Some weird things are happening around Laura - a note written backward, appeared in her (locked) locker, clearly written by someone who knows her very well. Really well - she hadn't told anyone she wanted to be a doctor. Then the assignment she left at home also appeared in her (locked) locker, reversed. Omar, the strange kid who moved in with Mr Campanelli next door, is hanging around, and Laura's worried Pete, the guy she likes, will think she's weird, too. But though Omar has odd gaps in his knowledge (who never heard of chocolate chip cookies?), he knows some interesting things too. And when Laura pushes him to reveal his secret, a whole new dimension opens up for her - one that changes her perceptions of both boys and that threatens not only her life but that of all humanity.
Sleator writes really good teen FSF, with a strong grounding in real science. His characterisation is stunning, but he gets top marks for the incorporation of multidimensional maths theory. Incorporation isn't right, really - this is at the core of the novel, and Sleator not only explains a stunningly difficult concept (fourth dimensionality, with not only left/right and up/down but ana/kata directions) but goes one step beyond and imagines what creatures of that reality would think of ours. And then he goes a step beyond that. All without losing readability, characterisation or credibility. Full marks. - Alex
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