What Came from the Stars (review)

Schmidt examines the devastation left in the wake of a mother's passing in this juxtaposition of two stories that take place on different worlds. Since Tommy Pepper's mother was killed in a car accident, his father has stopped painting and his little sister has stopped speaking. On a far planet, the evil Lord Mondus has raised an army of faceless monsters called the O'Mondim to defeat the peaceful, beauty-loving Valorim. The remaining Valorim forge a necklace that contains all of their arts and hurl it far from Lord Mondus's reach, all the way across the galaxies into sixth-grader Tommy Pepper's lunchbox in Plymouth, MA. Now Lord Mondus has sent emissaries to retrieve the necklace, but Tommy refuses to give it up because it connects him to his mother, enabling him to bring her vividly back to his memory. As he battles the encroaching evil, Tommy's success in Plymouth is key to saving both the distant Valorim and his own family, who threaten to drown in their grief. Thematic similarities to The Neverending Story wisp through this emotionally resonant tale as Schmidt artfully deploys a range of literary elements, especially setting, to craft Tommy's story. The account of events on the Valorim's planet is related in the diction of high epic fantasies sprinkled liberally with unfamiliar terms (there's a tongue-in-cheek glossary), but those familiar with video game narratives will be able to stay afloat. Tommy's loyal band of quirky pals lighten the melancholic mood without taking the levity too far; indeed, the balance of emotions is flawless as Tommy moves through grief to acceptance by way of heroism in the face of battle.