Artemis Fowl
Eoin Colfer
ISBN 078680801-2
Hyperion Books for Children, 2001
279 pages
Genre: Faerie
Readers Annotation
Artemis Fowl is the smartest person on earth and a criminal mastermind. He's kidnapped a fairy and is demanding a metric ton of gold as ransom. And, oh--he's just 12 years old.
Plot Summary
Artemis Fowl, age 12, is probably the smartest person on earth. He comes from a long line of criminals and is himself a criminal mastermind. He and his trusted friend and bodyguard Butler go to Vietnam to track down a medicine woman. Artemis has figured out that fairies really exist and strikes a deal with the woman, an alcoholic sprite, that lets him get a copy of a holy fairy book. He deciphers the book (written in a strange fairy language) and learns that fairies must recharge their magic by performing an elaborate ceremony by an oak tree near a river bend under a full moon. Artemis stakes out all possible locations where this ritual could take place, and eventually his patience is rewarded. He spies Holly, a captain with the fairy police force, kidnaps her and holds her for ransom. In return for her release, he demands that fairies bring him one metric ton of fairy gold, worth an absolute fortune. (Leprechauns, it turns out, did really have a pot of gold.)
The fairies are sure they can outsmart a mere human boy, but Artemis is the smartest person on the planet, after all. Can he stay one step ahead of them?
Critical Evaluation
Despite the fact that this is a book about an evil mastermind and a criminal genius, it's actually fairly lighthearted. The violence is comic, and it reminded me, more than anything, of a sort of magical version of Home Alone, with Artemis outsmarting the fairies time and time again with a neato trick or smart idea. One touch I loved was how the author kept on using some real-life examples to demonstrate how the fairies influence our world.
Fowl is an interesting character; though he's incredibly greedy and has held Holly hostage to restore his family's wealth and power, in the end he does perform an unselfish act. The fairy chief of police is written as a bumbling character, and teenagers with a bit of an authority problem will enjoy laughing at him. While the reader definitely sympathizes with Holly and hopes she will escape unscathed, half the fun of the book is rooting for Artemis, a bad guy. While the book's language and characterizations are not that sophisticated, it is an original, tightly plotted, fast-paced story. The reader is compelled to keep turning the pages to see how on earth Artemis will get out of this one. Many people, including the author, have called this a sort of fantasy action novel, and that's about right. The right audience--and I'm thinking boys in junior high and early high school in particular--will absolutely eat this book up.
Other Books in the Series
Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident (2002)
Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code (2003)
Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception (2005)
Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony (2006)
Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox (2008)
About the Author
Eoin Colfer, an Irish author, is best known for the Artemis Fowl books. However, he's written other books for children (like Benny and Omar) and adults (The Supernaturalist series, cyberpunk for adults). He's known for having a great sense of humor, which may be why he was chosen to write the fifth book in Douglas Adams' ever-popular Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series.
Curriculum Ties
None
Booktalking Ideas
1. Explore the character of Artemis Fowl: genius, criminal mastermind, 12 year old.
2. Talk about fairies in the novel's world. Who are they? What do they do?
3. Talk about the character of Holly and the people in the LEPrecon.
Reading Interest/Level
This book is aimed at early teens in junior high; however, older teens and adults would (and do!) enjoy the series.
Challenge Issues
While there is some degree of violence, it's all rather comical. I do not see this book being challenged.
Selection Criteria
I knew absolutely nothing about this book, other than some people called it the next Harry Potter and that it was extremely popular. When I saw a bunch of copies of it in the teen section of my local library, I decided to give it a try. It was named an ALA Popular Paperback.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Hunger by Michael Grant
Hunger: A Gone Novel
Michael Grant
ISBN 9780061449062
Katherine Tegan Books, 2009
590 pages
Genre: Supernatural
Readers Annotation
It's been three months since all adults vanished, and the society the teens have created is starting to break down as the food supply dwindles. While the teens without special powers begin to turn against those that do, an evil force known as the Darkness gains power and threatens them all.
