UNBOUND

Two young boys fight to save their big brother in an exceedingly dangerous, time-frozen world in Johnson and Branahl’s debut middle-grade fantasy.

Val Devereux’s family awaits sad news in Philadelphia; chances are, the rescue team searching for him on top of the Matterhorn in Italy won’t succeed. While mourning the likely death of their brother, 15-year-old Max and middle-schooler JB stumble upon a strange golden key stuck in a lock. After turning the key, the two realize they’ve “turned off time,” allowing them to roam among a silent world of frozen people. JB sees this as the perfect opportunity to cross the ocean to Europe somehow and save Val. But Max and JB learn they aren’t the only ones still mobile as they run into other “Unbound” individuals who’ve previously experienced frozen time. While some are accommodating, many are Mals (short for Malevolents) who capture and cage the Unbound, especially newbies. If the Mals discover Max and JB are the time-stopping “Turners,” they may not live long enough to reach the Alps. Johnson and Branahl’s story is a sublime mix of action and exposition. Crisp, concise prose keeps the narrative moving as the Devereux brothers use their wits to travel (cars, for example, don’t run). Along the way, they meet others, hide from Mals, and pick up the lingo (“Grifters” are unabashed thieves). The brothers are superb protagonists, especially JB. He’s a believable adolescent who’s prone to immaturity, but he’s also bright, at one point using his love of war history to great effect. He and the rest of the cast have access to snazzy tech, from “tap-jackets,” which produce electricity through body heat, to the “sky-skippers” that make Mals even more of a threat by putting them in the air. This standalone novel boasts a first-rate ending and leaves the possibility for sequels wide open.

An exhilarating nonstop adventure with delightful heroes at the helm.