The Marbury Lens

If you are looking for a book that will have you perched on the edge of your seat, furiously turning pages, only to leave you with questions upon questions that need answering, then I have the perfect book for you. Andrew Smith strikes again with his psychological thriller “The Marbury Lens.” I have always been a fan of Andrew Smith (those of you who have read some of my previous reviews already know that), but this book was an absolute adventure. I found myself completely sucked in and dying to see how it would all end.

“The Marbury Lens” centers around Jack, a high school kid living with his grandparent in California who appreciates nothing more than hanging out with his best friend, Conner. Jack has never felt particularly close to his family, but has always found comfort in the brotherly bond that he shares with Conner. As summer begins, Jack and Conner have been given the opportunity to spend some time in London, checking out St. Atticus, a boarding school where they may potentially spend the next year of school. Before leaving for London, Jack finds himself intoxicated at one of Conner’s parties and winds up passed out in a local park.

Upon waking from his stupor, Jack is helped by a kind doctor who offers to bring Jack to his house, clean him up a little bit, get him some water, and then bring him back to Conner’s. Although Jack’s internal security alarms are buzzing, how bad could a doctor really be? Unfortunately, this doctor proved to be quite naughty. After being drugged, tied up, and almost sexually assaulted, Jack manages to narrowly escape and find his way back to Conner’s. Confiding in his friend, Jack decides that he would like to keep all of this a secret and just enjoy their time in London.

Upon arriving in London, Jack is left working through the swirling emotions that he’s been experiencing ever since he was kidnapped. Hoping that a quick run and a trip to the local pub might help him sort things out, Jack is soon confronted by a man named Henry Hewitt, who leaves him an odd pair of glasses. Looking through the glasses, Jack is suddenly entangled in the events of Marbury, an apocalyptic dimension similar to our own. As Jack realizes that he has an entire life, entire friendships, an entire history in Marbury, he is stuck wondering what is reality. Although his consciousness may be in Marbury, Jack’s body is still roaming around the physical world leaving Jack sick and confused whenever he returns.

Struggling to balance the sickening, obsessive need to see what is happening in Marbury, and his relationship with Conner and newfound romantic interest Nickie, Jack finds himself slipping deeper and deeper into madness, questioning everything he thought to be real.

What stood out to me about this book was the way that the reader finds themselves rooting for Jack. Jack isn’t a likeable character. Time and time again, Jack hurts those he loves and betrays the trust of those around him, but the deeper you get into the story the more sympathy there is towards Jack; as you realize that the need to experience what’s in Marbury is taking a physical toll on Jack, you begin to sympathize with his struggle--his addiction.

I also enjoyed how much this book left me with questions. Typically, I like stories that wrap everything up nicely, but I enjoyed how this left you guessing which reality was actually the real one, or if this was all some extended metaphor of Jack’s subconscious trauma. After finishing the book, I found myself thinking about it more and more, which is always a sign of a good book.

For anyone who is a fan of Andrew Smith, or is looking for a psychological adventure that involves action, romance, hordes of flesh eating bugs, and all the drama that comes with navigating life as a teen boy, then I would highly recommend “The Marbury Lens.”

5 out of 5 stars.