If the Master, Robert A. Heinlein, had been born a Boomer instead of a member of the Greatest Generation, he would have been Spider Robinson. If you have any fondness for Heinlein or for the Happiest Place on Earth or for ripping yarns where a young hero has to save the world, this book is for you.
Our protagonist, brilliant twelve-year-old Mike, has such a terrible
secret that he needs to find a way to fall completely off the face of the Earth. He accomplishes this by disappearing into the “off-stage” areas
of the world’s most perfect theme park, Dreamland. Nobody will find him
there—except someone does. It turns out a woman named Annie pulled the exact same disappearing act thirteen years ago, and she’s still there.
The two of them team up,
watching each other’s backs and becoming friends. Then they discover that not only
are they not as safe as they’d hoped, but the fate of the world is in their
hands.
“Dreamland” is a futuristic Disneyland: a totally
immersive theme park where the illusion is complete and the off-stage areas are
extremely well-concealed. The book is worth reading for the descriptions
of the magical theme park and its mysterious underpinnings alone; the close
bond that Mike develops with Annie and the ripping yarn that ensues when they
realize they have to save the world make it a must-read.
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