Thresholds (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Thresholds Kate Quealy-Gainer Hoffman, Nina Kiriki. Thresholds. Viking, 2010. [256p.] ISBN 978-0-670-06319-2 $15.99 Reviewed from galleys Ad Gr. 4-7. After Maya loses her best friend, Stephanie, to cancer, Maya's parents decide a change in scenery is just what their grief-stricken daughter needs. But not only is their new home rumored to be haunted, it sits next to the Janus House, a large apartment complex whose residents, with their odd clothing and secretive tendencies, are more than a little strange. Maya is immediately drawn to them, and it's a good thing too, because when a mysterious boy hands her a glowing egg that then embeds itself in her skin, she knows just who to turn to. Fortunately, her new neighbors are skilled in dealing with supernatural parasites (or pets, as the egg turns out to be), and they are also guardians of magical portals that offer Maya glimpses into strange and wonderful new worlds. The story offers plenty of kid appeal: Maya, the everyday, average girl, stumbles across something extraordinary that makes her special and helps her overcome a recent tragedy. Unfortunately, the threads of her emotional turmoil and the discovery of supernatural realms never quite seem to meet up, making for a disjointed plotline that offers little resolution, particularly when it comes to Maya's new role at the Janus House. The prose, however, is quite vivid, paralleling Maya's artistic tendency to translate her thoughts and emotions into her drawings, and Hoffman's striking language offers dramatic visualizations of otherworldly creatures and glowing portals. The jumbled plot aside, readers—especially those [End Page 24] with a knack for illustrating—may find themselves sketching their own versions of what fascinating realms lie beyond the doors at Janus House. Copyright © 2010 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois