This book feels much shorter than the previous ones in the series; this one feels like a repeat and rushed. I barely know much about the world or planet, and the ending leaves many questions because it is majorly destructive. At this point, I'd expect that readers must have read the previous books, so seeing more character developments and backgrounds in their real-world would be great, like the previous books, because they are almost non-existent here.
I also expected it to go in a different direction this time, with the reveal of the grandfather, the new knowledge about how the device works, and Mikey's involvement in the situation. There are some great touches for the character's struggle, but otherwise, everything feels almost detached and gone almost as soon as they are introduced.
It has a lot of potential for exciting story development, but once again, the formula repeats. For once, I was hoping that they don't always land in a situation where the kids always manage to save society or do something major that needs a lot of suspension of disbelief, but then again, I grew up reading The Famous Five and others where they always seem to be involved in sticky situations and come out well. It's for fun, and the book has it. As usual, it is entertaining, especially for its intended audience.
3.5 rounded up
