Dark Territory

Gr 8 Up—In the first book in this formulaic fantasy series, teen gangs in a small town encounter dark forces as they battle over old grudges. Some readers may be intrigued by the Romeo and Juliet romance, but the overwrought writing style is distracting and the plot reads like a soap opera. Working-class Flatlander gang-leader Raphael hates Rick, leader of the rich-kid Toppers gang, and blames Rick's father for his own father's death in an industrial accident. Now Raphael's mother works at a strip club to pay off the family's medical debts, but she's also dating Rick's father and is pregnant by him. Raphael is in love with Aimee, Rick's sister, who is still reeling from the death of her boyfriend, Tyler, in a mysterious incident in the town's abandoned train tunnels. Raphael is estranged from his former friend, Zhai, but both train in martial arts with the enigmatic Master Chin. Ignacio, recently relocated from Los Angeles, must decide whether to join the Flatlanders or stay out of the fight. There are hints of magic in the air—a time-traveling Irish girl, for example, and frightening creatures in the tunnels—but little of this comes to light until the very end of the book, and it's never fleshed out. A strange and powerful man called the Magician shows up to send Raphael and Zhai on a mission to save those they love; they follow his directions with few questions. Some of the ideas are interesting, but readers hoping for a new and exciting fantasy series are likely to be disappointed by the execution.—Miranda Doyle, Lake Oswego School District, OR