review: mind the gap

April 19, 2009

Mind the Gap: A Novel of the Hidden Cities
Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon
978-0-553-38469-7
$12US trade paperback, 370 pages
May 20, 2008

After Jasmine Town is a near-witness to her mother’s murder, she finds herself alone and on the run, the words her mother had written in her own blood driving her away from home. Jazz hide forever. Her mother had told her for as long as she could remember never to run, to lose herself in a crowd, that running only drew attention. However, in a panic, she bolts into an Underground station and causes a fuss on the platform. Seeing an out, she takes it — a narrow ledge beyond the platform which leads her to the doorstep of another life.

In what used to be a bomb shelter, she finds a storehouse of goods and foods. And a group of ‘lost children’ and their ‘leader’, who call themselves the United Kingdom. A group of thieves and pickpockets, these children rely upon these skills for their livelihoods. They take Jazz into their fold where all the paranoia her mother raised her with serves her and the United Kingdom well.

Jasmine Downe’s story is one any fan of young adult fantasy, sleight of hand magic, and intrigue is sure to enjoy.