Sparks of Light

Gr 9 Up—The follow-up to Into the Dim finds Hope, her mother, her baby sister, and the rest of the Viators safe and sound in 21st-century Scotland, but there's a new problem on the horizon. The Viators learn that their nemesis is looking for a device that allows Timeslippers to increase the length of time they spend in the past. To prevent this dangerous device from landing in the wrong hands, the Viators travel to 1895 New York City to find Nikola Tesla and destroy the device. Along the way, Hope and the Viators get themselves in some sticky situations, but Hope's eidetic memory always conveniently saves the day. This second volume begins well, but it suffers from idea overload. The novel explores the Gilded Age, racism post—Emancipation Proclamation, lobotomies, and the institutionalization of women. Cameos by Elizabeth I, Nellie Bly, and Tesla are peppered throughout. By concentrating on one or two of the aforementioned ideas, the title could have taken readers on an adventure to a little-known time and place in U.S. history. Instead, the narrative gets bogged down with too many plotlines. Its lack of focus makes it difficult for readers to get invested.