Leven Thumps and the Ruins of Alder

Leven Thumps #5

by Obert Skye, Obert Skye

"Do you think he'll be able to do it?" Clover asked, worried. "I'm not sure," Geth replied, amazed by his own doubt. "I'm not sure." In the fifth and final volume of the epic saga of Leven Thumps, all of Foo is rushing madly to exit the realm of dreams while Leven is headed in the opposite direction. Fate snatches him to the island of Alder, where he is poised to pass or fail the final test. Meanwhile, in Reality, Ezra and Dennis are welcoming those flowing out of Foo— but only so they can selfishly conquer them and gain control of both realms. Phoebe is loose, and it takes Geth getting ahold of her to begin to balance the emotions and passions of all that is crumbling. And Winter? Well, Winter just might hold the answer to everything. Ride with Leven and Clover as they travel through the ruins of Alder hoping he has what it takes to save all mankind and restore the power of dreams.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Adventure, Middle Grade, Magic, Childrens

363 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Obert Skye read his first book at age two. He wrote his first story at age four. And he was nearly trampled by a herd of water buffalo at age six. For a short time, he lived on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, where he spent time as a candy-taster. Several years ago, Obert Skye says, he discovered the existence of Foo. Publishing his story as a fictional series was not Obert’s first choice. Nevertheless he is content that the “history” is being told.

Hobbies and other interests: Collecting old maps, water polo, roller coasters.

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I have to say is you must read all of the books in order. Yes there will be times when you feel a bit worn out from all of the adventures because, most of the time, right after the the characters get out of trouble, trouble finds them again. And yes, this is a book directed towards children. But, i think it is a great book for all ages. Considerably families. I am almost 17, though I started these books when i was about 12 and as I get older I can see how these books are considered children's books. But, once you finish all of them. You will see how Obert Skye is a creative genius. I believe he is amazing. His analogy's, the way he explains things, the characters, and world he creates are unlike any other author's work that I've ever read. There are clues he leaves in the beginning books that you won't understand until the end that are just genius. I believe he is just as clever as J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter left me breathless and so did Leven Thumps. And Foo? Foo amazes me just as much as Hogwarts and even middle earth, though Skye doesn't create his own language like Tolkien. I would give almost anything to be a wizard at Hogwarts, or an Elve in Middle Earth. Obert Skye has created that same desire within me to be a Nit. A Nit living in Foo. That would be awesome!

[One Man Book Club · Rating 3 out of 5]

Phew! Finally done with Foo! I started reading the series to preview them for my kids, and I'm happy to say the Leven Thumps series is full of good, clean fun. There's just enough comedy, suspense, adventure, mystery, imagination, and even puppy-love romance to keep the 8 - 16 crowd innocent but engaged.

I had fun reading about Leven and friends and their adventures in Foo. The characters were fun, and I especially enjoyed the humor and running gags that ran through all five books. I actually laughed out loud a few times!

For me, however, the laughs and the fun weren't enough to get me emotionally attached to Leven, his friends, and especially Foo. I think it's the fact that Foo is a dream world. How can you write about a world full of dreams and not be confusing? The author certainly has a broad imagination, and he deserves a big shout out for even being able to coherently create a dream world that wasn't horribly stupid to read about. (For an example of the kind of horribly stupid dream world I'm talking about, watch that Robin Williams movie from a few years ago call What Dreams May Come. Actually, don’t watch it. It was horribly stupid. And it was about the afterlife, not a dream world. But you know what I mean.)

Unfortunately, my imagination just couldn't wrap itself entirely around the concept of what Foo was supposed to be. There were too many times the rules of the story changed to move the plot along because it's a dream land--"impossible isn't a word" (as I was reminded many times throughout the books).

To me the way a book ends can really make or break the story. The ending of The Leven Thumps series felt rushed and confused. Some of the character resolutions just didn't work for me. Strangely, I didn't feel disappointed--I just didn't feel anything. I wanted to be moved, but wasn't. I just read the last page, turned off my Kindle, and immediately moved on. Where with similar stories like Harry Potter or Fablehaven the characters dwell in my mind long after I turn the last page, Leven and Clover and Geth and Winter didn't stay in my head or my heart. Weird.

Perhaps I'm being too critical. Certainly 10 year olds don't care about such things. If I were a pre-teen I think I would appreciate that the story was fun and that my imagination had to stretch and that in the end the heroes saved the day. I guess that’s really all that matters.

If there’s ever a movie made, I’d watch it. And until then, I’ll absolutely be recommending the entire Leven Thumps Series to my kids and yours.

