Official Review: The World of Ato by Patrick Borosky

Cristina Chifane · Post by **Cristina Chifane** » 11 May 2018, 08:56

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The World of Ato" by Patrick Borosky.]

4 out of 4 stars

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The World of Ato is Patrick Borosky’s marvelous intro to what promises to turn into an excellent fantasy series. Brimming with wild imagination, the writer challenges us to take a leap of faith and believe in the impossible.

Ato is a 15-year-old girl who lives alone in a house on top of a hill overlooking the Crimson Kingdom. With her parents missing for two years, she has only her art to comfort her. Ato is incredibly talented. She paints in the morning the magnificent things she sees in her vivid dreams during the night. Everything changes when she discovers she can bring her paintings to life and travel to the worlds she creates.

Apart from her best friend Reed, Ato gains a most unusual companion. Iro is the little dragon she releases from a long slumber. They will soon become inseparable. With Iro’s magical help, Ato will travel to the world of her dreams, the kingdom of Myr. In no time, she will be thrown into the adventure of her life. She will make new friends, but she will also face deadly creatures conjured by a faceless man feeding on people’s souls. Ato has to act fast or darkness will not only envelop Myr, but her own world too.

At a first glance, the novel targets young adult readers, yet there is an extra layer of meaning. For adult readers, it becomes an allegory on human condition and contemporary society. For example, Ato is amazed that the happy people of the bazaar in Myr choose to deliberately ignore the horrible life of the poor people living beyond the hill. She understands that in a way she had done the same by drawing people only in their happiest moments. Her journey helps her develop both as a person and as an artist. Iro opens her eyes with respect to the role of art and the artist. She learns that once it is finished, a painting does not belong to her anymore. On the one hand, the artist’s tragedy is that people will not see exactly what s/he intended. On the other hand, the multiplicity of perspectives is part of the beauty of art.

The author’s writing style is extremely versatile. He skillfully passes from the lyrical descriptions of Ato’s dreams and paintings to the hilarious chitter-chatter between Ato and Iro or the often serious tone of their conversations about art. The third-person narrator mainly focuses on Ato, but there are chapters in which the perspective is changed to follow other characters that are equally well portrayed. Ato is a strong and complex character reminding of rebellious Lyra and her demon Pantalaimon in Philip Pullman’s famous trilogy His Dark Materials. Ato and her friends discover the value of friendship and compassion. The secondary characters are thus imagined so as to ridicule human weaknesses and folly. In spite of his short stature, Ferrin is capable of the kind of bravery and self-sacrifice typical of true knights. People’s prejudices and misconceptions about witches force Violet to live a secluded life in a shack in the woods. The Silver Knight and the Archduke Alexander Grand symbolize the danger of falling into the trap of an obsessive lust for power.

Everything about this novel is in a crescendo. Tension is built up gradually. Revelations grow in intensity. Characters learn to understand and accept their emotions and fears. Even the writer’s style improves in technique and strategy as the story develops and we lose track of space and time. I dare say Patrick Borosky’s novel has more potential than many other fantasy series currently on the market. I am thinking of Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life connecting all the worlds together in Norse mythology. Not accidentally, the author mentions it in the short story attached to this novel. Imagine the possibilities and temptations Ato will face in her inter-world adventures. 4 out of 4 stars is the only proper rating in spite of the few typos and minor mistakes. I loved the book so much that I have voluntarily done the additional proofreading. I hope I can help the author because I would like to see the paperback on my bookshelves.

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The World of Ato
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AmySmiles · Post by **AmySmiles** » 30 Jun 2018, 13:46

Your review compells me to want to read this book. Thanks for the excellent review!

Amanda Deck · Post by **Amanda Deck** » 30 Jun 2018, 14:21

This would be great for my granddaughter - but not for a few years I suppose. You said young adult to adult and she's not ready for what sounds like a bit too-deep philosophy quite yet. She's able to discuss these things on a surface level, she's very interested in art of all types, and can understand that there is meaning in art but she's only ten. Hard to say if this would intrigue her or just overwhelm her. I think I need to buy it and save it for a few years instead of just forgetting about it, your review makes me immediately imagine her in the story!

