InterWorld

InterWorld by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves (2007, Eos Books)

It's no secret that Neil Gaiman can do no wrong in my eyes. One day, he may prove me wrong, but after 15 years, I don't think so. His young adult collaboration with Reaves certainly hasn't.

High school sophomore Joey Harker couldn't find his way out of a paper bag with a map. He's always getting himself lost, even in his own house. One fateful day, he manages to get himself lost so badly that he winds up in an alternate reality. Things only seem to go downhill from there as he encounters reality-hopping technocrats, world-conquering witches, and a secret army dedicated to keeping the balance - made up entirely of alternate versions of himself!

Gaiman is no stranger to children's literature, but InterWorld is his first real foray into the young adult action/ adventure genre. Reaves brings a world of experience writing for such television series as Star Trek: the Next Generation and Gargoyles to the mix, making this novel a wonderful story in what will hopefully become a fully-fledged series. Readers of the Pendragon series and James Patterson's Maximum Ride series will find a lot here to interest them.

InterWorld will be a very quick read for most adult readers, but is enjoyable by sci-fi/ fantasy and action/ adventure fans of all ages. There are a few minor editing issues, and sometimes the first person story lapses into language that doesn't seem appropriate for a high school sophomore (even one who can Walk between realities). The only real problem that crops up is a fairly major contradiction in the plot near the end of the story. As a whole, though, InterWorld is simply brilliant.

Rating: 4 Stars

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