Eric Folder has moved to Oregon to attend Portland State University when an automobile accident leaves him stricken with migraine headaches. The resulting visual effectsāsomething medical professionals term an auraārender him virtually blind and defenseless when a gang of street thugs attacks him. Desperate to see and needing to protect himself, Eric reflexively tears at the luminous lines of light and finds they have become tangible. When he pulls them aside, his present reality folds away with them, leaving him in better circumstances with his enemies vanished. Attempts to fold his way out of successive perils leave him in increasingly strange situations until, eventually, his world becomes a nightmare.
āA wild young-adult alternate-worlds adventure that will leave you guessing right up to the end! Fans of Philip Pullmanās His Dark Materials will love this!ā āD. J. Butler, author of Witchy Eye
āA big, engaging ride across our infinite possibilities - and our choice to be heroes.ā āAnthony Dobranski, author of The Demon in Business Class
Eric Folder has moved to Oregon to attend Portland State University when an automobile accident leaves him stricken with migraine headaches. The resulting visual effectsāsomething medical professionals term an auraārender him virtually blind and defenseless when a gang of street thugs attacks him. Desperate to see and needing to protect himself, Eric reflexively tears at the luminous lines of light and finds they have become tangible. When he pulls them aside, his present reality folds away with them, leaving him in better circumstances with his enemies vanished. Attempts to fold his way out of successive perils leave him in increasingly strange situations until, eventually, his world becomes a nightmare.
āA wild young-adult alternate-worlds adventure that will leave you guessing right up to the end! Fans of Philip Pullmanās His Dark Materials will love this!ā āD. J. Butler, author of Witchy Eye
āA big, engaging ride across our infinite possibilities - and our choice to be heroes.ā āAnthony Dobranski, author of The Demon in Business Class
Iām lost.
I donāt know if I should laugh or cry when I say this, because I sound as if Iām repeating words from a hymn or Iām in need of a compass, or else Iāve given up completely. The thing is, Iām terrified because all these things are true and I donāt know how to fix them. I would say a prayer if I thought someone could hear, but even if they did, I donāt think this is a place where prayers get answered. If I had a compass, knowing whether Iām facing North or South wouldnāt take me away from this place, let alone back to where I started. In fact, no one can get me out of the mess Iām in, except maybe me, and Iām as scared to try to change what has brought me here as I am afraid do nothing.
I remember when my friends and I were kids and we hid in the bushes and pretended there were monsters coming after us. Well, now the monsters are real. Iāve been listening for what seems an eternity to their angry snorts and the clatter and scratches of their claws on the large stone surface where those creatures are gathered. Every now and then, one of them hisses and another does the same in response. The rate of their footsteps escalates and I imagine two of them colliding and squaring off in an expression of indignation. Itās too dark to see whether this has actually happened, or if itās just my imagination, but the pounding of my heart in face of the impending danger keeps me riveted on whatās happening.
As I hide in a clump of bushes and the minutes pass, Iām more than a little relieved that theyāre taking so long to find me. Unexpectedly, the full moon peeks through a break in the cloud cover and the scales on the bodies of several great beasts glisten. Each is twice the size of a bullmastiff and I count six of them several yards from here. Their eyes glow whitish gold and appear to have vertical slits, although itās hard to be sure at this distance. As they circle a spot where I was standing a short while ago, sniffing the ground in several directions around it, one of them raises its head and opens its mouth, baring rows of long, needlelike teeth. I expect the creature will howl. Instead, a rasping reptilian sound emerges and I shudder, wondering what kind of beings they are.
Although Iāve recently arrived, from my earlier experiences and the landscapeās layout, I recognize this place as being near where the street car used to stop in a time thatās lost to me forever. The place where Iām hiding used to be the parkway where Park crosses Millāor what used to be Park and Mill before everything transformed into this new reality. There arenāt any streets anymore and Iām surprised there are even deer trails to mark where Park and Mill once intersected. This used to be Portland State University, but now everythingās grown over and forested. The clock tower has vanished, as have the student union and the rest of the buildings that were part of the campus.
Without warning, a thought bubbles up from a world Iāll never see again and I almost cry out loud. Cursing this lack of control, I force my idiot self to keep quiet. Still, there is some truth to the thought that this situation is what Dad would have called a mixed blessing. Itās because it rained so hard that those things havenāt discovered me already. Here I am, kneeling on a thick bed of leaves. If they werenāt so soggy, they would crackle each time I move and announce my location. Instead, their wetness muffles whatever noise I might otherwise make. On the other hand, because the night is so cold and water is starting to soak through my pants, Iām beginning to shiver and Iām afraid I might sneeze any minute. If I do, those creatures will certainly hear and I know I will die because Iām sure they can out-run me.
The breeze thatās been chilling me starts to increase and I wonder if another storm is building. The last of autumnās leaves whip though the air and there is a sharp crack above me. The creatures turn in my direction and two cock their heads. A third one starts walking toward me and I hold my breath, wondering whether it will continue to advance, when a second crack drops a large bough into the bushes a few yards to my right. The creatures stop and stare at the spot where it landed. Then, apparently satisfied they understand what caused the disturbance, they resume their search in the original location. Realizing Iāve been holding my breath and that I need to breathe, I inhale deeply, then exhale. My breathing is starting to grow normal when something grabs my shoulder.
"Folder" is a fictional masterpiece that has challenged me to read from a challenging perspective. Although this story starts off with a young college student looking to start a new life in Portland Oregon, it got crazy very quickly. I instantly loved the main character Eric Folder because of his ambition and courageousness. One other trait that I concluded about Eric is that he isn't easily influenced by others. Once, he discovered what he could do, he altered reality to his own desire. Even though this brought a lot of problems to his doorstep, he didn't back down. I also loved how Eric posed himself when he encountered other characters in the story. Because I'm a sucker for romance, I was rooting for Eric and Erin to fall in love.
Ā I believe that the author wrote this story for readers to experience everything that Eric was experiencing mentally. I've experienced confusion during Eric's time fold. It was confusing to understand the time fold at first because Eric was doing it unknowingly. I was able to maintain interest while I read this story because of the constant character encounters and time change. Eric's visitations through realities were a great representation of the butterfly effect. It's also a representation of how his ability can be a blessing and a curse.
Reading this story was like going on an adventure. This fictional novel also reminds me of the game series "life Is Strange". The cliffhanger was placed perfectly in the story, but a part of me was heartbroken that the story was over. I became extremely invested in the middle of the story. I was thankful that Mark was able to help him understand his abilities. I'm looking forward to learning more about Eric and alternate realities in the next book. I would recommend this book to Teens and Young Adults who are looking to read an adventurous novel.