The Forgotten Five, Book 1 - Map of Flames

This is not a book I would have normally picked up had I seen it in the bookstore.  I'm not really a fan of fantasy and/or treasure hunting stories, although I do enjoy a good supernatural story here and there.  But this one I did pick up because it came highly recommended by the author's daughter - who just so happens to be Nancy Drew!  Well, she's plays Nancy Drew on TV, anyway.  Kennedy McMann, who currently plays everyone's favorite teen sleuth on the CW's show is the daughter of Lisa McMann, the author of the Unwanteds series, as well as some other fantasy series for young adults and children.  Honestly, I had seen those series at Barnes & Noble and other bookstores, but never picked them up, since they weren't mysteries (which is my all-time favorite).  But since this first book in Lisa McMann's new series was being recommended by Nancy Drew herself (sort of), I figured I had to give it a shot!

Map of Flames is the first book in The Forgotten Five series.  The series centers around five children - Birdie, Brix, Seven, Tenner, and Cabot - who have lived an isolated life with the parents, away from civilization, away from everything and everyone.  Life has been good for them.  Until Birdie and Brix's mother doesn't return from a scouting trip.  And when the other parents go searching for her, they don't return.  Leaving Birdie and Brix's father to care for all five children.  The years pass, their father becomes ill, and on his death bed, he confesses an important secret to his daughter, Birdie.  And he leaves her a map, with instructions to take the map to her mother, who she needs to find in Estero.  But how can Birdie do that, when she has never left the isolated beach area they call home?  Does she have what it takes to leave the only world she's ever known to go into the strange outside world of which she has only read about and heard stories from the parents?  And will the other four children agree to go, or will they try to stop her?  And just what is the map a guide to?

Oh, did I mention that the parents all had super powers?  And did I tell you that the five children (well, four out of the five) inherited their own powers?  And, oh yeah, did I forget to reveal that the parents were all wanted criminals, which is why they have been hiding all these years?  So, yeah, you can see how that kind of complicates everything.  Plus, on top of all of that, the children have been warned that the people of the outside world do not have powers, and they all fear and hate the "supernaturals," as they call them.  So how will a girl who can talk with animals (Birdie), a boy who can bounce and heal quickly (Brix), a boy who can see in the darkest night and hold his breath for extended periods of time (Tenner), and a boy who is virtually invisible (Seven) be able to search through the millions of people in Estero to find Birdie and Brix's mother?  Why, by using the map of course!  Well, once they let the flames die down that appear every time they open the map.  You see, Birdie and Brix's father could control fire, so he placed a spell on the map to prevent just anyone from having access to it.  And that map is the only guide that the children have to Birdie and Brix's mother and, perhaps, the rest of their parents as well!

The story is a fish-out-of-water tale of children who have never dealt with money, never seen let alone experience automobiles, television, and cell phones, or even used a modern public restroom; but it is also a treasure hunt, as the kids must use the map and clues given by Birdie and Brix's father to locate the stash of stolen treasure the parents had hidden away before they disappeared.  It is also a tale of supernatural and superpowers, as they children must learn to use their abilities to protect themselves, to provide for themselves, and to perform a daring rescue of Bridie and Brix's mother.  More than that, though, it is a story of friendship, family, and trust, as the children must learn more about each other and themselves in order to work together and form a true family that can do anything they set their minds to!  And, of course, since this is the first book, it ends off with a cliffhanger that will clearly lead into the kids' second adventure.

McMann does a great job of giving the children very distinct personalities that set them apart from one another.  And she captures the essence of what it is like to be a child between the ages of 9 and 13 - uncertain, fearful, questioning, yet daring and willing to head off into adventure (particularly when there is no parental figure to stop them!).  Despite their differences, though, they are fiercely loyal to one another, and they have to push back their own anger and distrust to help each other in the end.  As you read this first book, you'll see some character growth in a few of the characters, particularly Birdie and Tenner, who the first two to head into Estero and face the world they have never known.  McMann provides readers with some tense, yet at times comical, experiences as the kids come in contact with every day things that we take for granted - stop lights, staircases, menus, libraries, and even doors that only open one way!  There is a bit of romance and jealousy among the kids, which was probably the one thing about the story that I felt was a distraction.  For me, the romantic feelings that Tenner had for Birdie and Birdie had for Seven just didn't feel natural and felt more like forced moments simply to create some tension between the characters.  However, it did ultimately lead to a bit of growth for Tenner in learning how to express his inner thoughts and feelings more, so I guess it couldn't be all bad.

I probably most enjoyed the use of the kids' powers, and particularly in the big rescue at the end of this first book.  And although Cabot believes she has no real super power like the others, it's pretty easy to see that her super-smart, analytical brain holds her power - she only has to realize it.

I can't honestly say this was the most exciting story I've ever read - I did have to force myself to keep reading it, as the book opens at a very slow pace, with the kids (mostly Birdie, but in small ways, the others) being very whiny and self-doubting.  But, McMann really gets her stride by the mid-way point, and once Birdie and Tenner get into Estero and the other kids begin their own trek to reach the outside world, things start to pick up, and the story gets much more interesting.  With the stage set now, and the groundwork laid for what's to come, I have no doubt McMann will be providing exciting from beginning to end in future books in this series.

Would I have picked this up without Kennedy McMann's recommendation?  Likely not.  But it is a story that has its moments, and by the time I was done, I did have a sense of enjoyment from following the kids' first adventure in the big, scary world.  So, I'd say the book is worth picking up and giving it a shot, even if you aren't a treasure-hunting / fantasy fan.  

RATING:  7 a la carte menus out of 10 for adventure, friendship, and family all rolled into one story!