Sunderworld, Vol. I: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry (Sunderworld, 1)

Leopold and his best friend Emmet loved Sunderworld so much that they recreated scenes from the television show they watched on old VHS tapes found after Leopold’s mother passed away. Now, five years later, under the stress of figuring out his life after high school, Leopold’s seeing things, like raccoons that spontaneously burst on fire and a man using a tooth at a parking meter to disappear into the ground. When he secures a token to Sunder, he finds his beloved world in danger, so he risks his life on a dream. He can be the hero. He can save the place he’s loved for years. Then things go wrong, spectacularly wrong, and his dream is over before it began. Or is it?

This has elements of A Series of Unfortunate Events and Riggs’ first series Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, but for an older audience. Leopold’s hope for something better is palpable and the disappointment is great when he falls. His struggles, both with his toxic father and his own self-confidence, create a backdrop for building a hero, which makes it that much worse when he fails. Magic, parallel worlds, and mystery all in one – the sequel cannot come fast enough.