Cavern of Secrets

Gr 5–8—In this second installment, readers pick up again with protagonist Raffa Santana. Having successfully led the escape of a very special bear, Roo, from government captors with terrible ambitions, Raffa and company hide out in the woods through winter. This time, they are on a quest to get back into the governmental hub of Gilden in an attempt to foil all of the devious and dastardly plans that the Chancellor has in store for their homeland. On their way, the group must make perilous stops at their respective homes and deal with the results of their actions. The real magic in this book comes from the personal relationships that Park crafts. The characters see the consequences that their actions had on their families, which imbues the narrative with a true level of realism and emotion. All of the things that made readers fall in love with the first volume, from Raffa's apothecary to Kuma's way with animals to Echo's quirky dialogue, are back in full force. The story is effectively paced and well told. The ending does little to wrap up the adventure but still leaves fans at an acceptable stopping point in Raffa's journey.