Blog Tour and Audio Book Review: Ghost Leopard by Lars Guignard

Title: Zoe & Zak and the Ghost Leopard
Author: Lars Guignard
Series: Book One in the Zoe & Zak Adventures
Published: Fantastic Press (July 21, 2012)
Source: Audio Copy Provided by the Publisher
Genre: Middle School Fantasy


Book Description:
Imagine you're totally lost in a strange city with no idea where you are and no way home.
Now imagine that elephants and snake charmers start telling you that you've been chosen to save the world.
Would you even believe them?
What would you do?

Zoe Guire isn't sure. Having that elephant talk to her was really weird, and, as a rule, Zoe doesn't do weird. Except the thing is, when Zoe goes along on her mom's business trip to India, things get very weird, very quickly. Soon after she arrives, Zoe finds herself tagging alongside a kid named Zak, lost in a crazy city, with no money and no way home.

And those are the least of Zoe's troubles. Because if she's to believe the scary-looking snake charmer guy sitting in the corner, she and Zak have been chosen -- chosen to protect some kind of mythical animal called the Ghost Leopard from who knows what.

Now, the further they get into the mountains, the more crazily impossible things get. Carpets fly and statues talk and if either Zoe or Zak want to make it back to their parents, or the sixth grade, or anything even close to normal, they're going to have to make some new friends, learn some new tricks, and listen, really listen to that talking elephant. Because if they don't, the world will never be the same again.

Join Zoe and Zak as they journey high into the Himalayas to a place few have been and even fewer have returned to tell about it.


Live life beyond the edge.

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About the Author:

Lars Guignard is a former film and television writer and a graduate of both McGill University and the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. His debut thriller novel, Lethal Circuit, has been an amazon top 100 Technothriller since its release. Guignard has wanted to write Indian stories for kids ever since he attended a boarding school in the majestic Himalayas. The time he spent in the “school above the clouds” affected him profoundly, and once he returned home to North America he was struck by the lack of children’s stories from India available in our culture. Since India is such an incredible country, he decided to write a series of action adventure books for young adults about India to introduce young readers to this magical, mystical land. So if you’re looking for a great book adventure for kids, try Ghost Leopard today!

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My Thoughts and Review:

I haven't listened to very many audio books in my time, I usually get too distracted while listening to them and rarely complete them, instead I usually end up picking up the book or abandoning them all together. I have to say though, the narrator of this did a fabulous job and I was able to listen to her weave Zoe and Zak's tale without all the normal distractions getting in the way.  The fact that I was able to let my children listen to this with me was a huge bonus as well. 

I will say upfront that I think this is geared towards a younger audience. The characters in the story are around the age of eleven/twelve and act accordingly. I never got the Harry Potter or Percy Jackson vibe the synopsis claims it has but it was a fun read with  lots of adventure and was very imaginative. It had a little bit of everything in it, from ghosts to curses, to talking inanimate objects and flying carpets and demonic beings. It had something to appeal to anyone.

I loved how Zak and Zoe interacted, they weren't exactly friends and didn't always get along but they did look out for each other when it really counted. Their relationship was very much what I would picture any eleven year old girl and boy that were sort of thrown together to be. At a time when boys were still gross and girls were still icky. 

This was a fun read overall that I think any middle schooler or preteen would really have fun with and enjoy. 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review. A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

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