cover image Into the Shadows (Anomalies 53 #1)

Into the Shadows (Anomalies 53 #1)

Angela Cervantes. HarperCollins, $18.99 (224p) ISBN 978-0-0632-4588-4

Eleven-year-old Oliver Robles and his best friend, Garen Jackson, are the only kids living at Area 53, a government-run desert location where their scientist parents study anomalies, or mythological creatures, such as goblins and wyverns. When Ollie accidentally sets a bunch of dangerous creatures free one night, he and Garen must find a way to recapture them before they leave the compound. The youths attempt to enlist station golem Henry, who escapes into the Shadowland, a parallel magical world from which the anomalies hail. Forced to give chase, the tweens, now in the Shadowland, learn that their own lives are more full of secrets than they realize. Now they must unravel the truth behind the Shadowland’s history—and the realm’s connection to their own lives—to save both the mortal and mythical worlds. The jam-packed plot and rapid-fire pacing occasionally overwhelm, leaving readers and characters with few opportunities to process the events. Nevertheless, Cervantes (The Cursed Moon) balances quippy dialogue, resourceful protagonists, and pulse-pounding action to establish this series launch with flare. Characters have varying body types and skin tones. Ages 8–12. Agent: Adriana Dominguez, Aevitas Creative Management. (Aug.)