[Carie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate to say it, but this book was rather a let-down for me. There was a lot of build up and character development in previous books that were just “thrown to the wind” in this final installment. I liked Leven’s journey in the book and his ultimate accomplishment, but I really didn’t like the very end of the book (although the second to last chapter does present a satisfying scene) (see my comments in the spoilers section below). There was no detail as to how it all went down and ended up as it did and I really didn’t understand what happened to all the people who left Foo. My son (who I read this to) was annoyed by how long it took to accomplish everything and how many chapters just seemed to go over the same territory and drag it out. The series was very imaginative overall, with some neat characters and thrilling twists and turns. I just think this book could have been a much better conclusion to an exciting series. Maybe if a longer chapter of explanation had been added to the end? Maybe explanation is planned in the new Geth series?

SPOILERS: I was HIGHLY irritated by the end of Ezra. He was one of my favorite characters in the books and he just “disappeared” without any fanfare and no explanation?! Was he joined back with Geth or not? Did whisp Janet and Osck come back, like Phoebe did? How did Geth, Winter, and Phoebe end up back in Foo? Why isn’t Geth a tree anymore? Definitely not enough explanation of what happened at the end… And, far too many casualties and characters/situations built up in previous books to just fade away in this one, not tying together well with the overall story. I was hoping for some interesting moments with Geth and Dennis that never came and excited for the reunion of Clover and Lilly which was never told. I felt lots of fizzling out with Azure, Elton, Ezra, Dennis, Janet, Osck, Lilly, sycophants, etc. Disappointing!!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really fast read. Or maybe I just read it fast....Anyway, it was a lot of fun. Lots of humor and adventure. Some soul searching and a bit of romance too. A very satisfying ending to a series I've really enjoyed. And now he's working on a new one with Geth. Woohoo!

I did find this book a bit more Lemony Snicket-y than the others. Maybe I just haven't read the first books for a while, but his style seemed to have evolved some. I'm not complaining because I adore the sarcastic rambling humor of Lemony Snicket and now Obert Skye. It just added a different flavor to the book.

Highly recommended for tweens, teens and adults too.

[Kerri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what an ending to such a fun, imaginative series! The characters have come such a long way and have grown so much. Everything is changed and out of whack while the divide between good and evil, kindness and selfishness is more pronounced than ever. I am so glad I finally was able to finish this series after all this time.

[Sidnee Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Series

This series was witty and fun, filled with little nuggets of wisdom. As always Obert Skye is original in his world building and character creation.

The end was a bit abrupt, I would have liked a couple more chapters to tie things up with some of the secondary characters and the main ones too.

[Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read and nice ending to the series (although it looks like there'll be another series starting in the same story universe).

My only real problem is that it has been awhile since I read the previous one and I had a bit of trouble figuring out who certain people were and what had previously happened. Maybe I'm too used to reading the Wheel of Time (or, pretty much any fantasy series) where things are reiterated in each subsequent installment.

Setting: We get to explore the island of Alder and a big hole in the middle of New Mexico. Alder wasn't as weird as some other places in Foo, but it did have an interesting tree. I'm not sure how that tree and the one that was Geth are related though, even that seemed to be important.

Plot: Leven has to save Foo by visiting the Tree in the ruins of Alder as he confronts some unfinished business. There are also some sub-plots like the budding love with Winter, the stories of Tim and Janet, and the anger of Ezra. So, I thought Obert did well with wrapping everything up, including the sub-plots.

Conflict: Leven mainly has to confront his past. Geth and Winter have to get to his old stump and deal with Ezra and the Dearth. Geth and Winter's conflict was great and suspenseful. Leven's seemed a bit too easy (at least until they get to the tree).

Character: I really liked Winter and Geth and even Ezra. Clover made me laugh a few times, too. I think the reason I didn't like Leven had to do with the conflict part and with his abundance of powers.

Text: Would have liked more reminders of what happened in earlier books, but I found it interesting that Obert had some pretty good metaphors. In fact, better than a Literary novel I recently read.

[Wes Furgason · Rating 3 out of 5]

All the books in this series are pretty much the same. One tragedy, one Obstetrical, one dilemma after another until finally Leven succeeds in what ever it is he is trying to do. Sometimes the opposition to Leven's efforts are carried too far and it gets boring. I really didn't get the part about his father. It's like the Author just didn't know how to involve him in a meaningful way.

