The Chaos Loop

March 15, 2020
A young time traveler decides to "go big" with his ability by killing Hitler. Corey, 13, learned in trilogy opener Throwback (2019) that changing the past has unpredictable consequences both historical and personal, such as the small but real chance of returning from a jaunt transformed into an animal. Nevertheless, he figures it's worth the risk. Much as she disagrees, fellow traveler Leila tags along, serving as both voice of reason and translator as the two repeatedly hop back to the early 20th century. For better or worse, though, the past turns out to have a certain resilience...to the point that Corey's efforts to kill Hitler in Munich in 1939 or at least kick-start his artistic career in 1908 Vienna utterly fail. In the end Corey does manage to work a lesser change by saving the lives of a group of Polish resistance fighters, including his own great uncle, in the last days of World War II--at disturbingly great cost. In this fast-paced follow-up, Lerangis brushes on a light wash of credible period detail based on actual events. He also casts Hitler as a lost (but resolutely anti-Semitic) young man who winds up in a final, lurid encounter as a mad-eyed monster, demonstrating that writing him as a character may be as hard as stopping him. Corey is of mixed European and Puerto Rican heritage; Leila's is European Jewish. A provocative scenario with twists painful and droll make this sequel worth the...time. (Fantasy. 11-13)

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May 1, 2020

Gr 4-7-In the second Throwback book, 13-year-old Corey uses his time- and space-traveling abilities with his friend Leila in tow, this time in an attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler-first in 1939 Munich, then in 1908 Vienna when the future F�hrer was still an art student. The danger of time travel-induced transmogrification becomes more pressing as Corey starts to feel some physical effects. Lerangis keeps his protagonist, and the pace, constantly pushing forward with lots of action. Some may cringe at the attempt to humanize and turn Hitler into a character, albeit with inescapable references to his malevolence and bigotry (e.g. poor hygiene, "cold, bloodshot" eyes, outbursts of anti-Semitic rhetoric). As an ostensibly Jewish character, who also identifies as Puerto Rican and Greek American, Corey's own lack of Jewish generational trauma seems questionable; he "freezes" and "gulps" but seems to feel little personal terror or hatred for the figure, upset only at the larger situation. Dialogue is stilted, with German phrases awkwardly and too liberally poured into conversations, (Leila just happens to be fluent in German), and characters are shallow throughout. The plot ends on a cliffhanger, anticipating the next volume. VERDICT While not worth the purchase as a standalone title, readers who enjoyed the first of the series will be glad to go along for the ride.-Rhona Campbell, Georgetown Day School, Washington, DC

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2020
Grades 5-8 The second installment of the Throwback trilogy sees Corey diving deeper into a time-traveling habit, and as he successfully makes an impact through a number of smaller changes, he hopes to do something bigger. With the help [of] his best friend, Leila, he decides to go back and stop Hitler. Their trip to WWII Germany doesn't go as planned, however, and Corey is finally forced to face a growing addiction to rewriting history?and the consequences involved. This new adventure explores more of Corey's abilities as it hits upon another devastating time that changed the course of human history. Through the perspective of a 13-year-old, Lerangis infuses a hopefulness through the genuine belief that individuals have the power to make the world better. This time, Leila's presence adds a fresh dynamic to the adventure, and Chaos Loop proves even more fun than the first book in the series, with more action, crazy antics, time-travel shenanigans, and a meaningful exploration of history.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)