β Scribed by Jean-Claude Mourlevat; Anthea Bell
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
Grade 8 UpβIn a dystopian world, an oppressive revolutionary group has taken over. Four teenagers escape the "boarding school" where they have been held since their parents were murdered 15 years earlier for being part of the Resistance. Milena and Bartolomeo become romantically involved and run away together, as do Helen and Milos, separate from the other two. Ultimately, Helen, Milena, and Bartolomeo are reunited in the capital city where they find work at a restaurant doubling as a front for the Resistance movement. However, Milos is imprisoned and sent to a training camp from which he will be forced to compete in one-on-one, barbaric arena fights to the death. As a translation from the French, this book is successful, with only occasional minor awkward moments that do not detract from the story's compelling setting, mood, and tone. Most characters are adequately drawn but some disappear and never return. For example, fierce dog-men are carefully introduced, kill a man, run off to the mountains, and vanish. Also, a few circumstances stretch belief, such as the teens riding buses without being recaptured. Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games (2008) and Catching Fire (2009, both Scholastic) and John Marsden's "Tomorrow" series (Houghton) are stronger books.β Diane P. Tuccillo, Poudre River Public Library District, Fort Collins, CO
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Starred Review In this timeless, dystopian tale of hope in dark times, four teenagers seek freedom from an oppressive society as well as the truth about their parentsβ mysterious deaths. Helen, Milena, Milos, and Bartolomeo are all students at gender-segregated boarding schools established by the repressive Phalange government. After Milena and Bart secretly escape, Helen and Milos set out to find them, a search that they hope will bring them in contact with the still-active, underground resistance movement. The teensβ dangerous journeys bring terrifying enemies, unexpected allies, heartbreaking tragedy, and a discovery of both the elemental strength of the human voice and the resiliency of the human spirit. In his first novel for adolescents, French childrenβs book author Mourlevat deftly blends fantasy, realism, and moments of violence as he explores broad themes of freedom, repression, and redemption. Translator Bellβs visually evocative prose alternates third-person viewpoints among the diverse cast of engaging, sometimes fantastical characters, whose compelling personal stories skillfully build to a dramatic conclusion. An award winner in France, where it was first published, this absorbing, fablelike story celebrates the infinite power of love and courage to inspire others, build a community, and make a difference. Grades 9-12. --Shelle Rosenfeld
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