Catalyst — Nina Kiriki Hoffman

Running from a bully, a young man leaps into a strange cave -- a place that will transform him forever. Sliding down the slippery slope, Kaslin enters a physical world ruled by an alien intelligence, one so interesting that he almost forgets to be scared. He explores this underground world with taste and touch and sight and smell, an intelligent boy on the edge of sexuality....

Kaslin must bridge two worlds: that of the enigmatic subterranean aliens and his own, which is mired in greed and politics. By taking great risks and making necessary compromises, he will become someone he never imagined.

Catalyst is a remarkable and unorthodox novel that will engage and satisfy intellectually curious science-fiction fans of all ages.