Plot Summary
Set a few months after the end of Gone, Hunger, the second in a planned six-book series, is set in a town where a mysterious incident caused everyone over the age of 15 to vanish. The society the older teens created is starting to crumble as the food supply dwindles. Crops rotted in the fields, since the teens didn't think to harvest them, and now a group of ravenous earthworms with razor-sharp teeth devours anyone who approaches what edible food is left. The hunger causes the teens without special powers to become suspicious and resentful of the teens that do; a mutant teen is lynched amidst the conflict.
In the meantime, though, a different hunger threatens all the teens. Calling itself the Gaiaphage (and Hungry in the Dark by its nemesis, a 4-year-old autistic boy), the Darkness is a mysterious evil being that has been feeding off the radiation left after a nuclear accident. Now that the radiation is running low, the Gaiaphage, helped by a group of talking coyotes, uses mind control to force teens in the town to do its bidding and set into motion events that will satisfy its hunger and threaten their society.
Critical Evaluation
Hunger features the same non-stop action, gruesome violence, and stock characters as its predecessor. Hunger is tightly plotted, and readers who liked the first book will be eager to find out what else in store for the teens. However, more sophisticated readers will be annoyed by the shallow characterizations and stock characters. This is the literary equivalent of a pure action movie, with the Good Guy, the Bad Guy, the Bad Guy's Evil Girlfriend, and the Girl with the Heart of Gold. Their motives are tranparent, with only the character growth necessary to move the plot along. (Readers who haven't read Gone shouldn't even bother; there's no way to catch up to the events of this book without reading the first one.)
The supernatural element is more prominent in this book than Gone, with the Gaiaphage, the mutant creatures, and the non-mutant teens uprising against the mutants.
Other Books in the Series
Gone (2008)
Four more books are planned but yet to be published.
About the Author
Michael Grant is the co-creator and co-author of the Animorphs and Everworld series of books, which were aimed at middle-school readers. (His wife, Katherine Applegate, received name credit for the books.) Hunger is the second book published under his name.
Reading/Interest Level
The book would be of interest to those in junior high and up, but the intense violence might make it more appropriate to recommend to high school readers.
Curriculum Ties
This book is not suitable for use in any school curriculum.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Briefly explain the premise of the first book, and explain how hunger is threatening the teens' society.
2. Talk about the mysterious dark force that's threatening their society.
3. Focus on the teens' supernatural powers, explaining why the teens without them have turned on those who do.
Challenge Issues
This book could easily be challenged because of its graphic depictions of gore and violence. In addition, one teen suffers from an eating disorder which almost kills her. Should the book be challenged, the librarian should ideally read the book to become familiar with it. If not able to read it, s/he should read all the professional reviews and look for reviews of the book on sites like Common Sense Media that detail any potential controversial elements. S/he should also be able to explain and defend the library's selection policy. To defend Hunger, s/he could point out the positive reviews the book received, especially a gushing review in VOYA.
Selection Criteria
I read Gone as part of my genre presentation project. Though not a huge fan of that book, I was curious enough to see where the story was headed!
Michael Grant
ISBN 9780061449062
Katherine Tegan Books, 2009
590 pages
Genre: Supernatural
Readers Annotation
It's been three months since all adults vanished, and the society the teens have created is starting to break down as the food supply dwindles. While the teens without special powers begin to turn against those that do, an evil force known as the Darkness gains power and threatens them all.
Plot Summary
Set a few months after the end of Gone, Hunger, the second in a planned six-book series, is set in a town where a mysterious incident caused everyone over the age of 15 to vanish. The society the older teens created is starting to crumble as the food supply dwindles. Crops rotted in the fields, since the teens didn't think to harvest them, and now a group of ravenous earthworms with razor-sharp teeth devours anyone who approaches what edible food is left. The hunger causes the teens without special powers to become suspicious and resentful of the teens that do; a mutant teen is lynched amidst the conflict.
