Christie has a brother who is, if people put it kindly, "different." But, as Christie says in the first chapter, only two people know what's really up with him: his father, who doesn't believe it, and his mother, who does. Danny sets off after his mother, and Christie gets dragged with at a time when society across Scotland is breaking down due to an oil crisis. Christie has doubts about the whole trip, and is torn between the desire to help his brother and the desire to return to his own comfortable life, even if it means betraying Danny.The chapters are short and terse, and the voice is very crisp, making the pace flow very quickly. Christie's frustrations with his brother are developed well: the farther he goes, the more he wants to quit before they die or Danny's mother does something crazy to them. And the science at the end was fascinating, though it did leave lots of room for the next book(s) to explain what's going on. I have not seen notice of a sequel, but I will keep my eyes peeled.That said, it was a fairly simple story, and lacked a lot of the complications I was hoping would pop up. Most of it was simply a survival story and a look at a world without oil. Christie is young enough to be ignorant of what's going on, so he sees things without bias, but at times that innocence seems like criminal stupidity.Overall it's a fast read and a pretty good one. Oggy and the puppies were my favorite characters, and I will be looking for the next book. Recommended.
Appropriate for 6-8 th grade, Danny is different. He's slower than other kids his age, and prone to violent outbursts. But when Danny runs off to find his biological mother, his older stepbrother Christie impulsively follows him. Along the way the two boys are joined by a runaway girl, a bird, and a dog that can speak to humans. However, nothing can prepare them for what they learn when they finally locate Danny's mother at her laboratory, Fourth World. It seems Danny's mother has been performing experiments-secret experiments-with terrifying genetic significance...A great book because it has all the elements needed for great science fiction read with the criterion intact. It combines science with the impossible....or is it?
What do You think about Fourth World (2005)?
So this book came in a HPB YA Book Box and I was intrigued by the cover and the front flap of the story. I liked the relationships of the step brothers in the beginning and the story telling voice of the author but got quickly turned away as I realized where it was headed. I liked the characters and was sort of sad that I knew I wouldn't like where the story went so so ended up skimming through to the end. If you are a science fiction fan, or have a teen one in your life it would probably be a better fit but the premise just wasn't for me.
—Kellie
This book is about a teenager, named Christie, he goes off with his stepbrother to find the real mom of his stepbrother. His stepbrother, Danny is kind of different from everybody else, and they want to find out why by going to find his mother. A talking starling bird called Darling and a talking dog call Oggy helps them find his mother. When they got there, they realize that their were many strange things that Danny's mother was experimenting on there. They encounter many talking animals and this other strange girl. They also picked up a poor orphan girl while getting to the lab.Danny's mother, Maggie gave them a good home but Christie doesnt know if they can trust her. Christie sneaks into the lab and found many things that scared him.This book was very interesting, at first it wasn't that interesting, but it gets better. They are all teenager and they are learning to deal with each other. It was a good book, i am hoping to get to read the sequel.
—Yuwei
mp3Ugly and mildly disturbing but the biggest let down is the plot spoiler up there, in the brackets, right next to the title.
—Bettie☯
