In the flood of volumes marking the bicentennial of the epic journey, Wolf manages something fresh and alive—a mammoth novel of poetic narratives in 14 voices that treats the trek to the Pacific and back as a drama of many players, many voices. Voices such as Sacagawea’s sadness and longing, the spirited dialogues of the Field brothers, the chatty observations of 16-year-old George Shannon, William Clark’s gentlemanly tone, his slave York’s restrained commentaries, and the Newfoundland dog’s sensory descriptions. Some characters are made up and the personalities of others are exaggerated for effect to bring readers right into the mind, heart, and soul of the crew. Abundant detail and sharply defined characters are the fruits of four years of research, represented by an excellent author’s note, a fascinating “What Became of Them?” section, good maps, and a list of the crew and the Native American nations encountered. The volume’s size may intimidate some readers, but this is a must for libraries, a treasure for classrooms. (expedition miscellany, bibliography, Internet resources, glossary) (Fiction. 10+)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-7636-2113-7
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2004
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An unwieldy but emotionally intense fantasy.
In the Riew siblings’ debut, inspired by their Korean grandparents’ experiences during Japan’s early-20th-century colonization of Korea, a hunt is on for the last surviving tiger.
In the Tiger Colonies, this fantasy world’s version of occupied Korea, tigers have been nearly wiped out by the Dragon Empire. These oppressive rulers believe that tiger ki, or powers, strengthen the Tiger people, and therefore, the animals must be exterminated. Lee Seung, who’s from a poor Tiger family, works for the wealthy Chois, a Tiger family who collaborate with the Dragons. Choi Eunji might live in material comfort, but her home feels like “a cage” thanks to her parents’ high expectations and control of her every move. She offers to tutor Seung for the Adachi Training Academy’s entrance exam; graduates attain elite, powerful positions. In return he’ll help Eunji experience life outside her cloistered manor. Despite their class differences, both teens long for freedom, but Seung fails the exam, and their paths diverge. They reunite during a frantic search for the last tiger—but are their motivations aligned? Some plot developments feel contrived, and the introduction of real historical elements at times feels deliberately educational rather than naturally emerging from the story. Nevertheless, the story vividly highlights the plight of Koreans during a traumatic era.
An unwieldy but emotionally intense fantasy. (authors’ note, diary excerpts) (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: July 29, 2025
ISBN: 9798217002047
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Kokila
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
Beautiful and important.
When Death tells a story, you pay attention.
Liesel Meminger is a young girl growing up outside of Munich in Nazi Germany, and Death tells her story as “an attempt—a flying jump of an attempt—to prove to me that you, and your human existence, are worth it.” When her foster father helps her learn to read and she discovers the power of words, Liesel begins stealing books from Nazi book burnings and the mayor’s wife’s library. As she becomes a better reader, she becomes a writer, writing a book about her life in such a miserable time. Liesel’s experiences move Death to say, “I am haunted by humans.” How could the human race be “so ugly and so glorious” at the same time? This big, expansive novel is a leisurely working out of fate, of seemingly chance encounters and events that ultimately touch, like dominoes as they collide. The writing is elegant, philosophical and moving. Even at its length, it’s a work to read slowly and savor.
Beautiful and important. (Fiction. 12+)Pub Date: March 14, 2006
ISBN: 0-375-83100-2
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2006
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