may be too complex for less sophisticated readers.
Rating: 4
Teacher Notes: Intangible would be a strong addition to your fantasy collection; the novel would be nicely paired with literature circles using The Revenge of the Shadow King or The Once and Future King, as the series follows the hero's journey and incorporates the archetypes and structures of the genre.
