Sneaks by Catherine Egan

What worked:

The first sentence describes a wristwatch crawling across the floor, so reader interest is piqued right away. Ben, the main character, soon discovers the watch is a creature from another world, but he doesn’t fully understand what this means. The plot takes a significant turn when Ben, Akemi, and Charlotte retrieve a letter and The Book of Keys for an elderly lady that reveal troubling, shocking concerns. The story is opened up to multidimensions, wormholes, and looming chaos, and Ben and his friends are thrown into the middle of it.

Sneaks are able to appear as unassuming objects, like a wristwatch, and on rare occasions, they can take the form of humans. This results in an element of uncertainty, as the kids never know when the Sneaks are around. There’s always something slightly off about Sneaks, but it sometimes takes effort to notice. When Sneaks attack, they can be stunned using water, and a special suitcase can send them back to their dimension. The Gateway Society is tasked with monitoring and controlling Sneaks, but they don’t appear overly concerned with the uptick in sightings. Why not? Is there more going on than what is seen?

The book shares several different issues with friendship. Ben’s little brother Leo befriends a new boy who is being teased, but his “friends” say he needs to stop. He can’t be around his old friends unless he dumps the new kid. Ben’s best friend from kindergarten has been mean to him for years, but he discovers she has a reason. It’s a long time to hold a grudge, but can what she says be true? Then, Ben’s best friend Ashok has moved to Paris, so their relationship is limited to texting. However, Ben’s not sure why he fails to tell Ashok about becoming friends with Akemi. Friendship can be complicated.

What didn’t work as well:

It would be nice to have one stable family in the story. Ben’s parents are self-absorbed and barely notice him and his little brother. Akemi’s mother died last year, so his father decided to move where they won’t be reminded of their grief. Charlotte has always been an outcast at school, but no one truly knows what’s happening at home. Her family life is not happy. The most “normal” family is in Paris where Ashok moved over the summer. The three main characters have underlying family issues, but the problems mostly help to add additional tension to the Sneak conflict.

The Final Verdict:

Saving the world from chaos and destruction! The story is fairly familiar, so it’s easy to follow and anticipate possible future events. Lovers of shape-shifting creatures and multidimensional fantasies will enjoy the book, and I recommend you give it a shot.