Wrought with admirable skill—the emptiness and menace underlying this Utopia emerge step by inexorable step: a richly...
In a radical departure from her realistic fiction and comic chronicles of Anastasia, Lowry creates a chilling, tightly controlled future society where all controversy, pain, and choice have been expunged, each childhood year has its privileges and responsibilities, and family members are selected for compatibility.
As Jonas approaches the "Ceremony of Twelve," he wonders what his adult "Assignment" will be. Father, a "Nurturer," cares for "newchildren"; Mother works in the "Department of Justice"; but Jonas's admitted talents suggest no particular calling. In the event, he is named "Receiver," to replace an Elder with a unique function: holding the community's memories—painful, troubling, or prone to lead (like love) to disorder; the Elder ("The Giver") now begins to transfer these memories to Jonas. The process is deeply disturbing; for the first time, Jonas learns about ordinary things like color, the sun, snow, and mountains, as well as love, war, and death: the ceremony known as "release" is revealed to be murder. Horrified, Jonas plots escape to "Elsewhere," a step he believes will return the memories to all the people, but his timing is upset by a decision to release a newchild he has come to love. Ill-equipped, Jonas sets out with the baby on a desperate journey whose enigmatic conclusion resonates with allegory: Jonas may be a Christ figure, but the contrasts here with Christian symbols are also intriguing.
Wrought with admirable skill—the emptiness and menace underlying this Utopia emerge step by inexorable step: a richly provocative novel. (Fiction. 12-16)Pub Date: April 1, 1993
ISBN: 978-0-395-64566-6
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1993
In 1793, 15-year-old Finnish-born Eleni is taken in by a kindly matriarch on the Scottish island of Mull after her father’s ship is lost off the coast. Eleni had escaped the disaster after warnings from sea creatures. She blossoms, catches the eye of the island’s lustful young scion and eventually reunites with her childhood love—all while communing (a gift arising from having been born at twilight) with solicitous phantasms from Finnish and Scottish folklore. Romantic and supernatural elements abound, and these—in addition to the unusual locales—should appeal. Warner describes in an afterword her admiration for the history, culture and folklore of both countries. This isn’t a successful or convincing meshing of realism and fantasy, however, and the supernatural episodes may strike readers as childish. Factor in predictable, corny plot details, some stock characters and information about laundry practices that few young readers will find compelling. (glossary with pronunciation guide for Finnish and Scottish words and names) (Fiction. 12-15)
Pub Date: June 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-670-06076-3
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2006
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Browne offers that rarity: a sequel more polished and engrossing than its predecessor. Warriors of Alavna introduced Dan and Ursula, drawn through a yellow fog into Roman England. Once again, they enter the mist to search for their homes and families only to arrive in fifth-century Britain, where the Saxons are attempting to conquer the Roman and Celtic populations. In the Britain of the historical King Arthur, Dan and Ursula have changed; they have lost some powers and have acquired others. Their adjustment to the changes provides interesting insights into the protagonists’ true characters and the nature of their friendship. Browne skillfully integrates details from the first adventure into this story as plot events require. Like the first installment, this is a page-turner that will leave readers panting for the next in an exciting young adult fantasy series. (Fiction. 12-15)
Pub Date: May 1, 2003
ISBN: 1-58234-817-0
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2003
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