Mapmaker

February 23, 2015
Screenwriter Bomback and author Craze (The Last Princess) team up for a thriller that offers a frightening glimpse into how technology can be abused. Tanya Barrett’s father’s death during an alleged research trip in Cambodia leaves her an orphan, living in an uneasy relationship with her stepmother. Tanya intends to spend the summer before her senior year of high school interning at MapOut, a thriving digital mapmaking company founded by her father and his best friend, Harrison. But after Tanya and Harrison’s son, Connor, snoop on her father’s computer, Connor disappears, and Tanya is kidnapped. Tanya narrowly manages to escape with only her preternatural “gift” (“It was part knack for gauging distances, part photographic memory of geospatial imagery”), the clue “Alaska,” and the hope of tracking down her father’s friend Cleo. Cinematic action propels the plot but the authors also devote attention to Tanya’s bottled-up emotions. MapOut’s goals and their privacy implications are thought-provoking, while the inconclusive ending necessitates a sequel. Ages 14–up. Agent: (for Bomback) Dorian Karchmar, William Morris Endeavor; (for Craze) Kim Witherspoon, Inkwell Management.

September 1, 2015

Gr 8 Up-Filled with adventure, mystery, friendships, family, and lots of high-tech gadgets, this audiobook follows Tanya Barrett as she takes a summer internship at MapOut, a digital mapping company cofounded by her late father. Lots of costly renovations are transforming the old warehouse building that houses the company. But Tanya can't figure out where her father's business partner got all the money. The job reunites Tanya with her childhood friend Connor. Together they sneak into her father's old office, hoping to find his last emails. What they find sets in motion a chain of events that leads Tanya to flee for her life. She discovers an inner strength as she eludes people trying to kill her, travels across the country to find her father's old friend, and finally goes to Alaska and discovers a disturbing secret with haunting implications for the future of mankind. Erin Moon's narration is superb. VERDICT The cliff-hanger ending will leave listeners breathless and eager for the next in the series.-Patricia Ann Owens, formerly with Illinois Eastern Community Colleges, Mt. Carmel

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