The Doomsday Vault

Gr 3-7–A creative riff on the magical school trope, mixing historical figures, time travel, and science for an inventive, if somewhat overwhelming, adventure. The story follows young Bertie Wells, a 19th-century science enthusiast; Zoe, a quirky, modern-day middle schooler; and Millie da Vinci, younger sister of Leonardo. All are outcasts in their own time—Bertie struggles against his father’s disapproval, Zoe faces bullying isolation, and Millie pales in comparison to her brilliant brother. When they are invited to the College of Space Machines, Multiverses, and Other Odd Sciences (COSMOS), they join a time-twisting, thrilling world where science rules and no imagination is too wild. The book introduces readers to dazzling concepts like time-stream classes, interdimensional chemistry, and historical dormitories, populated by iconic scientists like Darwin and Galileo. While the worldbuilding is ambitious and inventive, the narrative leans heavily on pseudo-scientific jargon and whimsical inventions, which can feel exhausting and occasionally disorienting. The central plot—a school competition and a mysterious formula threatening chaos—requires attention, but readers may find the flood of fabricated terms difficult to track. Beneath the science-laden exterior, the characters’ emotional journeys feels secondary and could have benefitted from greater depth. Moments of awe and surprise abound, yet moments of true vulnerability are sparse.