The Walls Have Eyes

November 1, 2009
Gr 5-8-In "The Sky Inside" (S & S, 2008), 13-year-old Martin Glass escapes the domed, tightly controlled suburb where he has been raised. With the assistance of Chip, who looks like a German shepherd but is actually a high-tech robot with the ability to control other cyber creatures, Martin learns several startling truths about the fate of his sister (a genetically enhanced Wonder Baby) and the frightening actions of the totalitarian government that rules his society. In this sequel, Martin, having discovered that the wilderness outside the domes is not the horrible wasteland the authorities tell everyone about but a beautiful place with wildlife and breathtaking sunsets, returns home to rescue his mother from her constrained life. But his father, whom Martin views as foolish and weak, insists on going with them, and soon the family finds themselves in danger of being captured. With his mysterious abilities, can Chip keep Martin safe and possibly be the key to bringing the government down? Readers unfamiliar with the first book will have difficulty following this one, and even then it's not easy to understand everything that's going on. Martin isn't a particularly sympathetic character, and Chip serves as the deus ex machina that rescues him from every conflict."Walter Minkel, Austin Public Library, TX"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2009
Grades 5-8 This sequel to The Sky Inside (2008) continues the story of 13-year-old Martin, who left his steel-domed Suburb HM1 with his amazingly lifelike cyber-dog and discovered that his world was not what it seemed. Initially driven to save his little sister, his purpose broadens as he begins to understand the menacing, mysterious individuals controlling this technologically advanced society. Throughout, Dunkle creates a vivid sense of imminent danger hovering over Martin; however, other elements of the story are less convincing. Potentially confusing on its own, the book is recommended for readers who enjoyed the first volume.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)