From School Library Journal
Grade 5-7–Tristan, the hero of British author Robert Swindell's novel, hangs out with his friends on the Tangle, a large abandoned area full of weeds and trash and the end of a defunct train tunnel. Usually, the children fear only the local bully, Gary Deacon, but lately they've been getting eerie feelings when close to the tunnel entrance. After finding white mice which they take home to keep as pets, Tristan and his friends find a human skeleton in the tunnel. Strangely, the skeleton is of a man who had only been missing for four days, and the mice are beginning to reproduce in large numbers, filling the Tangle. Tristan soon realizes that his pet mice are not mice at all, but an alien race capable of merging into one mind and one body, thus explaining the skeleton and other strange happenings in the small town. When his friend, Diane, decides to catch a mouse and is almost killed by a wave of white mice, Tristan and a local reporter realize that something must be done to save their town and, possibly, the world. Swindell builds horror and suspense without the blood and guts. His use of British slang will be hard for some students to follow. The plot, however, is almost too easy to follow, providing clues to the climax and resolution. Jamie Glover does a good job of changing voices to distinguish between characters and makes Tristan's voice a believable one. With its methodical story, this recording could be used in middle school discussions of plot and its elements. It is also a good choice for schools and public library horror collections.–
Lisa D. Williams, Chocowinity Middle School, NC Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Who will believe 12-year-old Tristan's claim that alien life forms that look like white mice have been breeding in the neighborhood junk heap all winter? Intelligent and murderous, the "mice" are almost ready to take over unless Tristan and his friends can act on their own. Robert Swindells has spun yet another believable thriller with likable characters and an atmosphere of horror that, happily, does not depend on gore. Think mice can't take over a town? Jamie Glover persuades listeners to think again. His rich, deep voice and subtle characterizations enhance the story without compromising the believability of the characters. Immensely satisfying. J.M.S. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine--
Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
