Synopses & Reviews
Fiction. Young Adult. His mom disappeared without a trace. Believing his mom abandoned the family, Steve Best can barely function. School is a failure. Home is a disaster. Even his attempt to save a duck from the school bullies led to the nickname he's dying to forget. When he's sent to his Great Aunt Shannon's house for the holidays, he encounters a curious power that lets him travel and transform the world. He might be able to use it to save his mom—but only if thugs or the police don't stop him first. A new, fresh take on teen magic, where nothing is whole and nothing is what it seems.
Synopsis
When Steve Best was 12, his mom disappeared--literally vanishing from her armchair in the sitting room. A terror-stricken scream for help, a blinding flash of light, and she was gone. Only a puddle of coffee and a stained notebook remained.
Now, on the second Christmas since her disappearance, Steve's life is a disaster. He's failing at school. His dad alternately mopes, yells, and apologizes. Even Steve's attempt to save a duck from the school bullies has led to the nickname he's dying to forget.
To make matters even worse, his dad is forced to travel over the holidays to keep his job, leaving Steve to stay with his dotty great aunt Shannon and her bookish, withdrawn husband. Shannon insists that Steve bring along his mother's coffee-stained, crinkled notebook, insisting it will help them find his mother.
Steve learns from Shannon that he comes from a family of alchemists, that alchemy is about far more than changing lead into gold, and that his mother may have been researching ways to use alchemy to transport people to different places and times.
Skeptical and very reluctant at first, Steve is finally seduced by Shannon's teachings. He masters a transformation that shows him the power of alchemy to transport people between dimensions. He might even be able to use this power to save his mom-but only if thugs or the police don't stop him first.
About the Author
Bill Bunn is the author of several books, essays, and articles. He published his first young adult novel, Duck Boy, in October 2012. In 2003, Moon Canoe, a children's picture book was published. This book was bought and translated into French by Le Canotier, and released as Canoë Lune (2005). Bill lives near Millarville in Alberta, Canada. He and his wife, Linda, take care of three teenagers, two dogs, two cats, and two hives of bees. Bill teaches English at Mount Royal University. Most recently, he is the author of HYMNS OF HOME (Bitingduck Press, 2013).