LitPick Review
Crisis is the third book in the suspenseful Card People trilogy by James Sulzer. It doesn’t seem possible, but I think it has more surprises and plot twists than the first two books combined! First, Paul’s nanodust transfer from a card person back to himself as a human goes awfully wrong. While he, his brother Sam, and their friends try to figure out what happened with that, the news starts reporting that a bomb has been set in Chicago and the President of the United States is sick.
Since the Vice President is out of the country for the unforeseeable future, power has been handed over to a top advisor named Vincent Slaughter. He quickly announces the importance of purifying America so that everyone in the country is the same, and he has the power to define what that is. Sadly, immigrants start being arrested, and hate groups are spreading their messages by marching through the streets. As if all of this mayhem is not enough, villain David Westfield, from the earlier books in the series, appears out of nowhere in Paul and Sam’s backyard to taunt and try to attack everyone there.
The visit attracts a variety of fire and police vehicles including Squinty Eyes, who is the CIA agent that the boys and their friends don’t trust. When they open the front door, he starts threatening and questioning everyone inside. He wants information about any possible new nanodust, where the card people are, and what any of them might know about the boys’ missing father, nanotechnology expert, Samir Kapadia. They handle the scary situation with the help of the card people and their good-natured nanimated friends, but they also immediately begin to wonder if the President is missing instead of sick. Now the boys and their friends are desperate to find the President and help get America back to normal. In the end, no one would ever guess just how much mystery they unexpectedly uncover along the way!
Opinion:
Crisis is a fast-paced, action-packed story! There are enough details repeated from the earlier two books in the series that this one makes sense on its own. It’s also an amazing conclusion for anyone who already read Parts 1 and 2. I can’t think of a single loose end Mr. Sulzer left! The way he uniquely weaves controversial historical, political, and social issues into the magical world of nanimated objects makes this story seem serious and funny at the same time. The book is written for ages 8-12 and would probably appeal to both boys and girls since it has such a wide variety of characters and subplots. However, it contains references to Adolf Hitler, an Ultimate Leader, a Nazi-type salute, and guns, which parents might want to discuss with younger readers. Overall, the book has a positive message!
All of the characters have dramatic flair, but I like Paul, Sam, and their friends because of how well they work together. They’re able to imaginatively solve problems at a moment’s notice. I especially like how they quickly step outside of their own problems and concerns in order to do what they can to stop the government from being overthrown. I think the best part of the story is that while the kids are doing the right thing and helping others, they are pleasantly surprised to find the truth they were seeking all along. Once I started reading, I could not put this book down!
