THE BLACK ROOM

Cross steps up the pace and urgency in this gravely suspenseful second installment. When The Dark Ground (2004) ended, Robert had suddenly become normal-sized again, merging with the lethargic body that had continued his regular life while he was miniscule and surviving in the treacherous woods with other tiny people. His story here is told by his friend Tom, drawn into the cause by Robert and sister Emma. The alternating story is told by Lorn, tiny, back in the forest and struggling to survive the frigid winter in an underground cavern. When Tom stumbles upon a random classmate in possession of a 12-strand braid that only Lorn—or another version of Lorn—could know how to make, they follow a trail to a hidden abused girl who may be Lorn’s normal-sized counterpart. Their mission to reunite her with microscopic Lorn is desperate and dangerous. Readers now know what is going on, but still not how or why. A gripping page-turner that begs for the next volume. (Fantasy. YA)