WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD

A pair of child TV stars lead double lives in this rollicking YA science-fiction adventure.

Shiloh Rush and Spud Escott are two of a kind. Not only do they costar in a major sci-fi TV program for kids, they moonlight as agents for ZygIn, the intelligence arm of the Zygan Federation’s military force. The Zygans, of course, are an intergalaxy federation that exists far in the future. Before paparazzi had ever followed Shiloh and Spud’s spacecraft around the streets of Hollywood, Shiloh joined the Zygan military because her beloved older brother, John, disappeared while on a Zygan mission. She hoped to track him down by figuring out his waylaid path. In Zygan military training she met Spud, then a boy who was her match in looks, physical ability and smarts. The two become a pair onscreen and off, and their adventures take them to many different centuries (the Zygans have perfected time travel) in search of John. But while the ostensible aim of the story is to find Shiloh’s brother, this is not discussed much. It’s unfortunate, since it’s the most emotionally compelling storyline. Furthermore, the book’s ending rather transparently lays the foundation for a sequel. Pascal’s writing, though, is terrific–her narrative voice pulls the reader in and invests Shiloh with palpable emotion for her lost brother. The pacing is fast and continuous, and as such, it’s sometimes difficult to discern the setting in any real way. While time travel is a major part of the novel, the jumps between American Earth and the Zygan Federation–and similarly, between Shiloh’s TV program and her real-life intelligence work–are too casual and can become confusing. While in an adult novel this ambiguity might be seen as literary, it could quickly become merely confusing to YA readers. Fortunately, it’s not enough to mar an amazing piece of storytelling.

A fantastic science-fiction ride for young adults.