The Secret is the first book in the Serendipity series by Topher Kaler. This epic young adult science fiction story begins on the planet Eden, where a long-established colony is forced to make an impossible choice to escape the destruction of their civilization. This choice leaves a crew of teenagers and older children to fend for themselves in the aptly named Lifeboat, a large space vessel that will carry them across galaxies and into a universe of adventures. Together, the crew of the Lifeboat will face impossible challenges and be forced to rely on one another as they attempt to solve a mystery that was millennia in the making. Topher Kaler is a fantastic author with a gift for developing an intricate plot and three-dimensional characters. In The Secret, the Lifeboat is crewed by a tremendous cast of well-rounded individuals with distinctive personalities that are very well conveyed by Kaler’s writing style. Each of the worlds these characters visit is vividly described, yet we aren’t drowned in a lake of gratuitous description. The plot is well-developed and paced incredibly well. There is constant forward movement, but the transitions are smooth and logical. As a result, we don’t get swept away by massive leaps forward in time or bored by unimportant ramblings that don’t advance the plot. Overall, it is an enjoyable read. I had difficulty putting it down long enough to go to sleep, and I returned to it the following morning!
