One teen’s incredible journey may just blow his father’s mind… leaves him unattended, Bernard does what any teen would do: wander into the particle accelerator and accidentally get transported through a wormhole!
It doesn’t take long for Bernard to realize he’s in deep trouble. Not only did the wormhole drop him in the middle of a civil war over a depleted resource, but the battle is actually taking place inside his father’s brain. Bernard has one chance to save the dying side of his father’s creative brain from the tyrannical left side. Can he use his outside-the-box thinking to save his father’s life?
Brainwalker is a young adult sci-fi fantasy novel that turns the world of neuroscience on its head. If you like incredible fantasy worlds, fast-paced entertainment, and the human mind, then you’ll love Robyn Mundell and Stephan Lacast’s amazing journey inside the brain.
Buy Brainwalker to help the mind survive today!
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10 out of 10 for a great read. Robyn Mundell and Stephan Lacast’s Brainwalker is a well-balanced adventure story for young adults that offers a whole world within its pages for readers to get lost in. It starts in a very down to earth way, the first couple of chapters providing the context for the ensuing narrative to unfold. If you are a young adult and like sci-fi this is definitely for you. It has characters readers can relate to, despite the setting being otherworldly and alien. It has everyday dialogue, written in a totally natural way even though it introduces a whole host of unusual names for characters and things, in that way that only sci-fi can. It doesn’t get bogged down in lengthy descriptions or become boring at all. The story bounds from one scene to the next, exactly like the thoughts of the main character, a downtrodden teenage schoolboy who eventually saves the day.
From the beginning to the end of this book, I was hooked like a kid at a candy store. It was action-packed and filled with scientific knowledge it will entertain your brain! For me, it felt like the equivalent of the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling only that this time it’s the human brain instead of magic. The reading level is that of middle graders and the main protagonist is a teenager who is down on his luck in the real world where his teacher and his classmates are annoyed with him due to how he conducts himself in class. I felt sorry for him as he has a few demons of his own and that he is still in the grieving stage for his deceased mother. I can understand where he is coming from and how this personal loss can be devastating for children and teenagers. I also knew by this part of the book that the authors (yes this book was written by two authors) will use this aspect of this main character whose name is Bernard to make the story interesting and cater to Bernard’s case.
So when Bernard enters his dad’s brain through a wormhole he encounters at his dad’s workplace (you’ll have to read this book for yourself to find out how he got to be there), he meets a whole new cast of fantastical creatures who become his friends who assist him in a quest to save his dad’s brain (in here it’s called the Brainiverse) from shutting down resulting in his death. Some of these include Basilides, a character who is headstrong and willing to fight for his kind (the Intuits); there is Adhista, a female being who is on a mission to search for her long-lost mother; and there is Philemone who is sort of a Glinda the good witch who knows everything about Bernard and how he is sort of a messianic figure in it all. Altogether they risk dangerous adversaries to get their hands on a substance called Energeia that they believe is the source of life that their world is lacking and that their enemy counterparts the Reezons are hoarding for their own selfish and wicked purposes!
When I was reading through this book, I got the sense that the authors know pretty much about everything that has to do with the brain. They explain how the two hemispheres of the brain are unique from each other. They also reminded me of how the right side controls the creativity of a person and how the left side is all about logical thinking. It’s why I feel that this book is a great teacher for kids as well as adults who don’t know anything at all about their brains. I felt that this was a great first part of a wonderful series of adventures for Bernard the main character. I advise the authors Robyn Mundell and Stephan Lacast to make Bernard and his adventures a series like the Harry Potter because I see this as a marketable as well as a remarkable idea for a children’s or YA series. Whichever of them came up with this concept should write more stories that have a scientific edge to them involving Bernard. It doesn’t even have to be about the brain. It can be about other systems of the human body. All right, buy this book folks! I truly, madly, happily enjoyed it myself and you should too!
For a full review please visit https://tinyurl.com/rvur3pf.
Bernard, a fourteen-year-old boy who has recently lost her mother and has been unable to connect with his father since, needs to immediately find a new project for his middle school / junior high school science class. An emotional outburst in the middle of a class triggers a series of unforeseen events, thanks to which Bernard ends up trapped in The Brainiverse: a universe contained inside his father’s brain mass. With the double objective of restoring his father’s mental balance in time and ending a war that is killing the inhabitants of Intuit, Bernard begins an adventure in which he will discover that he shares with his extremely logical father more than a taste for science.
