The Unspeakable Unknown

In this sequel to A Problematic Paradox (2018), even superscience schools have field trips! In between explosively rigorous pop quizzes and mad science hijinks, Nikola gets to go on not one but two of the very special school's rare field trips. One sends the students in her electronic-combat class to the Ozarks to track down a suspected parahuman and invite them to the school. The other, for urban-camouflage class, is to practice blending in at a mall. These out-of-school adventures open up opportunities for deepening the lore of the worldbuilding and introduce the idea of a horrific new antagonist. They also allow the text to broach uncomfortable (in a good way) discussions on sources of privilege and murky loyalties, both artfully enough to avoid bogging down the action-oriented plots--which introduce new friends and foes and extensively progress storylines left over from the first book (namely, the fate of Nikola's father and the identity of the traitor at the school). Some of the best humor comes through educational moments, and only occasionally do the wry jokes tread too deeply into far less effective, too-edgy territory. While the nonhuman characters (Old Ones and parahumans) outnumber ordinary humans, human characters tend to lack racial descriptors, seemingly defaulting to white. The well-developed denouement provides solid closure while plot tentacles set up the next story. Lots of fun, packing both wacky humor and meaningful plot movement. (Science fiction. 10-14)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. (Online Review)

May 1, 2019
Six months ago, evil, foul-smelling, interdimensional aliens called the Old Ones kidnapped Nikola's father (A Problematic Paradox, rev. 7/18). Now in hiding from the extraterrestrials, Nikola has settled into her new life at the Plaskington International Laboratory School of Scientific Research and Technological Advancement, alongside her parahuman classmates and a handful of uber-intelligent humans like herself. Much to her delight, Nikola is about to embark on her first unscheduled off-site practical exam session, a.k.a. a field trip. During this excursion, Sappingfield layers some nuance into his well-built, wacky sci-fi world. He introduces a not-so-bad Old One: a teenager named Darleeen, who later lends a helping hand when Nikola finds her father. On a second field trip?to a mall!?Nikola learns that the father of two of her parahuman friends works for the Old Ones. And yes, other parahumans have sided with them, too. It's heavy stuff for Nikola to grapple with, but Sappingfield balances it all with plenty of humor, dishing up inventive sci-fi fare with a whopping side of silliness. tanya d. auger

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2019
Six months ago, evil interdimensional aliens called the Old Ones kidnapped Nikola's father (A Problematic Paradox). Now Nikola has settled into her new life at the Plaskington International Laboratory School of Scientific Research and Technological Advancement, alongside parahuman classmates and fellow uber-intelligent humans. Sappingfield balances the heavy stuff with plenty of humor, dishing up inventive sci-fi fare with a whopping side of silliness

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)