Applegate maintains a precarious balance between juvenile witticisms and serious personal problems. The tone is uneven but is in character with Christopher, who hates his life on earth enough to find Everworld to be a relief, but also who hates himself so much that he despises his achievements in Everworld. By the start of Fear the Fantastic, these achievements are considerable. His love of the give-and-take of bargaining has bailed his companions and himself out of tough situations, especially in Fairy Land, where his glibness is exactly what fairy merchants expect to hear when a deal is to be made. His questions, even when unanswered, invite thoughtfulness about not only the events in the "Everworld" novels but about the personalities of the characters in the novels, enriching and deepening their development. Why should people throughout Everworld readily understand him? Even the Red Wings know what he...