 | Dark parts of the universe Author: Miller, Samuel | |
| Price: $14.99 | ||
Summary:
"Miracle Boy" Willie died for five minutes as a young child and ever since, he is certain he survived for a reason, but that purpose didn't become clear until he found the game called Manifest Atlas. As the game points him in seemingly ominous directions, Willie's older brother Bones is skeptical about the game. As Bones, Willie, and local girl Sarai dig deeper into Manifest Atlas, stranger and wilder things begin to appear.
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (03/01/24)
School Library Journal (+) (05/31/24)
Booklist (+) (04/01/24)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (A) (00/05/24)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 04/01/2024 *Starred Review* Willie Eckles was the miracle boy of Calico Springs, Missouri, because, at the age of five, after an accidental shooting, his heart stopped for five minutes before doctors resuscitated him. Now 15, sporting an eye patch to cover the socket of the eye he lost, Willie still wonders if he was spared for a reason, and he thinks he has found the answer in an app called Manifest Atlas. The app appears to lead the user to answers to the intention they enter. Things get really weird when an intention for something bloody results in a dead body at a deserted mill. This discovery leads to the revelation of even more secrets through the mysterious, eerie app, some of which relate to a hotly contested plan to merge Calico Springs and the predominantly Black town of Lawton across the river—a plan that certain rich and powerful land owners in Calico Springs adamantly oppose. As Willie and his friend Sarai investigate further, they uncover the town's sordid history and entrenched racism. Willie is an affable narrator and a moral compass for the town. In the richly detailed plot, Miller deftly captures the claustrophobic nature of small-town residents locked into what they believe is the way things should be. An appended note offers information and resources on similar events in history. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.