Throughout thirty-seven chapters peppered with little philosophical introspections and spontaneous ideas that seem childish nonsense but contain greater truths, this book deals with the story of a teenager in search of meaning in a world divided between logic and intuition. Theory and science; energy and matter; wormholes, a particle accelerator, and unlikely inhabitants of fantastic cities built inside an unbalanced brain come together in this science fiction story, excellently written by Robyn Mundell and Stephan Lacast, and beautifully illustrated by Patrick Strode.
This is a well written and fast paced book that was thrilling, and kept me interested from start to finish. Mundell and Lacast have such a wonderfull imagination, I found this book not only funny and interesting but actually educational, as you also get to learn how the human brain works too! Brainwalker is a real page turner and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone, but I middle grade readers, I feel, would take the most from it.
This story is definitely one that caters to a younger audience. That doesn’t mean it isn’t good (Harry Potter was also created for young adults). I only point it out because the language was carefully crafted for that audience.
We follow Bernard, a creative and determined kid who stumbles upon the famous left brain/right brain battle. Literally. The idea is not original, but it is presented in a very unique way. The characters are strong and developed well, its clear thought was put into capturing the voice of a grieving teenager. The real art here is in the development of the “societies” in the father’s brain and how the various groups interact with each other, is educational as well as entertaining. I’d recommend this book to any young adult dabbling in science fiction. It’s well done, and I think it helps the reader think about creative and reasonable balance while keeping it light and readable.
I found myself fully submerged in the wonderful storyline by Mundell and Lacast. I’m not always a fan of Young Adult novels as they often seem a little shallow, but Brainwalker had me gripped and excited to go through the journey with protagonist, Bernard. I also found the book to educational as well, which I hadn’t expected or even realised until I’d finished as there was such clear attention to detail. I can’t wait to see what Mundell and Lacast deliver next.
Brainwalker by Robyn Mundell is about a young boy who loves science, like his parents, but struggles in school. Robyn does an amazing job of showing what it feels like for some kids who may be advanced and, therefore, bored in school. She takes us on a wild adventure in the brain where we meet new friends and try to save the world. She describes everything so well that you can visualize each location and person and feel like you are in the middle of the action. This book is perfect for every age as a bedtime story or just a leisurely read on the beach.
I bought this book because of the title, I was very curious about what it meant to be a brainwalker and I was pleasantly surprised. This is a very well-written sci-fi novel based on a 13 year old boy called Bernard who ends up inside his father’s brain! I’ll leave you to find out how he gets there! I absolutely loved the storyline, every so often I would stop and think that I categorically would not like to get inside my father’s brain! I would hate to have access to what he’s thinking! Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop, as a lover of sci-fi, I highly recommend this book!
Brainwalker is an exciting YA science fiction novel by author Robyn Mundell. The story follows Fourteen-year-old Bernard as he takes on a unique adventure. He ends up going through a wormhole into his father’s brain where he must help in a battle taking place there. This book wonderfully combines science fiction and the idea of a balanced mind. The adventure is both unique and very fun from beginning to end. I greatly enjoyed following Bernard on this extraordinary journey. Bernard is smart and talented, and his outside of the box, thinking is engaging. What I really enjoyed about this book is that it doesn’t try to dumb down the science but makes it a compelling part of the narrative and the themes of this book are relatable and important, especially in young adult literature. I would highly recommend this book to YA science fiction readers.
As I read this, I saw it play out in my mind as a really cool sci-fi adventure TV series, and something I would’ve loved as a young teen. The main character Bernard finds himself in the unusual position to delve into the inner most thoughts of his father – a fascinating concept. The book includes scientific terms, and it’s obvious Mundell has researched neuroscience to enhance the reader’s experience on a journey through the human brain. I think this idea would be massively appealing to older children, young teens (as Bernard is so relatable), and those with an interest in science. It is well written, and includes some really thought-provoking ideas about how the human brain functions.
