Down World
Stranger Things meets the Netflix series Dark in this paranormal thriller where three mysterious doors in a highschool basement hold the key to unlocking the mystery of what really happened the night Marina's brother died.
As the site of a former military base, there have always been rumors that East Township High School was the site of experiments with space and time. For years, students have whispered in the hallways of a doorway created within the school, one that can access multiple timelines and realities, a place known as the Down World.
As the new kid in school and still reeling from the unexplained death of her brother Robbie, Marina O'Connell is only interested in one thing: leaving the past behind. But a chance encounter with handsome Brady Picelli changes everything. He will lead Marina to a startling discovery. The Down World is real and the past, present, and future are falling out of balance.
Brady is determined to help Marina discover what really happened to her brother. However, what is taken from one world, must be repaid by another. And Marina is about to discover that even a realm of infinite possibilities has rules that must be obeyed.
Title: Down World
Author: Rebecca Phelps
Genre: YA / paranormal thriller
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publication Date: 03/21/2021
Publisher: Wattpad Books
Language: English
ISBN: 1989365590
ISBN-13: 9781989365595
My Review
Down World is a highly engaging thriller with a dynamic cast of High Schoolers on the edge of discovering a long-kept secret by local officials and those who already knew!
Marina is changing schools. No longer is the tuition for the private school affordable and her parents are sending her to Town Ship High. Leaving behind her friends, she runs into kids she has not seen in years since her elementary years and the fateful accident of her brother Robbie.
Town Ship High was once a military facility to house scientific developments years ago and Brady is the first she runs into on her first day of school and also the one who will open new realms of a secret world to her. With a glimmer of hope of making new friends, she does not expect what is to come.
There have been rumors about a doorway in the school that would lead to multiple timelines to a place called Down World. When Marina’s mother disappears, she discovers that there is a possibility to find her brother in a different timeline, so she lies to her father to follow rumors of a mystical hotel that should give her the answers she seeks and perhaps solve the disappearance of her mother as well. What she can’t imagine is that more portals to these parallel worlds have been opened and before she knows it, she’s on the path that descends deeply into other timelines.
But everything has its price and certain rules must be obeyed or like a ripple effect, her actions will change the past, present, and future.
***
This is a fast-paced, high-interest ride for those with a knack for the paranormal. The school setting and cult-like discoveries imbue the feel of recent shows made with an 80’s vibe. Not a minute to rest, there is action around most corners in this novel fueled with mystery and a dash of angst and heart.
I loved the concept of the old military abandoned building used in a school setting and though the premise isn’t new perhaps, this novel drew from many different aspects of paranormal stances and combined them into one very readable nugget perfect for teen / young adult readers.
When looking for the next read for those reluctant readers or you enjoy rebel characters and a bit of that metaphysical, give this a try.
For fast reading, a definite recommend.
I received a digital copy of this novel for review from Netgalley in exchange for a voluntary and honest review.
All opinions are my own.