There are some really funny parts in the earlier books but nothing to compelling about this last one. It seemed that the Author was just as eager for this story to be over as I was.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think this author really had any idea where he was going when he started this series. There are some moments that are really fun, but then there are times when he skips around from subplot to subplot and there are so many characters that it is hard to keep track of everyone. Then, the ending was so abrupt I didn't understand what happened, and then everything was all of a sudden OK. I'm torn because I really liked the premise and the characters,, but this book tried to focus on so many things that the main plot suffered.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am going to add my review to the last book of the series. I enjoyed this series. There are a lot of humorous moments in the book. Some of it is a bit weird (chocolate snot helps the heroes out of a tight spot) but this adds to the books. The land of Foo the author has created is filled with both wonderful and awful creatures. I like the authors little narrative speaking with a wry sense of life which reminds me a bit of Snicket. However, Leven Thumps remains unique, which is why I am giving it five stars.

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the best of the Leven books. You have to like childish books to stomach them, though. :) I absolutely loved all five books, but most of my friends can only barely make it through the first. :)

[Seth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed this serious a lot. I like them better that the Harry Potter series. I really enjoyed the odd intro to the chapters that Obert Skye comes up with. The whole series was just great very light hearted and did not take it self to seriously.

[Dezerai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leven had to restore the balance between Foo and Reality by chopping down the tree. This was the last book of the series and I like the ending. I liked it because Leven and Winter ended up being a couple. I also liked that it had a happy ending for all of the good people.

[Zion Mpeye · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book. A nice happy ending to the Leven Thumps series.

[Elias · Rating 2 out of 5]

4/10

[Jacksonb · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm just going to rate the whole series all at once, so just be warned:
THERE WILL BE SPOILERS!!!
Okay, here goes nothing. Books One-Four I would rate five stars. Book Five I would rate five stars too, but you'll know why I didn't in a moment. I loved the books. There was, for me, just the right amount of action, rest, suspense, and romance to keep me awake all night. I loved the very sudden and surprising kiss between Leven and Winter, and that scene kept me off guard all day. Overall, it was a really great book. Except...I hated the ending.
Don't get me wrong. There was so much action in the second to last chapter I was giddy as a schoolgirl and so excited to see how Leven would figure it out. Unfortunately, the next chapter was a few weeks later, and the suspense I felt was all flushed away. In other words, the climax felt a little anti-climactic.
That's why I only have two stars instead of the 5 that most of the series deserves.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It was not predictable like some stories. I would never see the ending coming. plenty of twists and turns in this great book. it is, like all the other books in this series, quite bizarre. there is a lot of things in the book that even after being explained, are still confusing. but it was written in a way that you don't have to fully understand all of the terminology to understand whats happening. overall, really fun story, very well written, and a great book.

[Natelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book wraps up the Leven Thumps series and even offers deeper perspective on family and the meaning behind a name. However, I felt the author had more story to tell but decided to hurry up and finish it up to move onto another project. He did continue to start many of the chapters with commentary from a narrator who remains to be identified. I wonder if that identity is revealed in another of his books?

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of color, imagination, and light-hearted humor, the fifth and final installment of the Leven Thumps series comes to an explosive yet somewhat sudden ending. Many characters finish their arcs, and the final chapter wraps up very quickly with a "happily ever after" feast. I wish that Mr. Skye had spent more time ending the book, but all in all, it was pleasant. The climax seems a little rushed, but regardless, it's action-packed and thrilling.

[SarahKat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Similar to my review of book 4. This series declined in enjoyment for me after book 2. I'm glad we read all of them; there were definitely some funny moments in this one that we enjoyed. It just didn't have the same magic as the first one. Too much happens all at once and it feels like the build-up AND the climax were really random and not great. I don't know. It's hard to put my finger on exactly what was wrong. I'll think on it.

[Hailey Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably the easiest book to get through, so I actually took my time with this one. There was more action and a quicker pace, although I was surprised that the ending was so rushed. There was the battle that lasted the whole book, then in a page was over and everything was back to the way it should’ve been. I still have many questions, but I guess those will never be answered.

[Phoebe Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

- I was extremely stressed for the majority of this book.
- The action and suspense happened until literally the last 2 chapters.
- I’m so relieved that everyone survived and is happy now but I wish I could’ve seen more of how they were reunited and the weeks following.
- Overall I absolutely loved this series and its characters.

[Rye · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure how I liked this series in the beginning, but I think it really grew on me. Parts made me laugh, especially Levin and Clover or Ezra and Geth. And parts made my heart race and I was sad once I realized I had finished the book. They are worth the read, and I Foo is such an amazing thing to think of. (:

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent end to the series! I think my favorite part in all the books are the little monologues he uses to start some of the chapters. They seem unrelated at first, but the segue nicely into the plot and they make me smile :)

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imaginative

The conclusion of the excellent young adult/teen fiction Leven Thumps series captured my imagination with wild descriptions and fanciful characters. A great light read to escape from the grey of Reality into the technicolor of Foo.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pros:
-Great suspense
-Believable characters
-Vivid imagery
-For every age.