In the meantime, though, a different hunger threatens all the teens. Calling itself the Gaiaphage (and Hungry in the Dark by its nemesis, a 4-year-old autistic boy), the Darkness is a mysterious evil being that has been feeding off the radiation left after a nuclear accident. Now that the radiation is running low, the Gaiaphage, helped by a group of talking coyotes, uses mind control to force teens in the town to do its bidding and set into motion events that will satisfy its hunger and threaten their society.
Critical Evaluation
Hunger features the same non-stop action, gruesome violence, and stock characters as its predecessor. Hunger is tightly plotted, and readers who liked the first book will be eager to find out what else in store for the teens. However, more sophisticated readers will be annoyed by the shallow characterizations and stock characters. This is the literary equivalent of a pure action movie, with the Good Guy, the Bad Guy, the Bad Guy's Evil Girlfriend, and the Girl with the Heart of Gold. Their motives are tranparent, with only the character growth necessary to move the plot along. (Readers who haven't read Gone shouldn't even bother; there's no way to catch up to the events of this book without reading the first one.)
The supernatural element is more prominent in this book than Gone, with the Gaiaphage, the mutant creatures, and the non-mutant teens uprising against the mutants.
Other Books in the Series
Gone (2008)
Four more books are planned but yet to be published.
About the Author
Michael Grant is the co-creator and co-author of the Animorphs and Everworld series of books, which were aimed at middle-school readers. (His wife, Katherine Applegate, received name credit for the books.) Hunger is the second book published under his name.
Reading/Interest Level
The book would be of interest to those in junior high and up, but the intense violence might make it more appropriate to recommend to high school readers.
Curriculum Ties
This book is not suitable for use in any school curriculum.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Briefly explain the premise of the first book, and explain how hunger is threatening the teens' society.
2. Talk about the mysterious dark force that's threatening their society.
3. Focus on the teens' supernatural powers, explaining why the teens without them have turned on those who do.
Challenge Issues
This book could easily be challenged because of its graphic depictions of gore and violence. In addition, one teen suffers from an eating disorder which almost kills her. Should the book be challenged, the librarian should ideally read the book to become familiar with it. If not able to read it, s/he should read all the professional reviews and look for reviews of the book on sites like Common Sense Media that detail any potential controversial elements. S/he should also be able to explain and defend the library's selection policy. To defend Hunger, s/he could point out the positive reviews the book received, especially a gushing review in VOYA.
Selection Criteria
I read Gone as part of my genre presentation project. Though not a huge fan of that book, I was curious enough to see where the story was headed!
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Uglies
Scott Westerfeld
ISBN 978-0-689-86538-1
Simon Pulse, 2005
425 pages
Genre: Dystopia
Readers Annotation
In a world where everyone gets plastic surgery at age 16 to make them into a Pretty, 15-year-old Tally learns about her society's ugly underbelly.
Plot Summary
In a future North America, people can't believe that 21st century Rusties used to cut down trees, burn oil, and use steel for buildings. Worse, it's unthinkable that people used to judge each other on genetic things they couldn't control, like their skin color or how attractive they were naturally. Since humans have evolved to favor perfect symmetrical beauty, those who approximated it naturally had unfair advantages. Now, society is peaceful and happy because at age 16, everyone undergoes dramatic plastic surgery to transform themselves. Everyone is equal and Pretty. 15-year-old Tally, an Ugly, can hardly wait for her upcoming surgery. Her best friend Peris transformed a few months earlier, and she misses him terribly. Once she's had the surgery, she'll be able to join him and her old friends in New Pretty Town, where life is one giant party.
Tally befriends Shay, a girl whose surgery is also rapidly approaching. Like Tally, Shay loves to play clever Ugly tricks, like sneaking out of their dorm late at night. Unlike Tally, though, Shay is apprehensive about the surgery; she's happy just the way she is. Before running away, she tells Tally she's headed to join a secret settlement called the Smoke, populated by kids who didn't want the surgery. On her 16th birthday, Tally's taken in by a covert government group called Special Circumstances. They tell Tally that they'll withhold her surgery until she helps lead them to the Smoke. Will Tally betray her friend just so she can become Pretty? And if Special Circumstances was a secret, what other nasty secrets does her society hold?
