“The Alchemyst: Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel”, a New York Times Bestseller, sounded to me to be an enticing novel. I feverishly read the back cover and snatched a copy off the self at the book store for myself. Unfortunately, I have to admit that this book left me very disappointed.

Michael Scott lets this story revolve around Sophie and Josh, teenage twins living in California. They are unexpectedly thrust into a world of ancient myth and magic when they discover that a man they had formerly known as “Nick Fleming” is actually the legendary Nicholas Flamel living among them in secret. Of course, the twins are involved in epic battles and are quickly revealed to possess powerful magic that is spoken of in a prophecy. They hold the potential to save or destroy the world. Sound familiar?

I have to give Scott credit for his clever ideas and impeccable research. The ideas behind this novel are exceptionally creative, but I found the plot to be very straightforward and predictable. The story does not leave any mysteries for the reader to ponder. I also was not able to get to know the characters because they were not adequately described. In my mind, Nicholas Flamel is a cloudy face with little personality, and the twins are too-good-to-be-true blonds. I would have appreciated a thorough description of each character’s traits, strengths, and weaknesses, rather than a list of each person’s accomplishments.

In conclusion, this book has some great inspirations behind it, but the plot could have taken the reader much deeper into a more complex story with more “real” characters. If you are looking for a novel that will require some deep thinking, this book is not for you.