The Marvelous Effect

Troy Cle set this fantasy in his hometown of East Orange, New Jersey. It melds hip-hop, video gaming, street lingo, and SAT vocabulary into a complicated frenetic story of good and evil. Malcolm Jamal Warner moves smoothly between the voices of the streetwise preteen Louis Proof and his inner-city friends and Galonious Imperial Evil (a force of evil determined to infiltrate the world of humans) and his minions. Unfortunately, Warner's skills do not rescue this confusing, complicated tale. After discovering a portal to another dimension at a local junkyard, Louis falls into a coma. When he awakens three months later, his world has changed, and it is his destiny to set things right. The dialogue sounds unrealistic and in need of some serious editing. N.E.M. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

October 1, 2007
Gr 5-8-Seventh grader Louis Proof and his friends are about to prove that good can prevail over evil in this fast-paced, action-packed fantasy/science fiction adventure (S & S, 2007) by Troy CLE. When several evil eNoli escape from the Marvelous World by exchanging places with humans, things go haywire in Louis's New Jersey town. Many parents and teachers suddenly become permissive and indulgent, allowing the kids to run wild and do whatever they want. Soon no one is following the rules or cares about the effect their behavior is having on anyone else. The Marvelous Effect is not so marvelous, however, when people start robbing and killing each other. Louis is chosen to become a C.L.E. (Celestial Like Entity) by the Midlandian allies and must fight the Glorious Imperial Evil and his Crims, who have come from the thought dimension to spread self-centered irresponsibility. The talented Malcolm-Jamal Warner (The Cosby Show) narrates this first book in the series. He gives each character a unique voice, and employs pauses and enthusiastic outbursts to good effect. The preface and epilogue include background music that evokes a sense of mystery and suspense. There is some mild profanity, so only offer this to mature teens. Listeners are sure to get wrapped up in the events and action of the novel.Kathy Miller, Baldwin Junior High School, Baldwin City, KS

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.