Above, Not Up

by Mark Forrester

Rosco Lockhart has never thought about the fourth dimension before.

Rosco plods through high school uninspired, but when he meets Tess, a being from the fourth dimension, his mind begins to open to the fantastical nature of ordinary things.

From untying impossible knots to defending against attackers to penetrating even the most secure safe, Tess invites Rosco to explore the possibilities of a world just abreast of our own—a world that is above, but not up.

212 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 19, 2024

Reviews

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only way I can describe this book is an incredibly charming thought experiment for people who hate math… or think they do.

In one sense, the stakes are low; there is no real villain to oppose or pressing issue to conquer. But in another sense, and perhaps a more important one, the stakes are actually quite high. Are you willing to face reality-altering questions about your world at the exact same time as the main character? To appreciate the world you can see, by way of one that you can’t, in a beautiful tribute to logic and fantasy?

It is a challenging book, in one way, because it asks the reader to experiment with logic and dimensions, but it never fails to do so playfully, clearly, and always with a hearty reward for the reader’s participation.

Wonderful debut novel, one I highly recommend.

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this new release - we need more books like this, especially for teens! It’s all about discovering the wonder of the world again, especially the mathematical wonder of being. About halfway through the book, I started to wonder where the villain was, or when the grand adventure was going to start. That’s when I realized that I was guilty of the same fault as the MC: the world *itself* is wonderful. Each thing that happens to Rosco throughout the book, although small, opens his eyes up to the wonder of the ordinary - and the plot matches this theme.

A great debut novel by Forrester! Get it for the kid in your life who hates math. :)

[David Mosley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever misplaced something, searched the whole house for it, couldn't find it, and then, somehow, seemingly magically, it's right in the first place you looked? Well what if I told you a being who exists alongside us, above us, but not up, was the one who put it there for you to find? That's the question Mark Forrester's debut novel, Above, Not Up seeks to answer. Follow along with Rosco Lockheart, a sometimes painfully normal high schooler with dreams of writing the next amazing novel, who meets a creature calling herself Tess who shows him that the ordinary is actually the extraordinary.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever wondered what's beyond the ordinary, or right beside you–yet out of reach?

This fun update of "Flatland" is a very worthy entry in the 'mathematical fantasy' genre along with "Alice in Wonderland" and "A Wrinkle in Time".