This is a story like nothing I’ve ever read before, but I loved it from start to finish. If somebody had pitched to me a children’s book covering topics of entropy, relativity, black holes, the Möbius loop, Escher’s art and virtual worlds in gaming, I may have laughed at the idea. Unless of course the book’s author is Christopher Edge, who true to form has managed to accomplish it triumphantly as part of a wonderfully absorbing and emotional narrative that is as fantastically exciting as it is accessible.

The story’s main character, Maisie, is a 10-year old girl who is academically gifted and is studying for a degree in physics. When she wakes up on the day of her 10th birthday, Maisie is excitedly hoping to receive the components to build her own nuclear reactor as her birthday present, but what happens next is not at all what she expects. Nobody else seems to be at home and when Maisie opens the front door to find out where her family has gone, nothing at all exists out there except a terrifying, unfathomable blackness.

Finding herself trapped in an ever-shifting reality, Maisie has to rely on her understanding of the laws of the universe to comprehend what is happening and figure out a way to reach out to her family. As the plot unfolds, details about Maisie’s past are cleverly interweaved into an apparent alternative universe, as each layer of the mystery is unwrapped.

Christopher Edge’s storytelling is exceptional and the climax of the book is a brilliantly thrilling twist, making this one of the most gripping stories I have read for a long time and l highly recommend this short and thought-provoking read for upper KS2 and beyond.

Nominated for Favourite Books of 2018 by: Jo Cummins (@BookSuperhero2), English Manager/Year 3 Teacher and blogger at librarygirlandbookboy.wordpress.com

I’ve nominated this book because I love the seamless way that Christopher Edge blends complex scientific theory with a gripping story in a way that’s totally accessible to middle grade readers. This of all his books, is the one which got to me the most and had me asking the most questions. A true master of science fiction writing in a modern and relevant style. I can’t wait to see what he publishes next.