Critical Evaluation
I loved, loved, loved this book. Scott Westerfeld has created a vivid alternate universe with a lot of pointed commentary about our current society. Tally and her friends make a lot of pointed commentary about how wasteful and stupid the Rusties (obviously meant to be our current society) were, and Westerfeld's explanation of what caused the end of Rusty society is brilliantly thought-provoking. However, through showing how distorted, shallow, and ugly the Pretty society is, Tally learns to appreciate the beauty in the authenticity of the Rusty experience.
Tally is a likable and resourceful heroine and goes through a believable transformation in the book, though I think the book's strength is more its plot, originality and ideas rather than the writing and characterizations. That said, however, Westerfeld plays beautifully with language, giving the Pretty society a distinct slang. The book moves quickly, its short chapters maintaining a tense pace that will have the reader eagerly turning the pages. His depictions of the future are fun; among the great inventions we learn about are bungee jackets (that protect the wearer from a steep fall) and hoverboards (a sort of midair skateboard). Fans of the utopia/dystopia genre will love this series; it's a great one to recommend to teens who are eagerly awaiting the last book of The Hunger Games.
Other Books in the Series
Pretties (2005)
Specials (2006)
Extras (2007)
From Bogus to Bubbly: An Insider's Guide to the World of Uglies (2008)
About the Author
Scott Westerfeld is a popular and prolific young adult author, whose work is also critically well-regarded. He primarily writes in the science fiction/fantasy genre. In addition to the Uglies series, he's worked on the Midnighters Trilogy (about a group of young adults that have special powers), as well as two books (Peeps and The Last Days) about a parasite that turns people cannibalistic. His most recent book, Leviathan, is the start of a steampunk series.
Curriculum Ties
While not as deep of a work as Brave New World, Uglies could be used to discuss some of the same ideas about the consequences of a "perfect" society, perhaps in a junior high or freshman English class.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Give a basic introduction to the Pretty society and explain Tally's dilemma.
2. Talk about the cleverness of the Uglies vs. the vapidity of the Pretties and the value the society places on both.
3. Talk about the love triangle between Tally, David, and Shay.
Reading Interest/Level
While teens in high school will definitely love this book, its reading level and subject matter would also be appropriate for younger teens in junior high.
Challenge Issues
While there is a bit of PG or PG-13 level violence and some descriptions of teen drinking by New Pretties, I do not believe this book would be likely to inspire challenges. Though the Pretty society has some disturbing ideas, they are clearly portrayed as such.
Selection Criteria
I picked up this book because I've seen it in libraries and bookshelves since it came out and knew it must be popular, but didn't know anything at all about the book. (In fact, I first incorrectly assumed that it must be kind of like the Gossip Girl series!) Seeing it was named an ALA and SLJ Best Book convinced me it was worth the read.
Scott Westerfeld
ISBN 978-0-689-86538-1
Simon Pulse, 2005
425 pages
Genre: Dystopia
Readers Annotation
In a world where everyone gets plastic surgery at age 16 to make them into a Pretty, 15-year-old Tally learns about her society's ugly underbelly.
Plot Summary
In a future North America, people can't believe that 21st century Rusties used to cut down trees, burn oil, and use steel for buildings. Worse, it's unthinkable that people used to judge each other on genetic things they couldn't control, like their skin color or how attractive they were naturally. Since humans have evolved to favor perfect symmetrical beauty, those who approximated it naturally had unfair advantages. Now, society is peaceful and happy because at age 16, everyone undergoes dramatic plastic surgery to transform themselves. Everyone is equal and Pretty. 15-year-old Tally, an Ugly, can hardly wait for her upcoming surgery. Her best friend Peris transformed a few months earlier, and she misses him terribly. Once she's had the surgery, she'll be able to join him and her old friends in New Pretty Town, where life is one giant party.
