Gr 9 Up-Ollie and Moritz are at the center of a unique and oddly compelling friendship in this epistolary debut. Ollie has a form of epilepsy that renders him "allergic to electricity," while Moritz, born without eyes, has a pacemaker to help control his cardiomyopathy. Both boys live in reclusive isolation, but when they begin to exchange letters, they find an unexpected opportunity to share their hopes, challenges, sorrows, and the tragic secrets that unite them. Ollie and Moritz are memorable characters with engaging and often humorous voices, and the dual narration creates tension as they reveal more of their lives to one anotherincluding their struggles with loneliness, self-acceptance, brutal tormentors, first love, and the weight of the past. The story flirts with several genres before settling into science fiction by its close. Coupled with the questionable reliability of its narrators, this lends it a quirky, almost whimsical feel even as Thomas grounds it in heartfelt and often painful emotion. VERDICT Despite shades of melodrama and a few plot contrivances, this will intrigue readers with its unusual premise. Lauren Strohecker, McKinley Elementary School, Abington School District, PA

Ollie, 14, lives sequestered with his mother in an A-frame house in the woods of northern Michigan. He can see the colors and shapes of the electricity to which he is allergic. Moritz, a 16-year-old who lives in Germany, has no eyes but can see through superecholocation. He also requires a pacemaker, which means he and Ollie can never meet. Ollie lives in an overprotected world, while Moritz goes to school and is bullied. Both boys need a friend, and through a pen pal relationship, they find the strength to go on. Their disparate lives open up worlds the other can't imagine, yet they share a dark common secret. Thomas' debut novel tells the stories of these two characters through alternating letters. The solitude and blank-page potential inherent to letter writing foster the ability to examine oneself in a way no other means of communication allows. Although it may be considered sci-fi, the humanness of the boys comes across as nothing short of real.