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

Gr 8 Up–Leopold Berry lost his mother to cancer when he was 12, and the subsequent five years with an overbearing and aggressive father have done nothing to assuage his grief. Leopold also experiences strange visions, things that seem more at home in his beloved 1990s fantasy series Max’s Adventures in Sunderworld than modern Los Angeles. Leopold discovered it in a box of his mom’s old VHS tapes, and his obsession with watching and rewatching the show, coupled with producing new scenes with his best friend, Emmet, serve to create a bond to her memory. So when he and Emmet actually find Sunder after a ride on a broken-down railway trolley, he is ready to experience all the promises of Max’s adventures despite the perils that lie within. Riggs generates interest both through Leopold’s exploration of the mysterious connection his mother had with Sunder, as well as the consequences of Leopold and Emmet’s initial visit there. He also pokes fun at the “chosen one” motif when Leopold embarrasses himself in front of the Sunder community on a channeler test, becoming memed into “Lunchtray Larry.” But less successful is the magic of Sunder, which, when coupled with Leopold’s initial visions, presents as gritty and occasionally bizarre. Clearly intended as a multi-book series, a cliff-hanger mystery sets the focus for the sequel.