Character Profile

Summary

A middle-school boy, son of a germaphobe and a reenactor, discovers a family curse that causes the previous Martin to die when a new Martin is born...which gives him about 9 months to live before his cousin born!

Stats

Genre: Tween (10-13) contemporary humor with a supernatural twist. 

Series length: Standalone book

Violence: Low, comedic action violence

Magic/Supernatural: Light, restricted to the family curse. 

Romance: Light--he has a crush on a girl at school. 

Christian/spiritual element: Light, implied, but great themes of gratitude, the power of words, and on living life fully.

Recommendation: Geared more for boys than girls, though some girls might enjoy it as well. Great for reluctant readers.

You might like this book if you liked... 
the humor of Percy Jackson or the Diaries of a Wimpy Kid.

To Purchase

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Opening page: 

"A great new story needs a great first line." 
          Martin Boyle licked the tip of his pen. "Oh, dumb!" He reached for the antibacterial spray resting on his desk, lifted it mouthward, and squeezed the trigger. His face contorted. The stuff tasted terrible. The taste alone could kill--That was it!
​          Martin grabbed his notepad. 

Arena
by Karen Hancock

There's always a Martin. One Martin

Martin Boyle has plenty to worry about. His germaphobic mother keeps him home from school if she hears so much as a sneeze, and his father is usually off somewhere reenacting old war battles. Julia, the most beautiful girl in school, won't even speak to Martin, and the gym teacher is officially out to get him. 

Which is why Martin really doesn't need this curse hanging over his head. 

On a trip to the family cemetery, Martin wanders among the tombstones of his ancestors and discovers a disturbing pattern: when one Martin is born, the previous Martin dies. And--just his luck--Martin's aunt is about to give birth to a baby boy, who will, according to tradition, be named Martin. 

Martin must find a way to break the curse, but every clue seems to lead to a dead end. Time is running out. 

Review of The Last Martin

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