Pastworld by Ian Beck

5th October 2009, Bloomsbury
355 pages, Hardback
Review copy

Young Adult, thriller

Cushions: 5
Daggers: 1
Tissues: 2
Yunasleka's recommended rating: ♥♥♥♥

I'm sure there are quite a few of us who would like to experience certain time periods, with the benefits of modern technology. Set in the 21st century, Pastworld does exactly that. Pastworld is built in London, and the time era is during the Victorians. People from the modern world go there for a more interesting holiday. All items of technology are banned. Should a visitor, known as a Gawker, be convicted of a crime, they suffer a Victorian punishment.

All is not well in Pastworld. Crime, epecially murder, is on the increase. There is a man, called the Fantom, who kills for pleasure. The book follows the Fantom as he searches for particular people. I had my suspicions confirmed at the end about the Fantom, the type of person he was meant to be.

The Fantam is hunting down Eve. Eve, although 17 years old, only has memory of the last two years of her life. What happened before then is a mystery, which gets unravelled as she enjoys freedom. She escapes from her guardian, the blind, old man Jack, wanting to explore the world. The problem is, men are after her. Men in rags are following her, seeking her for a reason she doesn't know.

Thankfully she isn't on her own. The first encounter with the ragmen happens while she is observing a circus performance. The harlequins, spotting her dilemma, hide her through one of their tricks. She stays with them, wanting to earn her way. She discovers a talent walking the rope - well, not just walking. Skipping, dancing, jumping, running - whatever happened in her past has made her a confident tightrope walker who draws in crowds. It is this newfound ability which proves crucial at the end.

Eve isn't the only character: there's Bible J, a young ruffian who becomes attached to Eve when he meets her. This is after meeting Caleb, son of one of Pastworlds founders. Caleb is on a visit with his father, but witnesses a murder and gets blamed for it. His life is shattered, but Bible J helps him survive. Their fate is linked with Eve's, whose identity is being monitored by Pastworld security for she is one very special girl.

Again this is another book which I could happily read at night, even with all the page turners. I loved the mystery around Eve, and the way the story is unravelled by Eve in her diary (first person) and the third person following of the other characters. My idea as to who Eve was got proved mostly correct at the end, although part of it I didn't even think about. The characterisation is good: I hated the Fantom (and yes, I did keep thinking 'Phantom of the Opera'. It was his obsession for finding Eve, and how he wore a mask at halloween, and how he never got caught by the authorities).

I see the potential for more books about Pastworld (be it still in Victorian London or other eras). The only small disappointment I had was the relationship between Eve and Bible J. Initially it didn't sit right with me. By the end I was happy with the development. Bible J understand's Eve's predicament, and hasn't had a drastic change to his life so is better suited than Caleb.

Check out Ian Beck's Pastworld website.