The Lone Sentinel - Hardcover

Grade 7-10-- In repayment to the Helgatites for saving the lives of Earth's Azure planet colonists, six sentinels have been erected to protect biosote, an unusual growth harvested every ten years by the Helgatites. After Erik's father dies, leaving him with only his dog, Thursday, for company, he disobeys Trust Control rules and remains at Lone Sentinel to tend the massive beam of light that protects biosote from its natural predators. Then runaway twins Willa and Augusta appear at his door, his radio stops transmitting, and masquerading Helgatites land and begin to destroy the biosote. Thursday's character adds charm and warmth to this well-plotted science fiction tale of good versus evil. The eventual teaming of the three teens to sabotage the fake Helgatites' spacecraft leads to suspenseful and exciting chase scenes, as well as a maturation for all of them. The Lone Sentinel's isolated self-sufficiency is much like Caroline MacDonald's Lake at the End of the World (Dial, 1989), while the introduction of females to Erik's well-ordered life is reminiscent of Eve Bunting's If I Asked You, Would You Stay? (Lippincott, 1984). --Pam Spencer, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Fairfax County, VA:
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.