As in her award-winning short story Black Juice (U.S. edition: HarperCollins, 2005), Lanagan takes advantage of the short story format, its limited and controlled space, to explore different realities, times, places, and existences. Her stories are strange enough to keep readers alert, but move so swiftly from atmosphere to plot that the mysteries are not inscrutable for long. In “The Boy Who Didn’t Yearn,” a teenage psychic meets her dream boyfriend only to learn that his existence is entirely a projection of her own yearnings. In “White Time,” the main character appears to be visiting an industrial site as a part of a career search, but it’s a place where time, space, and life are all relative and all in constant flux. It is as strange to her as it is to the reader, and yet Lanagan provides a logical bridge (in the form of a questionnaire the young woman must fill out, ostensibly for her guidance counselor) from the familiar to places that seem impossible to imagine. These stories are not easy, either individually or as a collection, but will be a delight for the adventurous and open-minded reader. (Age 14 and older)

Ten provocative and surreal short stories explore a variety of other worlds, dimensions, and states of being. A range of emotions and experiences are deftly woven into the themes of each story. Glorious, compelling prose proves challenging yet unforgettable. 2007 USBBY Outstanding International Books List, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, NYPL Books for the Teen Age.

A collection of tales of imaginary worlds and not-quite-ordinary people. From the young girl who finds work experience at the Commonwealth Time Laboratories isn't quite what she expected; to a teenage boy suppressing his feelings for his best friends with surprising results.