YA Book Reviews for May 20, 2009
From CRBSLS
Heroes of the Valley by Jonathan Stroud
This is another rich book by Stroud, who brought us the Bartimaeus Trilogy. Here Stroud--with a wink and a nod to the old Norse legends-- creates a raucous tall tale which combines the larger-than-life feats of the old heroes with the not-so-mighty adventures of our humble hero Hallie. The book is set in an imaginary place where 12 families--each descended from one of the Great Heroes of the Valley--live spread out in a large valley. The valley is cut off from the rest of the world by mighty cairns, beyond which live the wicked terrible Trows. One must never ever venture up high there, lest one be consumed by the greedy horrible Trows. Restless, bow-legged young Hallie, a second son in the Sveinson household, wonders about the world beyond his own. His neer-do-well drunken uncle Brodir feeds Hallie's fantasies with endless stories of Svein's feats. When the uncle is murdered by the son of one of the other families, Hallie sets forth to avenge his death, and to find glory as a hero. Along the way Hallie meets Aud, the daughter of yet another family, and the two form an unlikely bond. This is an action tale, a quest tale, with an overlay of myth and legend. Hallie and Aud and all the characters are extremely believable and real. Stroud combines humor with a rich story here, although I had some difficulty with the way he pulled everything together in the end: the book did not go where I expected it would. Ages 11-14.
Reviewed by Ann Sayers
The (Mostly True) Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick
This rollicking good yarn is the story of two orphan brothers Homer and Harold who live in rural Maine in the 1860s under the not-so-gentle care of their Uncle Squint. Squinton Leach, a man "so mean he squeezed the good out of the Holy Bible and beat us with it, and swore that God himself had inflicted Harold and me on him, like he was Job and we was Boils and Pestilence." When Harold is sold into the army by the aforementioned Squint, Homer launches himself in search of his brother. Travails and adventures of all kinds ensue, set against the backdrop of the Civil War. Philbrick (the author of Freak the Mighty ) has succeeded in writing a rip-roaring tall tale that at the same time touches on the truth and suffering of this period in US history. This book would make a great read-aloud. Recommended for boys (and girls!) in grades 4 through 7/8.
Reviewed by Ann Sayers
The Faerie Path by Frewin Jones
In the first of three books, Anita (as she is known in the mortal world) discovers that in the immortal world, she is Tania, the seventh daughter whose ability lies in traversing the two worlds; one where she is a normal English sixteen year old and one where she is a Faerie princess. Her ability comes in handy for the subequent books, The Lost Queen and The Sorcerer King, where she and her family must battle against an arch nemesis hellbent on bringing down the Faerie World by destroying both the Faerie King and Queen. Along the way, there are trials, tribulations, chase scenes, magic, and of course, love. Any mushy fantasy lover would be interested in this story as well as those diehard Twilight fans just looking for a good romance. (Reviewed by Alicia Abdul, Albany High School)
Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth
Between the vivid depictions of historical India and a headstrong female main character, Leela, Sheth's story is a hit, based on her real family's past. Essentially Leela's life was over before it began; engaged at nine and widowed at thirteen, even before she was actually married. Now, she must perform the antiquated ritual of "keeping corner:" she must strip herself of her jewelry, bangles, and beautiful clothing, shave her head, and mourn in a room in her parents' home for one year. Feeling the strain of such a ritual, as described through her thoughts and covetous descriptions, Leela finds solace in Gandhi's teachings from her tutor. The hope is that her family will let her break free from the stigma and go on to do great things, inspired by Gandhi. Also, see Climbing the Stairs by Venkatraman. (Reviewed by Alicia Abdul, Albany High School)
