Synopsis
Fifteen-year-old Sam Palmer's life is dull—until a bizarre bicycle accident leaves him in a coma. Sam awakens in Aurobon, a world eerily similar to his own, only to discover that his "accident" was part of an elaborate abduction by a ruler with a deadly agenda. Now Sam must team up with a fearless girl pilot to outwit the enemy. Otherwise, dark forces will invade his own world on insects the size of fighter jets. But that's if the terrifying marsh dogs don't kill him first.
Christine Sanderson - VOYA
Sam Palmer is a typical fifteen-year-old boy except that his fascination with insects is becoming an obsession, and his pregnant mother is having terrifying dreams. When an oncoming truck hits Sam as he is riding his bike, however, things really turn strange. Sam remains on Earth in a coma, but his consciousness awakens in Aurobon, a world where insects are bred as aircraft. He is taken to the city of Vermia and its leader Commander Odoursin. Odoursin calls Sam the Dreamwalker's Child, from the prophecy, "the Dreamwalker's Child shall rise up against the Darkness." Dedicated to eradicating humans from the Earth, Odoursin orders Sam killed when he refuses to join the plot. Skipper, a girl about Sam's age, rescues him from Vermia. A wasp pilot from the neighboring city of Vahlzi, Skipper trains Sam as a Valhzi pilot. Together they save the Earth from the Vermian attack. Sam then returns to his earthly body and his family, although his ties to Aurobon remain. A fantasy adventure novel complete with fighter pilots and daring escapes, it also calls for reflection on human failure, both as stewards of the Earth ("the planet's been polluted to such an extent that it's become a huge rubbish pit") and as keepers of religious traditions ("using it to persecute others"). Given this ambitious scope, inexperienced readers might find the novel a bit disjointed. Still its broad appeal makes it a good choice for junior and senior high school libraries. VOYA CODES: 3Q 4P J S (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2006 (orig. 2005), Bloomsbury, 320p., Ages 12 to 18.