Teen Book Review: Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms

Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms by Jamar Perry is a story from the perspective of Cameron Battle, a 12 year old from Atlanta, Georgia. Cameron grew up reading an Igbo book passed down from generation to generation in his family, one that told stories about a far away land, Chidani, that was separate from the world which he is in. However, after Cameron’s parents mysteriously pass away, he is told by his Grandmother to never read the Book again. One night, with his close friends, Zion and Aliyah, he opens the Book again to read about its secrets, and tales of a foreign land. This time however, Cameron, Zion, and Aliyah are pulled into a thrilling adventure along with the book across the land of Chidani which is filled with creatures and other humans – some good, but some evil.

I have to say I greatly enjoyed reading this book, and it was truly a great read. This story starts the action very early on, which I believe is a great aspect of the book. It also greatly explains several things about Igbo culture, and is great for fans of books centered around mythology such as Percy Jackson. Creating an entirely new world in fantasy novels can be difficult for writers, but Chidani was made with a lot of detail and I could clearly envision several scenes from the book. However, I gave this book a 4/5 instead of a 5/5 because I believe that the plot is a bit predictable, and a bit too similar to the plots of other books. However, I believe that if you enjoy mythology this would be a great read for you, and even if you also just enjoy the fantasy genre this would be a fun read.

~Riddhiman