Gabriel Bergmoser, Andromache between worlds, HarperCollins Publishers, January 2024, 272 pp., RRP $19.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781460759103
This action-packed, adventure novel is terrific option for readers dabbling in fantasy as a new genre.
Andromache Peters is a relatively normal 14-year-old. She doesn’t understand her mum, she’s misunderstood at school and she’s dealing with complex coming-of-age-type emotions. Part of the problem is that her parents managed to get themselves super famous, and so it is impossible for Andromache to fade into the background.
The adventure really begins when a snoop around in a lab leads to a wild adventure into another universe. A parallel world where Andromache gets to see what life could have been like, and it’s not just her life that would be vastly different, it’s the whole history of the planet. She begins to believe that her beloved, but very absent father, could be located. If only she can work out how to get to the universe where he is.
The supporting characters are well developed, especially Andromache’s friend Rylee, who provides the comic relief. She’s the character who speaks with no filter and disregards authority, a type of character who we all want to be like.
As I said, this would be a good introduction to the fantasy genre. Andromache’s real world is similar to ours, only she gets to venture to other worlds with different creatures and conditions, but always coming back. Though Andromache, the main character, is 14 years old, this book is definitely suitable for readers as young as 9 or 10. In terms of content, some parts feel more ‘teen’, such as when Andromache deals with the feelings she has towards her parents, but in general this is ‘tween’ novel.
Reviewed by Cherie Bell
