The Biggerers

The central plot point of this debut—the existence of a race of miniature people living among us—is familiar from works as diverse as Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels and John Peterson's The Littles. Lilwall refers directly to another of her book's antecedents, Mary Norton's classic children's series "The Borrowers." But Lilwall has added many layers to this children's-story concept, creating an entertaining, action-filled, and often troubling work of dystopian fiction. The story is set in 2116. The "Littlers" are genetically engineered and raised in labs, to be adopted by full-sized people as companions or pets. The Littlers have richer lives than their owners, the "Biggerers." Jinx and Bonbon live together with adoring owners and meet up in the backyard with their neighbor Littler, Chips, whose home life is much more precarious. There is some good comedy here, as the Littlers, like adolescents, grapple with emerging feelings of attraction, shifting social dynamics, and developing communication skills. The narrative occasionally sags under the weight of one too many subplots, but the book is absorbing, and Bonbon and Jinx are memorable, charming protagonists.