Book review ~ Down World, Rebecca Phelps

Down World
Author : Rebecca Phelps
Genre : YA Mystery
Publisher : Wattpad Books
Release date : 30th March 2021
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As the site of a former military base, there have always been rumors that East Township High School was the site of experiments with space and time. For years, students have whispered in the hallways of a doorway created within the school, one that can access multiple timelines and realities, a place known as the Down World.

As the new kid in school and still reeling from the unexplained death of her brother Robbie, Marina O’Connell is only interested in one thing: leaving the past behind. But a chance encounter with handsome Brady Picelli changes everything. He will lead Marina to a startling discovery. The Down World is real and the past, present, and future are falling out of balance.

Brady is determined to help Marina discover what really happened to her brother. However, what is taken from one world, must be repaid by another. And Marina is about to discover that even a realm of infinite possibilities has rules that must be obeyed.

I read Down World overs 3 weeks ago and I still am not over it… It is an insanely good story about time travel, friendship, family and sacrifice !

I saw the book being compared to Stranger Things and I totally get it. We have teens who are faced with mysterious disappearances, and a strange portal leading to other dimensions! I don’t know what else I could have asked for. The fact there are alternate worlds always gets to me, and I thought the ones here were introduced well, and somehow made sense.

More than alternate dimensions, the plot always kept my brain working. I kept trying to guess the characters’ next moves, the reasons for their actions, and so on. The trope of a group of teens gathering to save one of their friends is one I absolutely love, and Rebecca Phelps served us right with this.

There’s also a lot of action going on, and I can assure you I never got bored one bit reading Down World. Sometimes that speedy pace also made me lose track of some action, but overall it just kept me reading and reading and reading… until I sadly reached the end.

Characters-wise, the characters were pretty good. I thought the teens, who are the main characters, were very far from most clichés I have sometimes read before. Sure, they sometimes are a little blinded by their emotions, but nothing unbelievable. I’m rarely rooting for the main character, but Marina was a wonderful one, and I truly enjoyed following the story through her eyes.

The adults are a little odd at times, and I wish we could have seen more of their intentions for their actions and have an insight to their mentality, but it also made Marina’s POV more believable and realistic. So, yeah I both liked and disliked the adults here. I’m a bit indecisive about them haha!

No matter small little details that I thought weren’t perfect, I devoured this book and wish it had never ended. I’m fairly sure I developped an addiction to this book now!

Rebecca Phelps created a world you end up never wanting to leave. I honestly can’t wait to see what she’s going to publish next, because she definitely needs to keep writing!