by Paul Park
First published 2012
Durant drives through the desert with his younger brother and sister to reach Aunt Rachel's house. They expect a boring summer in New Mexico, far from their California life. The children have heard whispers that their aunt has been doing something unusual in the mountains behind her property. Durant and his siblings soon discover that Aunt Rachel stands on the edge of uncovering a secret that predates all human civilization. The children don't realize they are about to begin a journey that will carry them to destinations they never imagined possible. Their simple visit to a relative becomes something far more extraordinary than any of them anticipated.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, mystery, alternate-history
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: New Mexico, California
Period: Contemporary
171 pages · Paperback · CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform