Christie’s always known there was something different about his older stepbrother Danny. Heavy, clumsy, mentally slow, prone to fits and episodes, capable of holding his breath for unusually long times, Danny doesn’t fit in with normal people at all. And when Danny suddenly sets out on a journey across Great Britain to find his birth mother, Christie goes along to keep Danny safe, and hopefully to bring him home again. Along the way, they pick up several friends: a homeless girl, a talking dog, and an equally intelligent talking starling. Together, the odd quintet brave the dangers of a land suffering food and gas shortages, a land on the brink of chaos and collapse, forever journeying towards the mysterious place known only as Fourth World. For it’s there that Danny was born, and where the talking animals were given their amazing intellect and vocal capabilities. It’s there that Maggie, Danny’s mother, holds all the answers to a great many questions. But are her intentions well-meaning if ambitious, or is there something much more sinister going on at Fourth World?

Fourth World is one of those books that just doesn’t stop once it’s picked up speed. The journey of Christie and his friends feels almost epic, as they travel across country via various methods, as the world around them continues to fall apart in a frightening process of disintegration. And when they finally reach Fourth World, it opens up a whole new can of worms. It’s no surprise that Maggie is indulging in genetic experimentation to produce unusual children and talking animals; the real surprise comes when we start getting answers. I thought I knew where Thompson was going, and more than once, she managed to surprise me, right up to the last page. The sad thing is, this is part of a trilogy, with two books left in which to explore the setting and answer the questions that still remain. Hopefully, Thompson can keep up the good work. Believable and all too possible, Fourth World is a young adult science fiction story worthy of attention, and I really want to see what happens to Danny, Christie, Tina and the others.