The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel: The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

Sophie and Josh are twins who are staying with their aunt in San Francisco for the summer.  When Josh takes a job working at the bookstore owned by Nick Fleming and Sophie gets a job across the street, they think that things will be perfect.  That is until a very evil John Dee shows up and has an epic wizard battle with Nick...who turns out to be Nicholas Flamel.  The twins help Nicholas escape and are then set out on a journey to mix the ancient world of magic with modern day.  Little do the twins know just how important they are in the events to come!

I really enjoyed the the first in the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series.  It's a very interesting concept and mixing magic and history together.  The main characters were all very different, but enjoyable.  Sophie and Josh were two twins that each struggled with their new found situation and powers.  Josh personally struggles with his sister.  The two had always been close and there for each other.  But when Sophie's magically powers are awaken before Josh's could be, he suddenly feels abandoned and separate from his sister. Sophie struggles in  her own right (but you'll have to read the book to that info).  Scatty (also known as Scathach) is an immortal that is friends with Nicolas Flamel and now has taken it upon herself to protect the two young teens.  She is moody, sarcastic, feisty and bar far my favorite character.  She has a long history to which we have only caught glimpses of during the story.  Nicholas Flamel is even stranger. While he initially seems like a good guy, there are certain aspects about him that make him seem as though he simply rides the fence.  This is something that I wish had been the book - more of Nicholas's personality and character flushed out.  John Dee was a fantastic villain.  Super scary and just down right bad.  And the book leaves on a cliffhanger.  So you technically have to read the rest of the series to find out what happens.  Well played, Michael Scott, well played.