Cons:
-Lots of transitions from one character to another
-Ended too soon

The Bottom Line: A book you will want to read over again.


The last book of Orbert Skye's Leven Thumps series; Leven Thumps and the Ruins of Alder.

It is a creative tale about a boy from reality who becomes tangled into the world of dreams; Foo. It is almost impossible to write anything about this book without potentially spoiling surprises of the first four books. But, in the words of the Lithen, Geth, "impossible is not a word."

Besides, you wouldn't understand this book if you hadn't already read The Gateway to Foo, the Whispered Secret, the Eyes of the Want, and the Wrath of Ezra.

If you haven't already read those books then stop right there and go read them.

That way you don't get confused, and I can go ahead and write without worrying about spoiling the story for you.

The Con in the book is that, at times you want to keep reading about one character but the next chapter is following another person around in another important part of the story.
I suppose that I'm just not good with transitions in stories. But, of course, I like the transitions after I again become interested in what is happening to the rest of the characters. Another con is that the ending came too soon. I wish that the author would have drawn it out longer. But then, some people like quick wrap ups.

The Pros are that this book is one that you will want to read more than once, and that the characters are believable. The imagery is really vivid. A person with a good imagination can almost see the colors. You wonder what will happen next. It also has a healthy helping of suspense - especially at its exquisite end.

Some important beings:
Sycophants are the creatures who were in Foo when it was made. They have a secret. As long as no one knows their secret they cannot die. But secrets are made to be whispered.
Since the beginning it became their job to make the Niteons, nits, comfortable. Nits are people who were swept out of reality by fate, to live in Foo. They were given one gift; some for example: freezing things, flying, levitating objects, turning invisible, seeing underground, burrowing, and such.

Leven is an Offing; a special case. They can see and manipulate the future, and can learn other gifts. But there is more to how cool a person can be. Being in Foo, Leven grows with experience; not as a regular person does in Reality. So in only the few weeks since he was brought to Foo, he grew from a fourteen year old boy to a young man of eighteen or nineteen. That is proof enough to how much he has gone through in the previous books.

Lithens are the first people brought into Foo by fate; the controlling force that proves that there is not such a thing as an accident. All of the Lithens are gone now, except for Geth. But Geth is incomplete.
His missing piece, Ezra, is running around Reality in a mad rage. (Ezra was first introduced in the second book; Leven Thumps and the Whispered Secret.) Ezra, with only Geth's emotions of anger and confusion, is determined to kill Geth; positive that Geth was the one responsible for him being separated from the rest of his soul. But Ezra doesn't seem to realize that if Geth dies, he will die too.

The order in Foo is falling. The gate to Reality has been over run. Because the secret of the Sycophants was released, the little furry creatures can no longer keep the thousands of Foovians from leaving.

This place, that existed to keep Reality balanced and growing, is dying. Reality is turning upside down (literally). Its skies are no longer safe to fly in. The ground of New Mexico is treacherous. Phenomena that would be normal in Foo are taking over. Except, those phenomena were friendlier in the world of dreams. And in Foo, there is hardly anyone left to receive and enhance the dreams that were supposed to continue coming in from Reality. Now that the meshing between Reality and Foo has begun, the quality of dreams is tainted. The dreams have stopped coming.

The Want, Leven (the sage of Foo since the third book, Eyes of the Want), is trying to find a way to fix things. The mantle of the Want gives Leven immortality; to a point. He wants to go to the front lines and fight for this place he had come to love so dearly.

(A great change from his old feeling of only wishing to go back to the way he once lived; despite the fact that he hated his life in Oklahoma as well.)

-But, Fate has something different in mind. Soon after Leven was dragged to Foo by Geth and a Niteon named Winter, Leven had thought more about the well-being of others than for his own.
Fate wouldn't have had it any other way. That is just what Fate was counting on because it so happens that, for the future of Foo, Leven Thumps will have to give of himself dearly. And this doesn't seem to be some short and painless task either.

Come and see for yourself how twisted things have gotten. And find out how much must be lost to fix it; in Orbert Skye's Leven Thumps and the Ruins of Alder.

Recommended to friends:
Yes

[Leesi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most exciting and complicated of them all!

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a fine end to the series, but I felt like the series dragged on a little long.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars, but I put four because I really enjoyed the series overall. The ending on this one wrapped up way too quickly, though.

[Brynnlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonerful ending to a great series! Filled with suspense, it has lots of adventure and keeps you on your toes. You should read this book!