An intricately plotted YA adventure novel about a group of unlikely heroes, K.N. Smith’s Discovery of the Five Senses is a fresh take on the classic good versus evil story.
The peaceful, idyllic small town of Danville Heights is a perfect escape from city living, with kindly neighbors rocking in chairs on porches and gorgeous weather. The neighboring town of Sandry Lake, however, is the exact opposite: gloomy, dark, and filled with desperation. Sandry Lake has come under the control of an evil man named Druth and his band of ruthless, violent followers. Druth will do anything to gain a particular set of powers, associated with heightened senses.
Enter our five main characters: high schoolers and best friends Kinsu, Chase, Jordan, Rhee, and Alex. One night after a nail-biter Danville Heights football game, the boys visit a foreboding local preserve with a dark past. They awaken mysteriously with even more mysterious powers – enhanced senses for each of the boys. However, this transformation has been witnessed by Druth, who wants to destroy Danville Heights, yet hadn’t counted on any obstacles in his way.
What separates this book from other supernatural or superhero fiction is the relatability of these characters and their powers. Any young reader can imagine an enhanced sense of hearing or vision, so the powers are intriguingly true to life, beyond what you find in most magical fantasy fiction. As the title makes clear, the book is urban fantasy to its core, but even for this genre, the boys’ powers are refreshingly down to earth, allowing for an immersive and absorbing adventure to unfold, where young readers will be able to see themselves in the characters.
Unfolding somewhat like “The Goonies,” in which a group of young characters must band together to save their town, what is missing in this story is some degree of gender balance. The book will certainly appeal to young male readers, but the author is somewhat missing a trick in not exploring the fraught tension that can happen with mixed-gender protagonists. As a result, the book seems younger than its intended age group at times, more like The Three Investigators series, in which sexuality never really plays a part. In other words, while the boys’ powers are realistic and entertaining, their interaction is less multifaceted than it should be for a teen drama.
That said, the story is well-paced and well-drawn, and Smith does not shy away from other issues of adolescence, including mental health, friendship, and the growing sense of both independence and bonding that is so core to growing up. As in other young adult fiction, the powers are a stand-in for the massive changes occurring at that time, and Smith does a good job of weaving that thematic element subtly, while still making for a suspenseful fantasy that is separate from these potentially loaded or heavyhanded themes. Ultimately, the book resolves with a satisfying conclusion that opens itself up to more exploration of these characters.
All told, while the novel could have delved deeper into certain teen concerns, Discovery of the Five Senses tells a dramatic story of adolescence woven into a rich and creative fantasy.
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