Troubletwisters #4: The Missing by Garth Nix and Sean Williams

An unusual artifact is found below Jack and Jaida's neighbor's home, and it's actually a missing portal. When The Evil tries to pass through this gateway between worlds, the twins discover Grandma X's sister, Lottie, is alive, but trapped, along with The Evil. Second Gifts start to appear in the twins; Jaida can control lightning, like her father, and Jack can mentally  travel through the dirt, rocks, and plants. One of the Wardens has a plan called Project Thunderclap that will permanently seal all portals, but it will also imprison Lottie. Then, Jack is sucked up by a vortex that dumps him into the evil world too. Grandma X has told the other wardens she won't try to rescue her sister, but can that be true? A rescue would open a door for The Evil, but there's no other way to save Jack and Lottie. A rescue attempt would probably result in disaster for the entire planet. But what else can they do?

Jack and Jaida, the troubletwisters, seem to have more control over their Gifts in this book, but the unexpected results of their powers created unusual twists in the earlier books. Understanding The Evil takes some reader imagination, and Lottie's suggestion to treat it like an endangered animal was a strange twist. I liked how the troubletwisters and their "normal" friends worked together, but I didn't think adding Stefano's character added much to the story. Maybe he'll be more important in the future.