Final three Soaring Eagle nominees for 2013-2014

As we get closer to the voting period for this year's Soaring Eagle book award, there are only three titles on the list of nominations that I've not yet reviewed here.  If you haven't been reading the other reviews, you may find them in the last three posts of this blog.

These final three titles don't have a lot in common, so it's difficult to group them by genre or intended audience.  They are, however, my personal favorites from this year's list of nominees . . . for whatever that's worth!

Legend

Marie Lu

We'll begin with another dystopian novel, which, like The Hunger Games, is set in a future world where there is no middle class, only very rich and very poor, and where government corruption is rampant.  The Republic is at war with the Colonies, and no one remembers the existence of the United States of America. In this world, one of the main characters, Day, is an infamous rebel fighting to remain alive and keep his family safe.  Day sabotages the Republic's war efforts, but he does not directly fight for the Colonies as he refuses to kill anyone.  The other main character, June, is a Republican prodigy who will soon become one the of military's elite fighters. Day and June tell their stories in alternating chapters, giving readers a perspective into their very separate lives. One day, however, June's beloved older brother is killed, allegedly by Day, and their worlds collide. June sets out to capture the elusive teen. As she seeks him, she changes from the rebellious schoolgirl to a top strategist who not only locates Day but brings him to justice. But is it really justice? Day swears he didn't kill anyone. But if Day didn't kill June's brother, who did?

The other two books in this action-packed trilogy are Prodigy and Champion.  Both are already released.

Finnikin of the Rock

Melina Marchetta

The next title on today's list is a fantasy set in a world called Lumatere. Like all good fantasy, though, there are themes that resonate with readers because of their familiarity to the real world.

Imagine living most of your life away from your homeland, wandering from country to country in search of a place to live. That happens to millions of people exiled from their countries by war, famine and other natural disasters in our world, and it’s what happens to Finnikin, the main character of this story. The difference is that Finnikin’s homeland is not torn apart by only war and famine; it has also been cursed by a powerful witch who was tortured during the ten days of "the unspeakable". After Lumatere was cursed, nobody who escaped from its borders could return, and nobody trapped within its borders could leave. Families are torn apart, and terrible things happen to those living within the kingdom. According to the curse, only the return of the legitimate queen of Lumatere will restore peace.  Finnikin, a man now,  makes it his work to find this queen – but finds instead a poor peasant girl hiding in a mountain cave who claims to be able to "walk the sleep" of the people of Lumatere.  Could she really be the long-lost queen? And if she is – how will she have the power to break the curse?  Will Finnikin ever be able to have a home again?

Because, as in real life, the prisoners and exiles are subjected to all forms of human brutality, this is a novel for more mature readers.  It is also a more challenging novel.  Finnikin of the Rock is the first title in the Lumatere Chronicles: the sequels,  Froi of the Exiles and Quintana of Charyn, are already published.

 

A Monster Calls

Patrick Ness

 The final title that I'm reviewing is an unusual one, for two reasons.  First, this is an illustrated novel -- not quite a graphic novel, as not every page has a picture, but the pen and ink drawings of illustrator Jim Kay add meaning and emotion to the narrative story.  The second reason is that the idea for the story was inspired by another YA author, Siobhan Dowd.  Dowd was dying of cancer when she conceived the idea for this story, and knew she wouldn't be able to write it. So she shared the idea with author Patrick Ness, who wrote the story in his own way, his own voice, and asked Kay to add the illustrations. There are few examples of this type of collaboration and unselfishness in literature, so this one is worth noting.

 

Now, on to the book review. . . .

Conor O’Malley has nightmares.  First of all, his real life is a nightmare:  his mother has cancer, and although she tells him the treatments are working, she doesn’t seem to get better. His father lives across the ocean in the United States with his new family, and Conor doesn’t feel welcome there. When his mother is in the hospital, Conor has to live with his grandmother in her antiques-filled home, and try not to make her angry.  In his sleep, Conor also has nightmares: he keeps having a recurring dream in which his mother hangs over the edge of an abyss, and Conor can barely keep hold of her hands. So, he has nightmares by day and nightmares by night. Therefore, when the yew tree in his backyard turns into a monster and comes walking into his living room, Conor tells the monster that he’s “seen worse.”  The tree tells Conor that is has come walking to tell him three stories, and that at the end, Conor will have to tell his own story – the truth. But can Conor face the truth?

 

This is an emotional, powerful book that is not very long -- recommended for all readers.

 

 

And, so, I conclude this year's series of reviews of the current Soaring Eagle book award nominees.  As always, these titles are available in our public library in various formats, and in school libraries as well.  If you are a teen, or know a teen in Wyoming, encourage them to read three titles from this year's list, and then vote for one favorite from February 15 through March 15.  Voting can happen at either the school or public library.