Tally befriends Shay, a girl whose surgery is also rapidly approaching. Like Tally, Shay loves to play clever Ugly tricks, like sneaking out of their dorm late at night. Unlike Tally, though, Shay is apprehensive about the surgery; she's happy just the way she is. Before running away, she tells Tally she's headed to join a secret settlement called the Smoke, populated by kids who didn't want the surgery. On her 16th birthday, Tally's taken in by a covert government group called Special Circumstances. They tell Tally that they'll withhold her surgery until she helps lead them to the Smoke. Will Tally betray her friend just so she can become Pretty? And if Special Circumstances was a secret, what other nasty secrets does her society hold?
Critical Evaluation
I loved, loved, loved this book. Scott Westerfeld has created a vivid alternate universe with a lot of pointed commentary about our current society. Tally and her friends make a lot of pointed commentary about how wasteful and stupid the Rusties (obviously meant to be our current society) were, and Westerfeld's explanation of what caused the end of Rusty society is brilliantly thought-provoking. However, through showing how distorted, shallow, and ugly the Pretty society is, Tally learns to appreciate the beauty in the authenticity of the Rusty experience.
Tally is a likable and resourceful heroine and goes through a believable transformation in the book, though I think the book's strength is more its plot, originality and ideas rather than the writing and characterizations. That said, however, Westerfeld plays beautifully with language, giving the Pretty society a distinct slang. The book moves quickly, its short chapters maintaining a tense pace that will have the reader eagerly turning the pages. His depictions of the future are fun; among the great inventions we learn about are bungee jackets (that protect the wearer from a steep fall) and hoverboards (a sort of midair skateboard). Fans of the utopia/dystopia genre will love this series; it's a great one to recommend to teens who are eagerly awaiting the last book of The Hunger Games.
Other Books in the Series
Pretties (2005)
Specials (2006)
Extras (2007)
From Bogus to Bubbly: An Insider's Guide to the World of Uglies (2008)
About the Author
Scott Westerfeld is a popular and prolific young adult author, whose work is also critically well-regarded. He primarily writes in the science fiction/fantasy genre. In addition to the Uglies series, he's worked on the Midnighters Trilogy (about a group of young adults that have special powers), as well as two books (Peeps and The Last Days) about a parasite that turns people cannibalistic. His most recent book, Leviathan, is the start of a steampunk series.
Curriculum Ties
While not as deep of a work as Brave New World, Uglies could be used to discuss some of the same ideas about the consequences of a "perfect" society, perhaps in a junior high or freshman English class.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Give a basic introduction to the Pretty society and explain Tally's dilemma.
2. Talk about the cleverness of the Uglies vs. the vapidity of the Pretties and the value the society places on both.
3. Talk about the love triangle between Tally, David, and Shay.
Reading Interest/Level
While teens in high school will definitely love this book, its reading level and subject matter would also be appropriate for younger teens in junior high.
Challenge Issues
While there is a bit of PG or PG-13 level violence and some descriptions of teen drinking by New Pretties, I do not believe this book would be likely to inspire challenges. Though the Pretty society has some disturbing ideas, they are clearly portrayed as such.
Selection Criteria
I picked up this book because I've seen it in libraries and bookshelves since it came out and knew it must be popular, but didn't know anything at all about the book. (In fact, I first incorrectly assumed that it must be kind of like the Gossip Girl series!) Seeing it was named an ALA and SLJ Best Book convinced me it was worth the read.
Valiant: A Modern Tale of Faerie by Holly Black
Valiant: A Modern Tale of Faerie
Holly Black
ISBN 978-0-689-868238
Simon Pulse, 2005
313 pages
Genre: Faerie, Urban Fantasy
Readers Annotation
When a teenage girl runs away to New York City, her life becomes inextricably intertwined with the secret, dark world of faeries, a group of junkie street kids, a murder mystery... and a troll she might be falling in love with.
