Conductoid

Conductoid by M.B. Lehane (self published)

PB RRP

ISBN 9780994489401

Reviewed by Kel Butler

Jack is a daydreamer, living most of his life in a universe all of his own making. He doesn’t care much for the routine of everyday life, preferring to exist on the periphery of his own imagination, most of the time. Little does Jack know that this other universe he drifts off to in the middle of class or at the dinner table, is actually his reality.

As Jack’s daydreams become more explicit, merging fiction and reality, he starts to question his sanity. His fantasies appear to be simultaneously ruining his life and giving him his greatest adventure yet. It’s not until he is visited by a mysterious hooded figure and forced to save people from freakishly dangerous situations, that he starts to learn the truth about himself and the world’s he inhabits in his fantasies. Jack isn’t just a daydreamer, he’s a Conductoid.

A Conductoid uses the power of daydreams to access alternate dimensions and unimaginable powers. Shifting from one form to another in order to save lives and defeat dark forces. Pretty quickly, Jack realises balancing his new life as a hero with his life as an average school boy is going to be impossible. Thus he recruits the help of his best mate Ty and twin sister Phoebe to help him master his new identity and hide his double life.

Conductoid is a long, challenging read, driven by some very interesting ideas, which I feel get lost in a too much detail. Jack is a well rounded character, who also goes on a journey of personal growth and discovery as he explores his new reality. His relationships equally evolve as he is forced to find a deeper connection with his sister and put complete faith in his friend.

Due to the detail and complexity of the novel I wouldn’t recommend this for anyone under the age of 13.