National Book Award winner Pete Hautman weaves several diverging time streams into one satisfying masterwork in this stunning and revelatory series finale. In a far distant future, Tucker Feye and the inscrutable Lia find themselves atop a crumbling pyramid in an abandoned city. In present-day Hopewell, Tucker’s uncle Kosh faces armed resistance and painful memories as he attempts to help a terrorized woman named Emma, who is being held captive by a violent man. And on a train platform in 1997, a seventeen-year-old Kosh is given an instruction that will change his life, and the lives of others, forever. Tucker, Lia, and Kosh must evade the pursuit of maggot-like Timesweeps, battle Master Gheen’s cult of Lambs, all while they puzzle out the enigmatic Boggsians as they search for one another and the secrets of the diskos. Who built them? Who is destroying them? Where — and when — will it all end? Gr 9 Up—In the final installment of Hautman's "Klaatu Diskos" trilogy (Candlewick), questions are finally answered and puzzle pieces are put in place. The book's events cover the rise and fall of the Romelas and Hopewell civilizations, alternating among different dates, including 1997, 2012, and a thousand years in the distant future. Tucker Feye and Lah Lia are finally together after being chased in and out of various time periods. The plot focuses on the life of 17-year-old Kosh, who is also Tucker Feye's uncle. Kosh's struggles are divided between the physical challenges needed to keep members of the Boggsian sect and the Cult of the Lamb at bay and trying to control the emotions that have developed between him and his brother Adrian's fiance, Emily. Adrian is also author of the final book in the Cult of the Lamb's Bible, and Emily, besides being Tucker Feye's mother, is identical to a woman whom Kosh rescues from the Lambs. The action is fast-paced with settings alternating between the small rural towns of the close past, and the postapocalyptic jungle of the distant future. This is one conclusion that is best read in sequence for better clarity. Ending in a somewhat Twilight Zone eeriness of happily-ever-after, readers will not feel cheated out of the creep factor.—Sabrina Carnesi, Crittenden Middle School, Newport News, VA Tucker is trapped atop a Romulan pyramid in the year 3,000 CE with no interdimensional disko. What, you’re lost already? In this final book of the Klaatu Diskos trilogy, the multitalented Hautman—a paragon of prose clarity—concludes this most unclear of literary experiments. As before, it’s a head-scratcher nearly impossible to follow at times, and yet—and yet!—so rich with fascinating ideas and unusual themes that bold readers will keep turning pages. The action this time is mostly divided between Tucker’s futuristic search for ex–Pure Girl Lia and two different time planes involving Tucker’s uncle, Kosh, whose relationship with Emily/Emma progresses in both 1997 and 2012. Characters echo throughout the ages, giving the book, and the series, the feel of a less linear take (if you can believe that) on Marcus Sedgwick’s Midwinterblood (2013). What sticks out the most are Hautman’s always deft hand at believable romance and his ability to use a sci-fi plot to generate Chariots of the Gods–style legends. Though not always fully cooked, this is one hell of a stew. Grades 9-12. --Daniel Kraus A dazzlingly imaginative science-fiction trilogy, spanning the rise and fall of religions, civilizations and the human race itself. —Kirkus Reviews Hautman’s series is action-packed and his characters come to life on the page. —VOYA This one is the most personal of the three books, filling in Tucker’s family history... Pulling together the elaborate strands of the first two books, the concluding volume rewards readers with a surprising yet cogent and satisfying chronicle across time. —The Horn Book The action is fast-paced with settings alternating between the small rural towns of the close past, and the postapocalyptic jungle of the distant future. ... Ending in a somewhat Twilight Zone eeriness of happily-ever-after, readers will not feel cheated out of the creep factor. —School Library Journal Readers who have followed Tucker Feye and Lah Lia in their bounces across time and space will be glad to see them return in this series finale... Other characters who have been important in the first two books are brought into the mix, and Hautman deftly manages to bring their stories together amidst more harrowing danger and intricately timed escapes. ... Hautman closes the series the way a middle-grade sci-fi series should be closed. —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Through chapters alternating between time periods and narrators, Hautman weaves together a magical tale that leaves readers pondering their own beliefs and purpose long after the book is over. For most, the ending will provide a sense of closure as questions are answered and the genius of Hautman’s story is revealed. —Library Media C