Escape from Terikiak: A Ficus Family Adventure Book 1

by Benjamin Lueders

While on a family vacation to Slaughter Beach, three brothers stumble upon an abandoned rowboat with a mysterious box inside. Through a strange turn of events, they find themselves separated from one another, and stranded on an island filled with talking creatures and imminent danger. Now the brothers have to hold on to hope and courage in order to find one another, and escape the island of Terikiak.

302 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2024

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall fun characters, interesting creatures, and compelling adventure. My 7 & almost 5 year old boys were loving it, and even my two year old daughter would be excited to listen to “tricky-yak!”.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

Quick intro:
Stranded and separated on a strange and monster-inhabited island, the Ficus brothers must hold onto hope, befriend talking creatures, and find one another to escape Terikiak and make it back to their parents.

Quick thoughts:
Wow, this was such a fun read from local to Omaha debut author (and IRL friend of mine), Ben Lueders. I think this adventurous story will be an instant classic for those in the middle-grade reading level. It uplifts family, loyalty, friendship, and bravery. It reminded me of The Chronicles of Narnia, Peter Pan, The Neverending Story, and Lord of the Rings.

I love that this book was an imaginative collaborative project between the author and his three eldest sons. The book is peppered with incredible illustrations that Ben says were designed mostly by his children! I can’t wait to see what they come up with next as this book is just the beginning of the Ficus brothers’ journey.

I encourage you to give this story a try! It would make a great gift this holiday season for any young person in your life. And don’t just take my word for it; the biggest endorsement comes from Ben’s daughter, Donna (age five). She urges you to pick up this novel when she says, “I don’t remember any parts of this book.” ☠️😂

[James Eldridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

The debut work of first time author Ben Lueders delivers an epic tale with characters that spring off the page, from the over-caffeinated walrus to the colossal Rombom and every frog, bear and hyena-like creature in between.

This story of three boys who get stranded and separated on a long-lost island will transport you not just to where it takes place but also when--so buckle up and prepare to disconnect from the real world for a little bit as you depart on a swashbuckling adventure, that like all your favorite movies and books as a kid, will end just a little too soon. You'll definitely wish you could read this tall tale for the first time again once you're finished, so savor it on your native voyage.

[Lacey Markt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the world-building and three brothers. It's been a long time since I've read a middle-grade fantasy that surprised and delighted as much as this. I did wish it set a more page-turning pace (the chapters were short which was nice, but I got restless waiting for the end to come). I also hoped the boys had more growth in their individual stories (Arthur in particular annoyed me and didn't seem to "learn his lesson"), but it's a first book in this series, so there's room to see growth in book two. Overall, the themes of family and looking out for one another shone through. Boys, like my own, who are unafraid of thicker books, love intriguing worlds, and can't get enough fantasy stories such as On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness or The Hobbit will likely enjoy Escape from Terikiak!

[Paige Beaty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I read this book ahead of reading it to my kids, and it blew me away. Such great characters, a great storyline, lots of excitement, and - I even cried once. In a young adult pirate adventure story. I enjoyed the pace of the book and the multiple stories playing out at the same time. Highly recommend!