Plot Summary
After Valerie catches her boyfriend in bed with her mother, she flees to New York City. Intending to stay for just the night, she decides to stay after befriending Lolli, Luis, and Dave, a group of teenage street kids who live in the subway system. Luis is able to see faeries, who use illusion to hide themselves from most people, and he and Dave work delivering potions to them for a troll named Ravus. Though the potions are medicinal for the faeries, it's a heroin-like drug for humans, who get temporary magical powers from it. Lolli and Dave are junkies, shooting up the drug which they call "Nevermore." Val soon becomes addicted, too. Ravus catches Val and Lolli breaking into his home; he magically indentures Val to work for him for a month to work off her debt. Ravus, however, is not as bad as he seems; he starts teaching Val swordfighting; she's a natural, after years of lacrosse. Like Beauty and the Beast, Val realizes she is falling in love with Ravus and cleans up her act.
Ravus' customers, however, are turning up dead, and Ravus becomes the main suspect. When Val's best friend comes to New York to try and convince her to come back home, they get caught in the middle of the mystery and are kidnapped by an evil faerie. Can Val clear Ravus' name? Will she ever return home now that her life is so intertwined with the world of the faeries?
Critical Evaluation
Black has written an extremely dark story of faerie, a very gritty urban fantasy. At times, it almost feels too dark. Black covers a lot of ground here--homelessness, drug addiction, rape, violence, with a few alternative lifestyles thrown in for good measure--and at times to me it felt like she was being edgy for the sake of being edgy, rather than choosing controversial topics that would really advance her story and her characters. Why, for instance, did the impetus for Val's leaving need to be the needlessly shocking affair between her boyfriend and her mother? (I did think the whole concept of Nevermore was creative and well-done, though.)
However, she's created a strong character in Val, one teenage girls who love the faerie genre will very much relate to, though I didn't feel that the character of Ravus was fully developed. Black is a talented writer, her beautiful language conveying the beautiful and seedy world of this magical New York. To be honest, this book was not quite my cup of tea. However, in reading the reviews of teen readers on Amazon, I can see that many young adult readers really loved this book and Holly Black's brand of dark faerie fantasy. This would be a great title to recommend to readers who are already fans of the genre, but for someone like me, who is relatively unfamiliar with the genre, it's not a compelling introduction.
Other Books in the Series
This is a companion novel to Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale and Ironside: A Modern Faery's Tale. While these books inhabit the same world, they are companion books rather than pure sequels; the books stand alone, though characters from one may make an appearance in another.
About the Author
Holly Black is best known for being author of the children's fantasy series The Spiderwick Chronicles, though she has a big young adult following as well, thanks to her "Modern Faerie Tale" series. Her latest project is The Good Neighbors, a series of graphic novels, also aimed at young adults.
Curriculum Ties
This book is not well-suited for use in any school curriculum.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Talk about how Val gets caught up in the world of the street kids, their connection to the faerie world, and their addiction to Never.
2. Talk about Val and Ravus' "Beauty and the Beast" relationship.
3. Talk about the book's murder mystery element.
Reading Interest/Level
This book is full of dark subjects, making it appropriate for teens in high school.
Challenge Issues
This book is chock full of 'em. Take your pick: drug addiction, homeless teens, rape, sex, violence, murder... and throw in a few gay characters to boot. If the book were to be challenged, the librarian should ideally read the book; if not able to, s/he should read professional reviews of the book and reviews on sites like Common Sense Media that detail its potentially controversial material. S/he should also be able to explain and defend the library's collection policy and explain how the title fits that policy. In the case of Valiant, she could point out that ALA named it both a "Best Book for Young Adults" and a "Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers." The book also won the Andre Norton Award for young adult fiction.
Selection Criteria
I was not familiar with the author or the faerie genre, but when I saw a prominent display of this author's book at a local library in their teen section, I decided to check it out.
Holly Black
ISBN 978-0-689-868238
Simon Pulse, 2005
313 pages
Genre: Faerie, Urban Fantasy
Readers Annotation
When a teenage girl runs away to New York City, her life becomes inextricably intertwined with the secret, dark world of faeries, a group of junkie street kids, a murder mystery... and a troll she might be falling in love with.
