Once again Paulsen (The Tent, p. 474) proves that less is more in a short but extremely powerful cautionary tale. Four sections limn the elements of the story: the creation of the gun and its path through history, the life of a boy, the moment when the boy and the gun are "joined," and the rifle's fate after that event. This is Hitchcock's bomb under the bed: The suspense is nearly killing, yet from the 1768 scenes of the crafting of this "sweet" rifle, Paulsen forges descriptions to rival any he has written, and readers—on any side of the gun-control issue—must linger over each phrase. Gunsmith Cornish McManus's rifle shoots farther and truer, maybe, than any firearm ever created. The rifle's next owner, woodsman John Byam, depends on the gun for his livelihood; his skill picking off British officers during the Revolution becomes legendary. Upon his death the rifle falls into the hands of a woman who hides it in her attic, where it lies undetected for more than two centuries. In 1993 it is discovered and changes hands several times before finding a place over the fireplace in the home of Harv Kline, a decent man. When Harv and his wife light the decorative candles on their mantel for Christmas Eve, the stage is set for a horrifying sequence of events that results in the death of a neighbor's 14-year-old son. Paulsen is at the peak of his powers in a book that is as shattering as the awful events it depicts. Unforgettable. (Fiction. 12+)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-15-292880-4
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1995
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
A suspenseful and evocative gothic mystery.
Amid a murder investigation, a teen orphan finds herself heir to a multimillion-dollar estate.
On Washington State’s Orcas Island in 1918, 18-year-old Lucy Nowhere enjoys the nature surrounding her but dreams of leaving, seeing the world, and attending the University of Washington. Discovered adrift in a canoe as a newborn, Lucy was taken in by the wealthy, reclusive shipbuilding magnate Mr. Dakon Sanders, who made her a servant—and gave her an education—on his large estate, which he named Nowhere. Blond, blue-eyed Mr. Sanders disapproves of her going to college. He shocks Lucy with the revelation that he knew her father—and promises to tell her more if she stays. That evening, she finds Mr. Sanders’ decapitated head floating in the marina, and her hopes of finding answers about her identity are dashed. When it emerges that Lucy will inherit everything, she realizes she must stay and uncover what’s going on. With a growing list of suspects, more suspicious events occurring on the island, and rumors of the involvement of the “half eagle and half fish” demon Orkus and his army of “sea wolves,” Lucy must uncover secrets and find the killer before she becomes the next victim. Against a beautifully described natural setting, Lee creates a dark, haunting, suspense-filled atmosphere with a touch of the supernatural. Combining science and myth, this is an exciting story with a multiethnic cast that explores identity, friendship, trust, and caring for nature.
A suspenseful and evocative gothic mystery. (author’s note) (Historical mystery. 12-18)Pub Date: March 17, 2026
ISBN: 9781665978965
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Sarah Barley Books/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026
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