Review of "A Dark Inheritance"

"Deep down, I was hoping it would just go away."

     Chris d'Lacey's A Dark Inheritance, the first title in his "UNICORNE Files" series, is all about the impossible. Michael Malone and his sister, Josie, are on their way to school when they are forced to a stop by a police cordon. The problem? A runaway dog is resisting capture. While Josie tries to sweet-talk an officer into letting them through with a made-up story about flute exams, Michael is focused on the dog and a certainty it emits like an aura: it is about to jump off the cliff. Suddenly, he's at the dog's side, his mother is screaming, and Josie, whose musical talent is exactly zero, has a flute on her lap and an upcoming test. All Michael wants to do is stay out of the spotlight, but when he is approached by a mysterious organization, he is presented with a mission and a chance for a life he never thought he'd have--because his ability to alter reality may just be the key to finding his missing father.

     The writing style in this piece is very well done. Although it's recorded in past tense, readers get the honest, in-the-moment experience of Michael himself. Not a whole lot is explained about UNICORNE, the secret organization that recruits our hero, which makes sense--it is secret, after all--but which can also be rather frustrating. There is just enough worldbuilding to fulfill the requirements of the story without going overboard, and characters are shaped with simple details that leave much to the reader's imagination. They are, however, a little two-dimensional, which is a real shame because they are so likeable.

     A Dark Inheritance's plot may not be character-driven, but it's incredibly strong. Michael's ability to shape the world around him draws the attention of a paranormal-activity-investigating team that promises a chance to find his father, who disappeared three years ago, in exchange for answers about the suicidal dog's owner. As Michael digs ever deeper into the dog's past, he gets to know some troubled characters and realizes that the only adjective befitting the case is "paranormal". With its twists, shocking turns, and confident approach to the impossible, d'Lacey's plot is intriguing and surprisingly believable.

     Although teh characters in this book are primarily middle-schoolers, the story is dark enough to fit in the YA spectrum as well. Readers should note that reality-shifting and telepathy are not the only superpowers presented--seeing ghosts and other things along that line are present in the novel and are sure to crop up in the following books. It's not very action-packed, but the violence that does happen is well-placed and shocking.

     I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a children's/YA book about alternate realities and paranormal mysteries. Although the characters are rather flat and the plot is low on action, the premise is great and the plot believable. It's easy to feel for Michael and sympathize with his mission, two attributes that make reading a lot easier. Because of this, Chris d'Lacey's A Dark Inheritance deserves four stars.