by Andrew Smith
First published 2010
Jack survives a terrifying kidnapping at sixteen. He tells only his best friend Conner about the ordeal. When the two friends travel to London for their planned summer vacation, a mysterious stranger gives Jack a strange pair of glasses. The lenses transport him to Marbury, a brutal world consumed by war and violence. In this desolate realm, Jack must protect two younger boys from constant danger. Conner appears in Marbury too, but he has become their enemy, hunting them with lethal intent. Back in London, Jack begins a romance with a local girl while questioning his own sanity. The boundaries between worlds blur as Jack struggles with the aftermath of his trauma. Conner reassures him that everything will work out, but Jack knows better. The glasses force him to navigate between two realities, each more threatening than the last.
Genres: adventure, fantasy, action, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water
Setting: London, Marbury
Period: 16th Birthday
358 pages · Hardcover · Feiwel & Friends
Content warnings: anxiety, kidnapping, violence