The Bottom Line
Like the rest of the Crosstime Traffic Series, The Valley-Westside War concerns travel to a parallel world. Same year, same planet, very different world. The books are largely intended for youth. Even with this audience in mind, this entry is rather juvenile.
Pros
- The premise of our descendants harvesting and studying alternates is fascinating.
Cons
- The plot in this entry is neither original nor well developed.
Description
- 'The Valley-Westside War' was published in July 2008.
- Publisher: Doherty, Tom Associates, LLC
- 288 pages
Guide Review - 'The Valley-Westside War' by Harry Turtledove - Book Review
The general premises of Crosstime Traffic and alternate earths that support the entire series are intriguing. The Valley-Westside War adds little to the series. The postnuclear war environment is moderately interesting, but not well developed. Nothing new is learned about Crosstime Traffic or alternates in general. Many aspects of the novel, including family setup and dynamics and aborted home planet-alternate romantic relationships between teenagers, are carbon copies of earlier books. Characters are so superficial, one-dimensional, and hard to believe, that teenager readers may actually be offended at their asinine treatment. Overall the book suffers from flaws common to the series and fails to develop anything original or interesting. At best, The Valley-Westside War is a rainy day or plane read for a kid.
