After reading The Kingdom of Keys by Brian Moloney, I couldn’t help wondering what kind of childhood and adolescence Mr. Moloney had. He states in his author notes that he carried this story with him from a very young age before he wrote it down. He must have had a blast as a kid with one adventure after another.
Sixteen year old Toby Pierce is struggling with personal issues and finds himself unhappy with aspects of his life. When he finds the ultimate skeleton key which unlocks a secret door in his bedroom, he does what every kid his age would do: gather his two best friends (Billy and Lori) and go through the door. On the other side of this “Door to Nowhere” is a fantasy world with mind-boggling adventures, strange creatures, and nasty villains. If this wasn’t enough, Toby is falling desperately in love with Lori whom he has known since kindergarten. As a result of his experiences, he learns some valuable life lessons.
What makes this tale different from the standard fantasy is the author’s nonstop boyish sense of humor (one reviewer referred to it as goofy and dorky – and that fits). You can sense Mr. Moloney’s delight in the escapades of our heroes through the banter and the plot twists. In some ways, the dialogue of the sixteen year olds didn’t quite sound like the “earthy” language of your average teen (not a single profanity escapes their lips!). They sounded more like twelve. But that is a minor quibble. In fact, I think this book would be great for this younger age group (in addition to those of us who appreciate boyhood humor and sense of adventure) because of the humor and underlying messages. For me, The Kingdom of Keys was pure joy.
Sixteen year old Toby Pierce is struggling with personal issues and finds himself unhappy with aspects of his life. When he finds the ultimate skeleton key which unlocks a secret door in his bedroom, he does what every kid his age would do: gather his two best friends (Billy and Lori) and go through the door. On the other side of this “Door to Nowhere” is a fantasy world with mind-boggling adventures, strange creatures, and nasty villains. If this wasn’t enough, Toby is falling desperately in love with Lori whom he has known since kindergarten. As a result of his experiences, he learns some valuable life lessons.
What makes this tale different from the standard fantasy is the author’s nonstop boyish sense of humor (one reviewer referred to it as goofy and dorky – and that fits). You can sense Mr. Moloney’s delight in the escapades of our heroes through the banter and the plot twists. In some ways, the dialogue of the sixteen year olds didn’t quite sound like the “earthy” language of your average teen (not a single profanity escapes their lips!). They sounded more like twelve. But that is a minor quibble. In fact, I think this book would be great for this younger age group (in addition to those of us who appreciate boyhood humor and sense of adventure) because of the humor and underlying messages. For me, The Kingdom of Keys was pure joy.
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