The Serpent in the Glass by DM Andrews

This book is the tale of Thomas Farrell, an orphan who, on his 11th birthday, gets invited to live at a boarding school.  There is a kind of magic about, but apart from that, this is not Harry Potter.

Now I've never read HP, but have half watched the films and this book is nothing like that.

I found this an interesting read.  Sometimes I thought the names of some characters and things a bit awkward perhaps for the audience it is primarily aimed at, but then, I'm not a teenager, so perhaps it's no problem for them.

The storyline was exciting and I liked the characters, especially the 5 young friends.  The descriptions throughout the book were good enough for me to visualise.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0062A7UVE/?tag=jookuf-21