Barry Jonsberg 2020
The story begins innocently enough with a gentle look into
the family life of the 12-year-old protagonist twins, until Jonsberg drops a
few sinister clues which foreshadow that all is not as it seems… something
outrageous has happened to the climate, for starters. (This is not such a
surprising theme given that 'climate change’ is currently a huge and
controversial issue.)
As the blurb relates, one of the twins undergoes a
personality change of sorts after a near fatal accident. Watching the transformation
in the twins’ relationship, post-accident, is captivating – hence the title.
Will their relationship survive? Throw in a super intelligent mother and a
compliant father in addition to the twins, and the reader is craving to see
what unfolds.
But by the time the twins meet a cluster of gypsy-like
Mad-Maxian kids in the local park, and receive an ‘AI’ puppy for their
birthday, you find yourself unexpectedly immersed in pure sci-fi!
It had only taken the dog a day to learn the
sound of his name… I thought that was brilliant and just the way a real dog
would behave…
‘How does he get his power?’ asked
Charlotte.
‘You see his fur? Each strand is a
tiny fibre optic cable. All together they act like about a zillion solar
panels.’ (pp.104-5)
The story’s intensity increases as it develops, throwing the
reader into an almost philosophical head space where one can speculate about
both surviving an apocalypse and the place of Artificial Intelligence. Yes,
these themes have been done before but Jonsberg masterfully revisits each by
imbibing a fresh take on them for teen readers.
I feel the ending of the novel lends itself to a sequel! I’d
recommend this novel to readers aged 10 – 14. It is a satisfying sci-fi read
with enough twists to keep you turning the pages.
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