The Intruders

As I read this novel, aimed at teens, I found myself wondering when the movie will come out. The Intruders has all the right ingredients--mixed races, teens in the Bronx, new-dawning love, a mysterious cave and a time-slip that sends them tumbling into a different world. I hadn't even realized there were trees in the Bronx. That shows how much I know. But the waste-land lake with its putrid odor seemed awfully real as the intrepid youths marched in search of their cave and water source. When things go wrong the youths, with youthful flexibility, immediately realize they've arrived in a different time. They're just not sure which time. Almost impenetrable forest surrounds them. Wild coyotes shout. And suddenly geeky Hamid with his backpack full of supplies is their only hope. I loved the point where they looked at each others' faces and realized, if this was the past, only one of them would be allowed to walk free in what passed for civilization. It isn't really color or background that sets the teens against each other though, but hurtful words born of unease and misery soon lead to blows. They work through it, wisely remaining friends. And when they finally meet other dwellers in this different Bronx, what amazes them is how easily they're all accepted. In this world, there's another difference, not skin color, that separates people. But those who the world rejects are the ones who lay out the welcome mat. And the teens must join in a fight for survival--this world will be a poorer place if its rejects lose the war. The Intruders is a fascinating, thought-provoking, teen novel. All the obvious issues are addressed, and there's a powerful longing for peace and acceptance beautifully portrayed. Dialog is convincing, relationships very true-to-life, emotions mixed and genuine, and the story's intriguing and fun. Many thanks to the publishers, DeMarche Publishing, for letting me read and review. This was a fun book.

It's all fun and games until you realize the reality of it. "The Intruders" tells the story of six Bronx teens flung into a future war where they use their knowledge of the subways to win a war where the surface of the Bronx has once again become a forest. Initially enjoying their new found importance, they soon realize war is no game. "The Intruders" is an intriguing story of adventure, recommended.