Book Review: Planesrunner

By Sandy Amazeen Dec 20, 2011, 2:56 GMT

Multiple-award-winning author making his YA debutThere is not one you. There are many yous. There is not one world. There are many worlds. Ours is one of billions of parallel earths.When Everett Singh\'s scientist father is kidnapped from the streets of London, he leaves young Everett a mysterious app on his computer. Suddenly, this teenager has become the owner of the most valuable object in the multiverse-the Infundibulum-the map of ...more

McDonald’s exciting new young adult series sets off on a merry chase when fourteen year old Everett Singh’s divorced dad was snatched, bicycle and all off a busy London street while on the way to a lecture. Everett, who was waiting for his father had the presence of mind to snap a couple of photos with his cell phone, one which clearly showed his dad in the back of the car, yet when the police returned the phone, the photo had been altered to show nothing. Shortly after receiving a series of heavily encrypted files from his father, Everett realizes he is being followed. The files are nothing less then the Infundibulum, a key to navigating the infinite number of parallel Earth’s and ruthless Charlotte Villiers will stop at nothing to obtain it.

Laptop computer in tow, Everett embarks on a daring venture to rescue his father while keeping the Infundibulum out of the hands of formidable foes who would subvert it for their own ends. As he navigates through a few of the known parallel earth’s, Everett makes some fast friends and picks up a sweet love interest while planning a daring rescue that won’t go according to plan.

The plot driven pace sets off from the start and doesn’t let up until the very end. The characters are a hoot, particularly Everett’s mom who is disconcerted at being caught wearing an unfashionable tracksuit, concerned about warping her young daughter’s mind and maintaining a high fiber household. The multi-universe concept works much better then expected with imaginative alternate worlds where battles won or lost determine how society evolved. This makes the Steampunk element click, especially with the colorful crew involved and through it all; Charlotte remains a believable if unlikable threat. There is so much to enjoy here adults will want to check this out as well and likely be wrestling their kids to read the next book of the series first.