The Search For WondLa by Tony DiTerlizzi (Simon & Schuster, PB, due out September 2011, £6.99)
This is one of the most original books I’ve read in some time. You may know of Tony DiTerlizzi as being one of the co-creators, and illustrator, of The Spiderwick Chronicles. I’m a fan of that series but I would never have expected anything like this from TD. This is an SF/Fantasy adventure, aimed at the ‘Young Adult/Teen’ market – but one that I think has that crucial crossover appeal. The cryptic story is spilling over with ideas, and unfolds as you progress; we follow Eva Nine, a solitary young girl who lives in a self-contained underground ‘Sanctuary’ – she is unaware of, and protected from, the outside world by her surrogate parent, a guardian robot, Muthr. Eva Nine’s world all changes one day when her home is invaded by a mysterious, and deadly, creature intent on capturing Eva. The young girl sets out on a quest to discover who she is and where she is…
And what a world she discovers. Tony DiTerlizzi has crafted one of the most exciting fantasy/SF books this century. He takes the reader to so many fascinating and wonderful locations, peppered with exciting set-pieces and action sequences. With a cast of imaginative, loveable and memorable characters, creatures and settings, this is an excellent, absorbing introduction to the world of Eva Nine, and the start of a very promising trilogy. There is also an intriguing online feature that is a quirky added bonus.
Andy Jamieson, Editor
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