The Sister Paradox

Adult author Campbell (the Wrath of the Great Guilds) makes a foray into YA with a breezy contemporary fantasy. Sixteen-year-old Liam Eagan is an only child and fairly self-absorbed until he is called to the school office to take home his sister, Kari—a sword-wielding sibling who, as far as Liam knows, has never existed, even though Liam’s principal, best friend, and mother act as though she’s always been part of the picture. Kari, Liam quickly learns, has arrived on Earth from a place she calls Elsewhere because she needs Liam’s help on a quest. If the two don’t recover two objects from Earth before sundown, the walls between Elsewhere and this planet will fail, causing them to collapse disastrously into each other. Liam’s journeys with his sister to the fantasy land of Elsewhere follow a standard hero’s journey trajectory. There’s some humor here and there as the teens try to explain their worlds to the other and Liam matures a bit during the quest. It’s a light, zippy escapade. Ages 12–up. [em](Feb.) [/em]