A Dark Traveling (Parallel Worlds)
Grade 6 Up Narrated by James Wiley, a self-described ``normal fourteen-year-old boy,'' this is vintage Zelazny. Jim's sister is a witch, there is an older brother who is living in a castle at the moment, a live-in exchange student who is a trained assassin, and an uncle who is a werewolf. Oh, and Jim takes after him. So much for normal. In Zelazny's deft hands, however, this all seems totally believable, even scientific. Jim's father is the keeper of a transcomp station, a portal to an almost infinite series of alternative universes. When he suddenly disappears under suspicious circumstances, Jim is determined to find him. With the help of his sister and their exchange-student friend, Mr. Wiley is located on a world facing a cosmic confrontation between the forces of light and dark. The narration moves briskly, and the story is economically told. The book is peopled with characters that readers will care about. There are touches of humor laced throughout the action of the plot, and just enough danger to keep readers on the edge of their chairs. A thoroughly satisfying addition to science fiction collections, this might even appeal to readers who think they don't like science fiction. Elaine Fort Weischedel, Turner Free Library, Randolph, Mass.Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.