by Will Hobbs ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1997
Hobbs (Ghost Canoe, p. 557, etc.) reunites the characters of Downriver (1991) for this rapids-shooting adventure. Jessie and her adopted sister, Star, tough-talking Rita, macho man Pug, and later, wisecracking Adam all arrive ready to raft down the Grand Canyon's Colorado River, presumably at the invitation of Al, a tour outfitter; unfortunately, when the handsome and charismatic Troy also shows up, the teens discover that they've all been duped. Troy seeks to make amends for ruining their rafting the previous year, and so has made all the arrangements and paid for the group to go downriver again. Wary at first, the teens agree, and in no time they're shooting through curlers, suckholes, and rooster tails in a pulse-pounding narrative. Jessie, despite her fear, steers a raft down the river's 160 rapids in record-high water caused by a rough winter and careless management of damn spillage. Hobbs's familiarity with whitewater rafting provides authenticity, and while this bunch knows their sport, they nevertheless wind up in the soup more than once. While the crisis point of the novel seems a bit too altruistic—the neurotic Troy follows his better impulses and saves Rita from drowning—the story of these disparate youths coming together for an adventure that risks their lives and strengthens their hearts is ultimately uplifting. (Fiction. 12-14)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-385-32316-6
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1997
Share your opinion of this book
More by Will Hobbs
BOOK REVIEW
by Will Hobbs
BOOK REVIEW
by Will Hobbs
BOOK REVIEW
by Will Hobbs
by John Boyne ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 12, 2006
Certain to provoke controversy and difficult to see as a book for children, who could easily miss the painful point.
After Hitler appoints Bruno’s father commandant of Auschwitz, Bruno (nine) is unhappy with his new surroundings compared to the luxury of his home in Berlin.
The literal-minded Bruno, with amazingly little political and social awareness, never gains comprehension of the prisoners (all in “striped pajamas”) or the malignant nature of the death camp. He overcomes loneliness and isolation only when he discovers another boy, Shmuel, on the other side of the camp’s fence. For months, the two meet, becoming secret best friends even though they can never play together. Although Bruno’s family corrects him, he childishly calls the camp “Out-With” and the Fuhrer “Fury.” As a literary device, it could be said to be credibly rooted in Bruno’s consistent, guileless characterization, though it’s difficult to believe in reality. The tragic story’s point of view is unique: the corrosive effect of brutality on Nazi family life as seen through the eyes of a naïf. Some will believe that the fable form, in which the illogical may serve the objective of moral instruction, succeeds in Boyne’s narrative; others will believe it was the wrong choice.
Certain to provoke controversy and difficult to see as a book for children, who could easily miss the painful point. (Fiction. 12-14)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2006
ISBN: 0-385-75106-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: David Fickling/Random
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2006
Share your opinion of this book
More by John Boyne
BOOK REVIEW
by John Boyne
BOOK REVIEW
by John Boyne
BOOK REVIEW
by John Boyne
More About This Book
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
by Rae Carson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2011
Despite the stale fat-to-curvy pattern, compelling world building with a Southern European, pseudo-Christian feel,...
Adventure drags our heroine all over the map of fantasyland while giving her the opportunity to use her smarts.
Elisa—Princess Lucero-Elisa de Riqueza of Orovalle—has been chosen for Service since the day she was born, when a beam of holy light put a Godstone in her navel. She's a devout reader of holy books and is well-versed in the military strategy text Belleza Guerra, but she has been kept in ignorance of world affairs. With no warning, this fat, self-loathing princess is married off to a distant king and is embroiled in political and spiritual intrigue. War is coming, and perhaps only Elisa's Godstone—and knowledge from the Belleza Guerra—can save them. Elisa uses her untried strategic knowledge to always-good effect. With a character so smart that she doesn't have much to learn, body size is stereotypically substituted for character development. Elisa’s "mountainous" body shrivels away when she spends a month on forced march eating rat, and thus she is a better person. Still, it's wonderfully refreshing to see a heroine using her brain to win a war rather than strapping on a sword and charging into battle.
Despite the stale fat-to-curvy pattern, compelling world building with a Southern European, pseudo-Christian feel, reminiscent of Naomi Kritzer's Fires of the Faithful (2002), keeps this entry fresh. (Fantasy. 12-14)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-06-202648-4
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
Share your opinion of this book
More In The Series
More by Rae Carson
BOOK REVIEW
by Rae Carson
BOOK REVIEW
by Rae Carson
BOOK REVIEW
by Rae Carson
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.