Alex Shearer’s The Speed of the Dark is by far the most impressive of the books being reviewed here. This is the story of a mysterious scientist named Chris Mallan, who disappears from work one day, leaving behind a manuscript that tells the incredible story of his life. The first chapter of the book has you completely hooked, and leads you to believe that what’s going to follow is by-the-numbers children’s science fiction (the title of the book refers to Chris’s obsession with “slowing down” the speed of light to the point where it “turns to darkness”). But then it ingeniously shifts gears and becomes a mystery, drama and coming-of-age tale all rolled into one.      The book is different from typical children’s fare. Much is left to the imagination, and it doesn’t patronize its readers by giving them neat and tidy resolutions—indeed it’s such an unusual story that it’s impossible to predict how the various story threads are going to turn out. There is no careful distinction between “good” and “evil” either. Although there is a villain of sorts in the form of the brilliant artist and scientist Ernst Eckmann, his actions seem less motivated by evil than by sadness and frustration. Perhaps the best aspect of the book is its depiction of the adult world as seen through the eyes of children. The portrayal of Eckmann’s loneliness and bitterness at his physical deformity is spot on, as is his doomed infatuation with a street performer, which ultimately leads to a sad turn in the story. Chris’s childhood is no fairy tale either. His mother has left him and he is raised by his father, a struggling young artist who barely gets by. And yet Chris displays a genuine love for him, along with the unwavering optimism that is unique to children. One particularly poignant passage illustrates one of the most basic fears of children—the fear of abandonment by their parents:      “He felt suddenly sick, aware of how alone he was. It was different for other children, with their brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers. They fought and quarrelled and thought that they were having a hard time. But at least they had someone to fight and quarrel with, and to make up with at the end of the day. There was no insurance when you just ...