DathanReeves · Post by **DathanReeves** » 30 Jun 2018, 15:21

Incredible. This book seems to have everything i want right now, even the whimsy.

Kendra M Parker · Post by **Kendra M Parker** » 30 Jun 2018, 17:13

The artwork on the cover is impressive, and I must say that I am glad to see that the book rises to the occasion. I love that the crescendo of book keeps readers engaged, the author can switch styles seamlessly and appropriately, and that the book inspires the imagination. This will have to go on my reading list!

stacie k · Post by **stacie k** » 30 Jun 2018, 17:34

I love that there are layers of meaning to be found in this book. It sounds very imaginative and well done. Thanks for the great review!

pinchess07 · Post by **pinchess07** » 30 Jun 2018, 17:53

The cover art is phenomenal. And yor glowing review guarantees that this is gonna be an enjoyable read for me! I love this already!

Kmdehn · Post by **Kmdehn** » 30 Jun 2018, 23:15

You really brought this book to life for me in your review and I can't wait to read it. The author's use of some pretty interesting techniques has me very intrigued. I love a book that can come together with lyrical points and yet also some proper dialogue. The evolution of the writing also sounds quite fun. This sounds like a great adventure story with some deeper concepts that I really want to explore. Thank you so much for the amazing review!

Suzy1611 · Post by **Suzy1611** » 01 Jul 2018, 00:25

Captivating. Mystical. What a fantasy. Even though the novel is targeted for young readers. I find it rather interesting. Nice book cover illustration.

Thank you for the review.

julessawyer · Post by **julessawyer** » 01 Jul 2018, 01:30

this book is for me! female protagonist, adventure in your paintings and social struggles is exactly my cup of tea. by the way,your review was well written. i hope to read this soon.

Cristina Chifane · Post by **Cristina Chifane** » 01 Jul 2018, 08:22

AmySmiles wrote: ↑30 Jun 2018, 13:46 Your review compells me to want to read this book. Thanks for the excellent review!

All I can say is that I really enjoyed reading and reviewing this book. I guess I tried to impregnate my review with my enthusiasm.

It was easy to allow myself to get lost in Ato's worlds.

Cristina Chifane · Post by **Cristina Chifane** » 01 Jul 2018, 08:32

Amanda Deck wrote: ↑30 Jun 2018, 14:21 This would be great for my granddaughter - but not for a few years I suppose. You said young adult to adult and she's not ready for what sounds like a bit too-deep philosophy quite yet. She's able to discuss these things on a surface level, she's very interested in art of all types, and can understand that there is meaning in art but she's only ten. Hard to say if this would intrigue her or just overwhelm her. I think I need to buy it and save it for a few years instead of just forgetting about it, your review makes me immediately imagine her in the story!

You made me think if this book could be appropriate for a ten-year old girl. You could definitely try. The discussions on the nature of art and the role of the artist are by no means heavy-laden. I think I would have liked such a book at her age. The story is refreshing and it stimulates children's imagination.

Cristina Chifane · Post by **Cristina Chifane** » 01 Jul 2018, 08:37

DathanReeves wrote: ↑30 Jun 2018, 15:21 Incredible. This book seems to have everything i want right now, even the whimsy.

Thanks. I sincerely hope the author will continue writing about Ato and her adventures because I'll be the first to read his books.

Cristina Chifane · Post by **Cristina Chifane** » 01 Jul 2018, 08:46

Kendra M Parker wrote: ↑30 Jun 2018, 17:13 The artwork on the cover is impressive, and I must say that I am glad to see that the book rises to the occasion. I love that the crescendo of book keeps readers engaged, the author can switch styles seamlessly and appropriately, and that the book inspires the imagination. This will have to go on my reading list!

I don't think you'll regret your decision. I don't usually use too many praising epithets in my reviews, but I believe this book deserves them and the author is worth following.

Cristina Chifane · Post by **Cristina Chifane** » 01 Jul 2018, 10:05

stacie k wrote: ↑30 Jun 2018, 17:34 I love that there are layers of meaning to be found in this book. It sounds very imaginative and well done. Thanks for the great review!

Yeah, I think that's one of the attributes of great books. The different layers of meaning make the novel appealing to a wider audience. They also allow for mutiple critical perspectives. Thanks for reading.