THE SHADOW PROJECT

Danny’s smart, independent…and a thief. One night, he breaks into what looks like a country mansion not too far from London only to stumble into the middle of a government experiment in astral projection and remote viewing—in other words, spying on terrorists from a safe distance. Recruited to join the project, he quickly finds out that things are not as they seem nor as safe as he’d been promised. “Remote” viewing gets up-close and personal, reaching out to include his frail grandmother as well as his new friends Opal (the director’s daughter) and Michael (a descendent of African princes with secrets of his own). Some mysticism, a mean spiritual leader as the enemy, a touch of self-discovery and a look at the protagonists’ deepest fears keeps the action moving. This is a quick, hard-to-put-down read, and if the premise seems improbable, there’s just enough fact in the foundation to make it somewhat believable. It’s all a bit too pat, but the interesting characters might well keep readers involved. Boys will be more attracted than girls, even with a central female teen character. (Science fiction. 10 & up)