The Secret Sea

August 8, 2016
When 12-year-old Zak Killian starts dreaming of boats and having visions of flooded Manhattan subways that no one else can see, he begins to think that the voice he keeps hearing in his head might not be his imagination. In a thrilling standalone adventure from Lyga (I Hunt Killers), Zak learns that his longstanding heart condition is the result of twin-to-twin transfusion syndromeâhe siphoned blood from an identical twin in the womb. Zak's twin brother, Tommy, died when the boys were two, and their parents kept Tommy's existence a secret. Now Zak is hearing Tommy, who tells Zak that he can save him if he and his best friends Khalid and Moira venture into a parallel universe. Lyga used the real-life mystery of a ship under Ground Zero as a spark for the story, and an endnote gives more information and context to the discovery. Readers will love the fast-paced action and terrifying details of the alternate timeline Zak and friends find themselves in, and the satisfying conclusion will leave them considering questions of identity and family. Ages 10â14. Agent: Kathleen Anderson, Anderson Literary Management.

September 1, 2016

Gr 4-8-Terrifying visions of subway stations flooded by ocean water. A somnambulistic journey to the World Trade Center. Things are definitely getting weirder by the day for Zak Killian, and that's before he uncovers the secret of his twin brother, Tommy, who passed away when they were two. That reveal leads Zak and his best friends Khalid and Moira into an alternate universe where Zak can bring Tommy back to life. Lyga creates a compelling and impressively fleshed out alternate universe; sci-fi, fantasy, and dystopian elements feature throughout, from mysterious wild magic to the glowing electroleum power source. A subplot involving the brutal repression of women by means of a legal system very similar to our own slavery adds depth to the comparison of the two worlds. Though upper-middle grade through young adult readers will appreciate these elements, the narrative's success ultimately relies on its compelling adventures and character development. However, it is somewhat disappointing that readers have to wait roughly about 100 pages to cross into the alternate universe proper. VERDICT Though it might start a little slow some for some, this work ultimately delivers the sci-fi, fantasy, and dystopian goods and will draw in middle schoolers with its impressive world-building. A strong choice for many young adult and upper-middle grade collections.-Ted McCoy, formerly at Springfield City Library, MA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2016
Grades 5-8 Even though he's grown up in New York City, 12-year-old Zak has lived a fairly sheltered life. He has a heart condition that has caused his parents, now in the middle of a contentious divorce, to keep tight tabs on himand they would only be tighter if Zak's parents knew he was hearing voices. But when Zak has a premonition of the subway filling with water and the mysterious voice he thinks of as his guardian angel warns him to run, Zak listens, only to find himself trapped in an alternate-universe New York with his two best friends, Moira and Khalid. Facing dangers from both this new world, which isn't kind to women, and the increasingly untrustworthy voices in Zak's head, the three struggle to find a way home that won't have cataclysmic consequences. Lyga (After the Red Rain, 2015) returns to middle grade with a darkly compelling, if occasionally complicated, look at family, morality, and the long-term effects even seemingly small choices can have. A thoughtfuland thought-provokingpiece of science fiction.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)