The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith


Sixteen-year-old Jack gets drunk in the wrong place at the wrong time and ends up kidnapped and molested by a psychotic doctor and that is where this horror-fantasy-sci-fi story begins. I have to admit I was underwhelmed by TML; I didn't empathize with the characters and I just didn't believe the romantic subplot. The alternate universe of Marbury wasn't fleshed out enough for me to care about and I found the use of the glasses as transporter to the alternate universe rather weak. I could have gotten past some of those issues, but Smith's constant use of the f-bomb (and I mean on every single page multiple times) felt comical and I found myself making fun of the story long before the end. I'm hoping Smith's In the Path of Falling Objects will be a more inspiring read.
Grade 10+

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