In this, the third book and conclusion of The Explorers' adventure, Evie and Sebastian continue their quest to find and rescue Evie's grandfather, the only family she has left. But first they must find the third and fourth members of the original Filipendulous Five: the mechanic Doris, and the stunt car driver Jason Charles Wu, "The Kid".  Along the way, Evie solves the mystery of the three maimed men who are stalking Sebastian, all because his photographic memory has the only map to a waterfall with extraordinary properties. She also gets to drive a race car. Sebastian helps rescue an entire set of actors who signed a terrible contract, and along the way it becomes evident that he has a rapport with animals.

Both Sebastian and Evie have to square their choices and actions with their own consciences. That's part of a whole series of hard lessons, such as that loyalties can change, lies have consequences, and when your gut tells you something is wrong, SOMETHING IS WRONG. 

It turns out that their quest is for the kid in all of us, the part that can hope, and forgive, love, take delight in good things, make discoveries, and grow up happy.

The illustrations are wonderful; the writing is fresh and engaging. These books have a lot in common with The Benedict Society series, but also with Roald Dahl stories minus the meanness. Kress writes with a great sense of fun, good humor, and sympathy for her characters. She is inclusive without making a Big Deal about the fact that people come in all manner of shapes, orientations, races, and abilities. A big part of the character development arcs are how Sebastian and Evie explore the strengths and limitations of their natural characters, and occasionally go beyond their limitations. This is ultimately a feel good story, with a number of talking points for friends or family to share and discuss. - Chris Wozney

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