Stepping In
Devon P. Anderson
RadiusONE (September 10, 2026)
Reviewed by Carson Buckingham
Stepping In, by Devon P. Anderson, is a wonderful coming-of-age book that is designed to help late middle grade and young adults grapple with the typical adolescent problems of feeling alone, acceptance, relationships, peer pressure, and understanding who they are and why they are here, all wrapped up in an absorbing action/adventure sci-fi story.
We meet Christopher, who is an adopted young man who has always felt like he didn’t belong with his adoptive family, though they love him and treat him well. He is very intelligent, which, instead of endearing him to his teachers, gets him branded as a troublemaker, and he gets sent to the principal’s office once too often.
The principal, on the other hand, is not quite of this world, and has been watching Christopher for quite some time. When Christopher gets sent to the office for correcting his teacher (and being right), the principal reveals who he actually is and sends him off to pursue his life’s destiny through a vortex to other worlds.
Christopher must save each of these worlds from the tyrants who would subjugate them, and he learns much about himself and how the world works as he does so.
This is the first of a series of books that finds Christopher giving of himself to save others, and is a wonderful lesson in the fact that everything is not what it seems, and that kids are much more capable than anyone could ever understand, and should never be underestimated.
Stepping In would be a great book to give to a young person who seems lost and unsure of his or her place in the world, as many teens are. It would be a great Christmas present, and the start of a gift that will keep on giving, as the series has multiple books—all of which you will want to buy. It is also great if you just want a terrific read. I have no children, and I enjoyed this book immensely. It will stand up well to rereading.
Keep your eye out for the rest of the series! I recommend it highly.
5 out of 5 stars
