October 15, 2022
A sinister showdown looms in this trilogy finale. While Eleanor, Pip, and Otto may have escaped the People Who Look Away twice, the trio isn't out of the woods yet. A jarring visit from Wander ("the girl with backward hands") cues that the Wending ("the roads between worlds") is open. Another villainous sibling is on her way. Strange pathways start appearing--and other wrong things too--as the trio is tricked into the latest trap. To make matters worse, the Prime Stories are slowly rewriting the young people's identities, turning them into stock characters. New powers allow Eleanor (now the world-walker) to accidentally transport everyone to the Pallid Kingdom of the People Who Look Away's childhoods. Can Eleanor and friends really stop them, or will the Pallid Kingdom's door stay open for good? Marshall's latest is a testament to the consumptive power of stories (in this case, literally). The complex worldbuilding surpasses the more mood-driven formula of its predecessors, ultimately posing more questions than it answers. Yet this entry feels deliciously on-brand, teasing out themes of storytelling and fate versus inherent goodness. The overall result expands the story without tying everything up too neatly. Otto has brown skin and tight curls; all other major characters are pale-skinned. A subplot explores Eleanor's questioning of her sexuality. A fine finish that's unexpectedly deep and hauntingly magical. (Suspense. 9-12)
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