Otters star in the 14th Redwall adventure (The Legend of Luke, 2000, etc.), holding the line against evil in their make-believe world. This time the wild vermin Juskarath believe a baby has been born that will become the “Taggerung,” a legendary fighter who can empower their tribe. The baby belongs to domesticated otters at Redwall, so the Juskarath steal the cub. Raised as a savage, “Tagg” indeed becomes a fearsome warrior, but his virtuous nature triumphs over his barbarous nurturing and he refuses to kill. Tagg leaves the Juskarath and teams up with Nimbalo, a tough little fightin’ mouse. The two trek about the land, making friends and battling evil. They’re trailed by the menacing Juskarath until all meet at Redwall Abbey for the final showdown. Meanwhile, Tagg’s sister Mhera and the old badgermum Cregga preside over the constant feasting at the Abbey, pondering puzzles until the otter family is reunited. Readers of all ages who enjoy fantasy can happily lose themselves in Redwall’s cozy world, where they’ll enjoy zestful fights, lengthy descriptions of scrumptious food, and endearing animals speaking in thick dialects. Jacques’s characters vibrate with personality, and he clearly delineates the differences between a life of friendship and one of savagery. It’s great fun, and not just for Redwall fans. (Fiction. 10+)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-399-23720-8
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2001
Part cautionary tale, part juicy love story, this will appeal to action and adventure fans who aren't yet sick of the genre.
A dystopic thriller joins the crowded shelves but doesn't distinguish itself.
Juliette was torn from her home and thrown into an asylum by The Reestablishment, a militaristic regime in control since an environmental catastrophe left society in ruins. Juliette’s journal holds her tortured thoughts in an attempt to repress memories of the horrific act that landed her in a cell. Mysteriously, Juliette’s touch kills. After months of isolation, her captors suddenly give her a cellmate—Adam, a drop-dead gorgeous guy. Adam, it turns out, is immune to her deadly touch. Unfortunately, he’s a soldier under orders from Warner, a power-hungry 19-year-old. But Adam belongs to a resistance movement; he helps Juliette escape to their stronghold, where she finds that she’s not the only one with superhuman abilities. The ending falls flat as the plot devolves into comic-book territory. Fast-paced action scenes convey imminent danger vividly, but there’s little sense of a broader world here. Overreliance on metaphor to express Juliette’s jaw-dropping surprise wears thin: “My mouth is sitting on my kneecaps. My eyebrows are dangling from the ceiling.” For all of her independence and superpowers, Juliette never moves beyond her role as a pawn in someone else’s schemes.
Part cautionary tale, part juicy love story, this will appeal to action and adventure fans who aren't yet sick of the genre. (Science fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: Nov. 15, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-06-208548-1
Page Count: 352
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2011
SEEN & HEARD
Impressive worldbuilding, breathtaking action, and clear philosophical concerns make this volume, the beginning of a planned...
Katniss Everdeen is a survivor.
She has to be; she’s representing her District, number 12, in the 74th Hunger Games in the Capitol, the heart of Panem, a new land that rose from the ruins of a post-apocalyptic North America. To punish citizens for an early rebellion, the rulers require each district to provide one girl and one boy, 24 in all, to fight like gladiators in a futuristic arena. The event is broadcast like reality TV, and the winner returns with wealth for his or her district. With clear inspiration from Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” and the Greek tale of Theseus, Collins has created a brilliantly imagined dystopia, where the Capitol is rich and the rest of the country is kept in abject poverty, where the poor battle to the death for the amusement of the rich. However, poor copyediting in the first printing will distract careful readers—a crying shame. [Note: Errors have been corrected in subsequent printings, so we are now pleased to apply the Kirkus star.]
Impressive worldbuilding, breathtaking action, and clear philosophical concerns make this volume, the beginning of a planned trilogy, as good as The Giver and more exciting. (Science fiction. 11 & up)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-439-02348-1
Page Count: 394
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2008
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