The Between

December 9, 2019
In this dimension-hopping adventure, a young woman must use her newfound ability to “Fall” between alternate worlds in order to rescue her kidnapped friend from evil forces who wish to rebuild and rule over the multiverse. After a humanoid creature abducts Ana Moon’s friend Bea, along with everyone else on the train, Ana wakes up in a strange London that is subtly different from her own. Rescued by Malik, one of the Pathfinders who traverse the multiverse guarding its pathways, Ana is bequeathed a powerful sword and informed of her destiny: to defeat the Order, a rogue faction intent on cleansing of anyone they perceive as “weak or unsuitable.” Doing so—and finding Bea—requires travel between seven parallel universes, each more dangerous than the last, and Hofmeyr (Stone Rider) balances combat, intrigue, and romance as Ana evolves into a full-fledged action heroine. Though characterization is sometimes lacking and the resolution feels anticlimactic, each world is strange and vivid in its unique deviations, and an intriguing sense of cosmology holds the premise together, providing a strong introduction to a concept laden with potential for future adventures. Ages 12–up. Agent: Stephanie Thwaites, Curtis Brown.

December 15, 2019
A young woman traverses a space-time continuum to rescue her best friend and secure the future of seven worlds. When Ana Moon and Bea Gold get into a fight that lands their school bully in the hospital, the two are forbidden to see each other. Ignoring their parents, the London teens meet on the Tube, where they are distracted from their conversation by the appearance of a stranger; handsome Malik Habib can't keep his eyes off Ana. Suddenly the train crashes, time freezes, and Ana watches her best friend get snatched away by rotten-smelling, winged creatures called Reapers. Then everything starts spinning, Ana falls, and suddenly she is on a quest through the seven earths that make up Hofmeyr's (Stone Rider, 2015) multiverse: Lūna, Bahram, Hermes, Jöve, Venetia, Kronos, and her own Earth, Sol. She is joined by Malik, Vidhan Blue, and Akuji Na, all of whom are Pathfinders, world-jumping guardians of hidden gateways from one world to the next, like her. An amalgam of various dystopian tropes, the exciting, fast-paced, though sometimes confusing action sequences fill in where the plot and language are a bit stale and dated (Akuji's androgynous appearance leaves Ana surprised that she should be referred to as "she"). Ana is white, Bea is Jewish and white, and there is diversity throughout the cast. Serviceable and fun, a basic dystopian novel that delivers action but no original punch. (Dystopian adventure. 14-18)

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January 1, 2020
Grades 9-12 Seventeen-year-old Ana Moon is wrestling with common adolescent troubles: divorced parents, bullying at school that leads to suspension, and mandatory therapy. But through it all, she has the love and unwavering support of her best friend, Bea Gold, whose father's death has left a huge hole in her life. Then one day on the London Tube, time stops, Bea disappears after being attacked by a strange beast, and Ana learns she is actually a Pathfinder, destined to make her way through the seven worlds of the multiverse, aiding others who have Fallen from one world to the next. Hofmeyr's skillful organization and exposition keep the many locations and threads comprehensible, maintaining the suspenseful, breakneck speed of the plot as Ana and her diverse crew of Pathfinders traverse the different dimensions, finding both betrayal and friendship in unexpected places. Teen female angst is beautifully channeled amid violent, cinematic fights, while very different parallel worlds are built for readers to explore. An open ending will leave them hoping for a sequel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)