Maisie already has her GCSEs, A-levels and is studying for a degree in mathematics and physics. Today is her birthday ... her 10th birthday and all she wants is the equipment to build a nuclear reactor in her garage! The book tells us about Maisie's day seen from two alternate realities: one in which she wakes to find her parents downstairs and her dad making banana pancakes; the other where she wakes to find herself alone with a never-ending darkness outside her house which is slowly creeping her way...
O's opinion:
At the start I found the book a bit confusing but I found it on the whole quite an enjoyable read as I began to understand the concepts more. I loved the way Maisie helps her sister and the relationship they form. This book made me feel all the emotions and more; with all of the fright, terror and excitement, I couldn't stop crying and laughing! This is a truly amazing book and should be read all over the country.
K's opinion:
I loved so much about this book I'm not certain where to begin!
Maisie is a science geek (think of a young, female Big Bang Theory character! There's even mention of Steven Hawking!) who isn't into 'normal girly things' - I love that! However, I also like the fact that she isn't always as strong as she first appears: in both realities, she has fears and doubts and that makes her human and will help readers relate to her.
I love the idea of the different realities being told in alternate chapters. I frequently found myself at the end of a chapter with a hundred unanswered questions and desperate to know what was going to happen next, only to find that the next chapter took you to the other reality! It kept me up reading for more than one evening!
I'm really pleased that Christopher is making science cool and directed towards girls as well as boys. I have to admit that I'm no scientist and the concepts blew my mind a little! However, he weaves this into the plot perfectly and in a way that helps children to understand some complicated ideas and theories.
I love the sense of family that runs through the book, especially the relationship between Maisie and her sister. It was this relationship that brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion! With an emotional and completely unpredictable ending, it kept my gripped until the very last page (although I've yet to work out the binary message on the last page!)
All in all, this is a great book and I guarantee that it will fly out the door when it goes into my classroom on Monday morning - there have already been mutterings about it whilst I was reading it!
Well done, Christopher Edge! (or should I say
01010111 01100101 01101100 01101100 00100000 01100100 01101111 01101110? - I had to use a binary translator to get this!)
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