Thirteen Days to Midnight

March 15, 2010
In this largely successful contemporary dark fantasy, Carman's first book for YA readers, 15-year-old Jacob Fielding has both a secret power and a guilty secret. He is literally indestructible—nothing can hurt him—but gaining this newfound ability cost the life of his kindly but mysterious foster father. When Jacob discovers that he can share his invulnerability with others, he, his friend Milo, and the school's new girl, Oh, test its limits (in cringe-inducing scenes involving a lighter, a 12-foot fall onto a lamp, and a batting cage) and begin using it to save lives. But they learn that playing God—even with the intent to help—has consequences, and as Oh becomes increasingly obsessed with borrowing Jacob's indestructibility, he realizes the power has a dark will of its own, with “unrelenting claws digging into my bones like a cancer.” The novel occasionally suffers from moments of incoherence and its attempts at moral complexity can seem forced, but it produces serious chills and should appeal to readers who have grown out of Carman's Atherton and Land of Elyon series. Ages 12–up.

May 1, 2010
Gr 7-10-Jacob Fielding shouldn't have survived the car accident that killed his foster father, but he did. A week later, he writes "You are indestructible"Mr. Fielding's last words to himon the wrist cast of Ophelia, a new girl at school, and soon after, she comes through a devastating skateboard crash without a scratch. With his final words, Mr. Fielding had gifted Jacob the power to keep death at bay, and the boy, along with Oh and his friend Milo, begins to play with life and death. Jacob can pass his power to others, and he does: first to Oh, and then to anyone the three can find who is in a situation likely to be fatal. What they don't know, and only discover when Oh's behavior becomes violently erratic, is that death cannot be stopped entirely. For every life they save, someone else must die. This page-turner is a natural choice for reluctant readers and fans of both adventure stories and supernatural thrillers. While Jacob and his friends seek out and shun death, they also explore the bounds of friendship and first romance. The story behind Jacob's power, an intriguing tale involving Harry Houdini, may encourage readers to delve further into the magician's history. Despite a few underdeveloped plot points, this novel will engage many readers."Karen E. Brooks-Reese, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2010
Grades 7-10 The author of the Land of Elyon series crafts a creepy fantasy-mystery for older readers. Grieving over the sudden death of his well-liked foster parent (and harboring a guilty secret about that), Jacob discovers that his inheritance includes the power of invulnerability. Bemused, he shares his imperviousness to pain or physical damage with his impulsive best friend, Milo, and a beautiful, intense new classmate named Opheliaand discovers that he can temporarily pass the ability on to them. He quickly comes to regret the sharing, as Ophelia engages in an increasingly dangerous round of tests, stunts, and life-saving rescues. Ominously, the power also begins to feel darker and wilder as it fends off death after death. Carman cranks the suspense up smoothly on the way to a horrifying revelation, a (literally) shocking climax, and a not entirely happy, but at least not tragic, ending. A provocative take on the theme that every superpower comes with a price.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2010
"You are indestructible," whispers Jacob's foster father before dying. This phrase creates a passing of invulnerability, which Jacob can also pass to--and then retrieve from--others. Jacob shares his power with two friends; in using it they discover its seductive and sinister side. Overlong deliberations about the ethics of taking and giving life dilute the intriguing premise, but the overall suspense survives.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)