Sibéal Pounder, Neon’s Secret Universe, Bloomsbury, July 2022, 224 pp., RRP $14.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781408894149
What a zany chapter story. This is the real story behind unicorns, not the ones we usually recognise. They are not the horse-like creatures with horns that we know. They were just created by Greg to distract humans. Instead, they are magical beings living on the planet and they look just like everyone else. Neon Gallup uses her found battered green lipstick to find her way into this new land.
Neon had started wearing only black, so she doesn’t stand out, and finds herself in a world of colour. Here, meeting people who become staunch friends starts her quest to save that part of the planet from Scarlett Night and her wicked ambitions. Neon has to learn to control the goo in UNI-verse, which she eventually does successfully after some funny mishaps. Pounder has created a world which reflects the presentation of unicorns as multicoloured. Neon is a girl who learns she can be herself, can be empathetic to others and finds strength in her own abilities.
My uncorrected proof does not include the illustrations which are sure to add extra interest and depth, and I look forward to seeing them after publication.
The story has more complexities than its basic premise suggests. Highly recommended for all readers, young and old.
Reviewed by Maureen Mann