Brainwalker is one of my favorite recent books. To be honest I didn’t expect to be as captivated as the fantasy genre isn’t one I read a lot from. It’s an exciting, story and not only for young readers. The main character Bernard wants to be a scientist, like his father. One day an accident happens and Bernard’s mind in flung into his father Floyd’s brain. Then he has to fix problems going on inside as his father’s life depends on him.
Fun read, interesting characters, quick pace and lots of adventure. All in all a pretty great book!
This book will be loved by fans of science fiction fantasy and is intended for a young adult audience. The authors present a fun and clever book that can be a fun read for a teen or middle grade reader taking a wild ride inside the world of the brain A perfect blend of fiction and science makes the story adventurous and interesting. The plot is quite imaginative and unique with many illustrations helping to structure the story.
The book is written with easy to follow writing and a tone of comedy to make things exciting. The character development of Bernard is nicely done, and you get to appreciate the way he stays true to himself despite his visible flaws. However, other characters, such as Philemon and Balisides, were not built as effectively. Still, young readers will enjoy how the book gets straight to the point.
Co-author Robyn Mundell graduated NYU and has become an award winning playwright selling original screenplays and TV pilots to major film companies and networks. Co-author Stephan Lacast graduated Paris-Dauphine University
with degrees in Economics, Business Administration, and Advanced Studies in Information Systems. Together they combine stagecraft and science and the result is one of the more exciting science fiction novels for young adults of the past few years.
The magic of this fine novel is not only the concept of the story – transportation to another space through the science of a particle accelerator and all the fascinating permutations of that idea: it is the sensitivity of exploring the apparent disparities between a free-minded son and a hyper-rational father, a study in origins and resolutions that is as terrific a study of family aka inherited relationships as it is a sci-fi theme. Written in an accessible narrative style, the story unfolds well, its substrate being the well-defined characters with whom we can become involved and enjoy the adventures and the changes they make. The keen idea of making Bernard as a teenager explore the brain of his father ‘from the inside’ is a brilliant twist to understanding neuroscience and the miracle of identity.
This is one exceptional piece of work and it pleads to be followed by more works by the same talented team of writers. Highly Recommended.
Brainwalker is a wonderfully entertaining read from start to finish. The story is reminiscent of a sci-fi coming of age adventure and Bernard is a wonderful travel companion. We accompany him on what begins as a bad day, this takes us through a wormhole and into his dad’s brain! If that concept alone isn’t intriguing then I must add that the characters you meet along the way are the perfect way to teach you and pull you into the world of neuroscience, especially great for those YA readers. Don’t let YA put you off if you are older, though! This experience has no age limit and I was totally sucked in! The book is well written, and able to hold the reader’s interest throughout. It is imaginative, creative, and educational.
I bought this as a gift for my kid who is a big fan of science fiction. After his fab review I gave it a go and must say that I’m so glad I did! This book is a great read for young adults and for any fan of Doctor Who like myself who is always ready for the next adventure, through a wormhole or into a new universe. A unique delve into the world of neuroscience, I found Bernard’s field trip to be thorough and thought provoking, it was a pleasure to go on this journey with him!
I thought Brainwalker was going to feel like The Fantastic Voyage, but there’s nothing literal about the brain universe this book transports us in. For one, this “Brainiverse” is not microscopic. The hero’s body is not miniaturized to fit in and I loved the idea that our brain is as wide as a galaxy, peopled by strange civilizations in conflict. “Brainwalker” is fast-paced and full of adventures like Rick Riordan’s mythology-inspired novels, but with its own unique mythology based on brain folklore.
‘Brainwalker’ is about as unique a tale there is, and I thoroughly enjoyed every wacky and witty moment of it. I’m betting that Bernard wouldn’t think that mooning his class would have the severe consequences they did. He was probably expecting a detention, but not a journey through a black hole and into the brain of his dad. He learns a lot about his dad whilst taking a journey through his mind, and when he finds out they are both at risk, he will do all he can to save his father, himself and their relationship. Bernard discovers life as ‘Neuronaut’ is not an easy one, especially when he has a war to deal with…his journey home is not going to be easy.
I really hope that Mundel and Lacast team up again to write more adventures featuring Bernard. Perhaps next time in his father’s physics lab, he could twist some knobs and end up travelling through time, or perhaps into an alternate universe. With Bernard, the authors have created a protagonist that could get a whole new generation interested in science. That is a wonderful thing.