Tether

Gr 7 Up—Ever since her return from parallel universe Aurora at the end of Tandem (Delacorte, 2013), Sasha has been plagued by persistent visions that suggest that she still has a destiny to fulfill in the other universe. Using some questionable science, Sasha returns to Aurora, which is even more politically unstable than it was when she left. In addition to a missing princess and violent anti-government rebels, Aurora now faces another problem: an ambassador from a third universe called Taiga, who is that universe's analog (perfect look-alike) for Sasha and missing Princess Juliana. The visitor, Selene, convinces Sasha that they must work together to find Juliana in order to prevent disaster on Aurora and Taiga. Thus, the identical girls embark on a mission to find their missing analog, accompanied by Sasha's love interest and a few new friends. Where the first book was science fiction, this second volume includes magical elements and reads more like a fantasy. Action and conspiracy abound, however the plot is unfortunately marred by faulty science, predictable "twists," and immature romance. The story is told from multiple perspectives that don't always work in tandem; the narrative is not cohesive. Fans of royal intrigue and romance would do better to pick up Rae Carson's "Fire and Thorns" trilogy (HarperCollins), Kristin Cashore's Graceling (Houghton Harcourt, 2008), or Marissa Meyer's "The Lunar Chronicles" (Feiwel and Friends).