Zak Killian knows that guardian angels are superstition. But sometimes he hears a voice – a whisper – that sounds just like his own. Nothing happens until one day, at a subway, he sees a flood. He escapes and returns to find no water whatsoever, leading to being grounded by his parents and further trouble. This voice keeps repeating cryptic and mysterious words; eventually, it leads Zak and his two friends to an alternate universe where even the laws of physics are different. He goes on a quest to return home with his friends, but finds obstacles in every corner. Only later does he realize who he truly is, what he has lost, and what he will need to sacrifice to face the truth. In the end, the question remains, is the whisper from a guardian, or from evil?
I felt that this was a very good novel. The characters are developed well and described in detail. The different events throughout the story are interesting, and the author places them and uses suspense so that the reader will want to discover all the endings and find out what finally happens. This was mainly a serious novel, but there was some humor throughout which increased the quality of the read. Overall, this was an enjoyable story, and I would recommend it to a friend.
Much of this book stood out in my mind, but one aspect I liked was the use of an alternate universe. I find it quite unnerving that there could be another Earth out there, like ours, where there could be copies of ourselves living their lives. Maybe there are universes where there is no gravity or there are Earths with technology well beyond ours.
Reviewed by Shivram, Grade 9, Gayton Library
HCPL TeenScene's Read + Review 