Plot Summary
After Valerie catches her boyfriend in bed with her mother, she flees to New York City. Intending to stay for just the night, she decides to stay after befriending Lolli, Luis, and Dave, a group of teenage street kids who live in the subway system. Luis is able to see faeries, who use illusion to hide themselves from most people, and he and Dave work delivering potions to them for a troll named Ravus. Though the potions are medicinal for the faeries, it's a heroin-like drug for humans, who get temporary magical powers from it. Lolli and Dave are junkies, shooting up the drug which they call "Nevermore." Val soon becomes addicted, too. Ravus catches Val and Lolli breaking into his home; he magically indentures Val to work for him for a month to work off her debt. Ravus, however, is not as bad as he seems; he starts teaching Val swordfighting; she's a natural, after years of lacrosse. Like Beauty and the Beast, Val realizes she is falling in love with Ravus and cleans up her act.
Ravus' customers, however, are turning up dead, and Ravus becomes the main suspect. When Val's best friend comes to New York to try and convince her to come back home, they get caught in the middle of the mystery and are kidnapped by an evil faerie. Can Val clear Ravus' name? Will she ever return home now that her life is so intertwined with the world of the faeries?
Critical Evaluation
Black has written an extremely dark story of faerie, a very gritty urban fantasy. At times, it almost feels too dark. Black covers a lot of ground here--homelessness, drug addiction, rape, violence, with a few alternative lifestyles thrown in for good measure--and at times to me it felt like she was being edgy for the sake of being edgy, rather than choosing controversial topics that would really advance her story and her characters. Why, for instance, did the impetus for Val's leaving need to be the needlessly shocking affair between her boyfriend and her mother? (I did think the whole concept of Nevermore was creative and well-done, though.)
However, she's created a strong character in Val, one teenage girls who love the faerie genre will very much relate to, though I didn't feel that the character of Ravus was fully developed. Black is a talented writer, her beautiful language conveying the beautiful and seedy world of this magical New York. To be honest, this book was not quite my cup of tea. However, in reading the reviews of teen readers on Amazon, I can see that many young adult readers really loved this book and Holly Black's brand of dark faerie fantasy. This would be a great title to recommend to readers who are already fans of the genre, but for someone like me, who is relatively unfamiliar with the genre, it's not a compelling introduction.
Other Books in the Series
This is a companion novel to Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale and Ironside: A Modern Faery's Tale. While these books inhabit the same world, they are companion books rather than pure sequels; the books stand alone, though characters from one may make an appearance in another.
About the Author
Holly Black is best known for being author of the children's fantasy series The Spiderwick Chronicles, though she has a big young adult following as well, thanks to her "Modern Faerie Tale" series. Her latest project is The Good Neighbors, a series of graphic novels, also aimed at young adults.
Curriculum Ties
This book is not well-suited for use in any school curriculum.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Talk about how Val gets caught up in the world of the street kids, their connection to the faerie world, and their addiction to Never.
2. Talk about Val and Ravus' "Beauty and the Beast" relationship.
3. Talk about the book's murder mystery element.
Reading Interest/Level
This book is full of dark subjects, making it appropriate for teens in high school.
Challenge Issues
This book is chock full of 'em. Take your pick: drug addiction, homeless teens, rape, sex, violence, murder... and throw in a few gay characters to boot. If the book were to be challenged, the librarian should ideally read the book; if not able to, s/he should read professional reviews of the book and reviews on sites like Common Sense Media that detail its potentially controversial material. S/he should also be able to explain and defend the library's collection policy and explain how the title fits that policy. In the case of Valiant, she could point out that ALA named it both a "Best Book for Young Adults" and a "Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers." The book also won the Andre Norton Award for young adult fiction.
Selection Criteria
I was not familiar with the author or the faerie genre, but when I saw a prominent display of this author's book at a local library in their teen section, I decided to check it out.
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