Meredith Holmes

Plato would be proud. Ali Gray's debut novel is a gripping tale of adventure back through time to Ancient Greece where a young boy encounters Plato’s philosophies of life. As Plato has passed on his teachings through time, Ted has led his grandson to his lifelong journey of discovery. And Ali Gray leads her readers along a similar path. The Oracle puts up dangerous challenges as Charlie and Adonia desperately try to find Plato. They soon come to realise that to face one’s fears is to empower them to overcome them. In a master stroke, Ali uses a symbolic Medusa snake as the tool to unlock the prisoners from captivity. In the final challenge Charlie faces the ultimate fear of death, standing defiantly in the path of a murderous rock, armed only with his precious locket. Through this wonderful adventure Ali Gray brings Plato’s teachings alive and raises some big questions like ‘Do you think there is life after death? She echoes the wisdom of Plato throughout: ‘Do not look to the past, look only to the future’. And with the final message of faith, that all the answers are inside you already, to use the light of the mind. Although presented as a children’s book, adults will take great pleasure in reading Ali Gray’s novel to their children and sharing the fact that one can never stop learning, it is a lifetime of discovery to look forward to. Highly recommended.