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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
The Crystal Apple by Thomas Stacey follows fourteen-year-old Steve Tikowski in 1980s Detroit, where a broken bicycle chain leads him to an object no one can explain. Near Michigan Central Station, Steve sees the black glass device appear from a small opening in the ground. When its screen later responds to touch, it shows a woman’s face with information dated decades ahead. Steve shares the device at Tom’s Candy Store, where his friends begin testing what it can do. The answers point to events that have not happened yet, forcing Steve to decide how much of the future should be known. As the device reaches the adults around him, one summer discovery begins changing the course of several lives.
Thomas Stacey’s The Crystal Apple takes its title from the actual name the kids give an Apple phone found in 1984 Detroit. It's a fun dichotomy, since the device feels impossible beside the technology of the time, like the holy grail of music: the Walkman. There's one scene where someone uses a payphone to call in a tip—a bit of news found on the iPhone itself. Steve is easy to like because he shares the discovery instead of hoarding it, which is admirable. I love Sally Dudek, who is smart, practical, and generous. Her week with the device helps everyone learn tapping, scrolling, and searching, which is fun to follow. Interestingly, the antagonist is the device itself, as well as the conundrum it puts the kids in. The writing style, language, and content are perfectly age-appropriate for middle grade and up, and readers who enjoy creative time-bending and mystery-driven science fiction will adore this book.
