The Dreamwalker's Child (review)

Sam's life is ordinary until he suffers a devastating bicycle crash; now his body is in a coma and his non-physical essence is sent to another planet, Aurobon. There he learns that the crash was no accident—evil forces are trying to control his destiny, since he's a key component in a prophecy that will decide the fate of both Earth and Aurobon. Of course, the fate of Earth is not only in the hands of one fifteen-year-old boy; he also receives helpful guidance from mystical beings and assistance from a spunky girl sidekick, Skipper, who saves his life innumerable times over the course of Sam's adventure. In fact, Skipper could be the heroine of this tale (she is fearless, quick-thinking, and much more adept at handling crises than Sam) if she weren't used to impart weighty environmental messages as often as she spouts witty comebacks to the stock bad guys. The very cool giant-insect fighter jets, the writhing and enormous mosquito larvae that will be used to carry out the world-domination plan, and the slavering, menacing marsh dogs who mercilessly hunt Sam are all creative and well-crafted side characters who keep this story intriguing in spite of the heavy-handed environmentalism that weighs down the main plot. While Sam's journey may sometimes leave readers feeling more educated than exhilarated, the exuberant wasp-chase scenes and numerous near-death scrapes always bring the action back up to full speed.