GAME OF CLONES

It’s a clone-apalooza in Palo Alto as Fisher Bas and his much cooler clone, Two, return to life at Wampalog Middle School (Cloneward Bound, 2013).

Fisher and Two aren’t the only Fisher Bas-es in town anymore. Before the boys even have one middle school dance under their belts to revel in their shiny, new, fresh-from-saving-the-world-in-Los-Angeles-hero status, Three turns up in all of his evil, power-hungry glory. This third series installment, true to form, teems with goofy gadgetry that will delight young readers and presents a continuingly charming, nerdy protagonist who remains worthy of the special place he’s likely earned in the hearts of the series’ fans. In a nice turn of events, Two is allowed to really come into his own in this novel, as Fisher is finally forced to introduce him to his parents. Together, the family rightly decides that Two should have a proper name (Alex) and that the boys should be permitted to go to school together as cousins. With the truth (kind of) out, Fisher, Alex and a small posse of helpers, including a winged pet pig and Amanda Cantrell, Wampalog’s female wrestling champ, are free to lead the fight against Three’s quest for world domination.

Once again, this Clone Chronicles novel strikes just the right balance between over-the-top adventure and real-life middle school drama. A character-driven, action-packed success.