Best of All Worlds by Kenneth Oppel

This teen science fiction thriller is a compelling read. Xavier, known as Zay, is 13 and is spending the weekend at the family lake cottage with his dad and pregnant stepmom, Nia. His brother Sam has a soccer tournament and didn’t come along. He did put a couple of new albums on Zay’s phone. Zay’s favorite hobby, besides listening to music, is creating Dungeons & Dragons campaigns.

One morning the Oak family wakes to the bleating of goats needing milking. Nearby is a chicken coop, an orchard, and farm fields. The lake has vanished, as has their vehicle. There are lots of tools, some useful books, and soon, a crib for the coming baby. Zay narrates messages to his brother Sam on his phone, until eventually it won’t charge anymore. As no phone means no music, he is very unhappy.

When Zay is 16, new neighbors appear in the night. Their kids are similar ages to Zay and his little sibling. The dad, Riley Jackson, has a good idea about how to get back home, and thinks they are still on Earth. But whoever brought the two families to their new homes clearly wants them to farm, and to cook food from scratch, not eat frozen pizza and junk food. They are clearly not meant to try leaving, as threatening animals appear when they do.

Zay, finally having another teen to connect with, isn’t sure about the escape attempt, and is shocked by some of the beliefs that Riley reveals. This is a fast-paced, memorable story that reminds me just a little of Nation by Terry Pratchett, even though Nation is set on a tropical island. Quite a few years back, I remember enjoying Oppel’s Airborn, a teen steampunk novel set aboard a zeppelin.

Brenda