THE GREAT LION ESCAPE

A wacky SF battle for two Earths ensues in Hafeez and Sara Diwan’s YA novel.

“If Christopher T. Bilderblung had not been swallowed by his pet lion Zemelonius, none of this would have happened,” the authors solemnly report. The middle-aged Bilderblung is working in his office as usual one day when his 12,000 pound genetically-modified lion stumbles into the room, heaving and gasping for air (Bilderblung is unaware that his pet lion, which has a puppy-like demeanor, has asthma). Next thing he knows, Bilderblung has been accidentally swallowed by Zemelonius, and he must find a way to escape before it’s too late. He calls his friend Sims and informs him that they are actually living in a copy world—a sort of Xerox reproduction of the real world where real versions of them exist, and Sims must travel there, find the real Bilderblung, and ask him how to free copy Bilderblung from Zemelonius. Young Jonah, fleeing from trouble after a get-rich-quick-scheme goes awry, crosses paths with Sims, who bribes Jonah and his two friends, Sam and Archie, to accompany him to the real world. Little do they know that they are about to embark on a long journey between the two Earths, uncovering a larger, secret planetary web involving the FBI, the Oval Office, and even NASA. Worse, they come face-to-face with the supervillain known only as The Master, who needs a body to live in—a body that happens to belong to Jonah’s grandpa. Can Sims, Jonah, and their friends make it through either world unscathed? Can they save the copy Bilderblung? And, most importantly, can they fly under the evil Master’s radar? Readers will delight in the continuous slew of spunky, singular characters. The authors maintain a playful writing style throughout the novel (“Bilderblung was very busy with all of his projects. Projects that involved helping others. Bilderblung was obsessed with being of service to others. His friends found him boring for this reason”), which makes up for occasional confusion arising from the book’s hyperactive plot. This quirky novel bursts with creativity and fun.

The ultimate YA adventure, with joyous absurdity twisting and turning on every page.