Book 43 - Hollow Earth

Hollow Earth by John and Carole E. Barrowman - first published in 2012

I enjoyed this book but I am not sure I entirely understood it!  It is action packed from beginning to end.

12 year old twins Emily and Matt Calder are "Animares", which means they have inherited the ability from their mother to make their own drawings come to life.  They use their ability to amuse themselves and to help them get out of difficult situations.  However there are others with the same gift who use it for evil purposes.   Each adult Animare is assigned a Guardian to  protect them and the Animare and Guardian have a psychic connection to each other's minds and imaginations.  The twins gift is special because their mother is an Animare and their father is a Guardian, which means that they have combined powers.    The twins and their mother Sandie are living in London but have to flee to Scotland when some villains turn up at their flat to kidnap them.  They want to use the twins' gift to open up Hollow Earth, a realm where all demons, devils and monsters are trapped.  The twins and their mother retreat to the fictitious island of Auchinmurn where their grandfather lives in an old abbey.  However they are not safe there either...

The islands of Auchinmurn and its smaller neighbour Era Mina are clearly based on Great and Little Cumbrae judging both by their shape on the map provided in the book and the fact that they are reached by ferry from Largs.  9/10

Glaidstone Trig Point, Great Cumbrae