Review by Booklist Review
As Gatekeeper's deputy, unassuming Lucy Eberslee makes sure travelers' papers are in order when they try to step through the door joining the Southeast and East worlds. When the Gatekeeper fails to return from a quick maintenance trip, Lucy must break one of the most important rules and open the door herself. But instead of finding the Gatekeeper, a boy named Arthur, who has no knowledge of any worlds except his own, falls through. Unable to reopen the door, Lucy and Arthur journey to search for the reasons behind the disappearances of the Gatekeepers and the closure of the worldgates. In the process, Lucy discovers that there is much more to her than being unnoticed. Filled with clever, endearing characters and packed with action, this solid fantasy provides a sweeping mystery that will keep readers guessing. As the story progresses, Lucy begins to transform from a young girl used to being overlooked into someone who lifts her head high, unafraid to stand up to those responsible for the chaos, even if that includes someone close to her. Young readers who consider themselves ordinary might see themselves in Lucy, who struggles with how she is perceived. Well-rounded characters beautifully flesh out the cast and offer glimpses into the expansive world building. This empowering adventure emphasizes bravery and the joy of taking a bold leap.--Selenia Paz Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-When Lucy, the gatekeeper's deputy, goes to work, she discovers that the gatekeeper has vanished and that the door to the next world is broken. When she opens the door to investigate, a boy from another world falls in. What has happened and who caused it? As they team up with the daughter of an interworld smuggler, they realize that not only have all the gatekeepers from all the worlds disappeared, but that the original gatecutting scissors are also gone. There are many twists and turns and not all is as it seems: there are bees that can spell, thistle-backed thrunts that kill, and shrink-wrap that can make large objects portable. Fans of fantasy such as Brandon Mull's "Fablehaven" series will enjoy this adventure set in different worlds. VERDICT A new and entertaining fantasy for middle grade readers that is just waiting for a screenplay to be written.-Deanna McDaniel, Genoa Middle School, OH © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An unremarkable 13-year-old deputy Gatekeeper must leave her post stamping blue travel applications and pink customs declarations when a catastrophe threatens all of the worlds.Lucy loves being organized, which makes her supremely well-suited for her job at the end of the world, at the door leading from her world of Southeast to the neighboring East. She knows that she's not particularly clever or interesting, and she worries that she got this job because her well-connected parents pulled some strings, but nevertheless she loves working for the cranky, white-haired old Gatekeeper. She doesn't want any trouble, so it's all the more terrible when the Gatekeeper disappears and the door to East jams shutright after a strange boy tumbles through it. Arthur, a bespectacled 15-year-old, hadn't even known there were other worlds besides his own East (home of exotic places such as Sacramento, Vladivostok, and Auckland). Together, Lucy and Arthur begin a quest to tell the surely trustworthy authorities about the missing Gatekeeper and the broken door. Along with grumpy Rosemary, deputy of another missing gatekeeperisn't she?they unravel a plot that threatens commerce and travel across all eight worlds. The characters are assumed white and have names that evoke classic English-language literature. With its low-key comedy and grace notes such as bees that communicate by spelling, the book recalls earlier adventures by Diana Wynne Jones and Eva Ibbotson.Joyfully chaotic. (Fantasy. 10-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
