When a sassy young girl named Katie accidentally falls into Dreamland, a fantasy world where magic is the norm, she is given a task of the utmost importance. She, along with a few other chosen children, must save the entire realm from the nightmarish Nezima, who is bent on the destruction of the land. Nezima is powerful, but Katie and her companions quickly learn that they too have powers. But will their combined efforts be enough to save Dreamland?
There are a few critical issues with this book. Most notably, the tense intermittently switches from present to past and the actions of the characters are entirely implausible. Despite these shortcomings, however, A Crack in the World has an engaging and intriguing fantasy storyline. Elements of classics like The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland can be found in its pages. Many of the characters are distinctive and the writing, despite being considerably unpolished at times, masterfully incorporates humor into the action. The entire Dreamland world is one of the more imaginative places in modern literature.
Jessica Metzger adds a decisively youthful voice to the children’s chapter book genre. A Crack in the World is a funny, entertaining and exciting story that features unexpected developments on nearly every page.
