Heartfelt, witty, and wonderfully original.
An accident brings a 10-year-old boy face to face with the infamous Loch Ness monster and lands him in the middle of a mystical battle for Scotland in this middle-grade novel from Cooper (Jason Steed: Royal Decree, 2014, etc.).
Archie Wilson’s world is in ruins. After his beloved mother is killed in a car crash, the London boy is sent to dreary Foyers, Scotland, to live with his father—a man he’s never met and knows nothing about. Yet despite the pain and sadness he feels, he senses something calling to him from the murky depths of nearby Loch Ness. While peering into the gigantic lake one afternoon, he loses his footing and tumbles into the ice-cold water. He tries to swim to the surface only to find something has “clasped his ankle tight,” pulling him deeper in the darkness. When the boy awakens later in an underwater cavern, he receives the shock of a lifetime: the Loch Ness monster is real. But rather than being a threat to humans, the gentle-hearted sea dragon (who goes by the name of Gordon) is an ally who’s protected mankind for centuries. Later, when an evil creature threatens to rear its ugly head, Gordon must decide whether to risk his freedom to save the human race again—or it may be up to Archie to tackle the dreaded Nuckelavee. This fast-paced, multilayered adventure story is ideal for young readers to curl up with under the covers. Action abounds, but Cooper also invests heavily in the emotional life of his protagonist. As a result, the day-to-day trials that Archie faces at home and in school are just as engrossing as his battles with mythical creatures. In particular, the author beautifully renders Archie’s evolving relationships with his father as well as with his friend Chloe. Overall, this story will connect with kids despite the text’s occasional copy-editing and formatting errors. Cooper masterfully plays with well-worn myths and folklore to create a new Scottish tale imbued with its own playful magic.
Heartfelt, witty, and wonderfully original.Pub Date: May 5, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-5120-5488-0
Page Count: 222
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A convincing depiction of rediscovering trust and love in a shattered life.
A Scottish woman attempts to overcome abuse and molestation in hopes of opening up to true love after a series of devastating misfortunes.
As a child, Elizabeth is molested by her uncle, and her mother turns a blind eye. Elizabeth also grows up to be unlucky in love: She marries Ahmed, a cruel, hypocritical Muslim man who sexually abuses her as well, and they move together to the Persian Gulf. His treatment of her becomes a kind of prison, as she tries to adapt to his strict interpretation of Arab customs. The only things keeping her alive are her children, Alia and Mohammed, and her Russian friend, Katrina, who is also married to an Arab man. Katrina introduces Elizabeth to her husband’s friend, Darius, a Lebanese-French man who subsequently awakens Elizabeth to feelings of femininity and passion that she didn’t know her damaged body and soul could experience. After enjoying a short-lived affair, Darius falls terminally ill, which sets in motion Elizabeth’s liberation from Ahmed. Elizabeth must rebuild her life with her children in the Gulf without the financial support of Ahmed and without the love she experienced with Darius. Just when it seems that Elizabeth will never be able to let another man in, she meets Saif, a widower with a young daughter. Then, life becomes even more complicated: Saddam Hussein invades nearby Kuwait, causing Saif, an ammunitions specialist in the army, to leave. Blackwood compellingly expresses Elizabeth’s profound pain at being unable to trust or love anyone. Elizabeth is a strong, resilient female lead, but she’s still human—at one point, she tries to commit suicide when she suspects she’s ill and dying. The change of scenery from Scotland to the Gulf to Italy adds an interesting layer to the story, as Elizabeth must adapt to a new culture while also trying to stay true to her own morals. Her misfortune tends to drag at times, something even her unfailing hopefulness can’t combat. The details of her sexual abuse are handled carefully and in good taste, and there’s a satisfying conclusion, but her many hardships border on being gratuitous.
A convincing depiction of rediscovering trust and love in a shattered life.Pub Date: July 8, 2011
ISBN: 978-1616672645
Page Count: 412
Publisher: Raider Publishing International
Review Posted Online: July 31, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Sultry romance, tense politicking and colorful mythmaking combine for a broad, engaging novel.
This magical-realist novel features Faustian pacts and forbidden love in its depiction of the circumstances feeding into the Sri Lankan civil war.
Thurai’s debut teems with characters navigating the social, political and spiritual realities of 1950s Ceylon, in what is now Sri Lanka. Arjun Kumaran, an assistant to a local government agent, arrives at his new home with the Chelvam family. Despite her marriage to Raj, it’s not long before Neleni Chelvam falls head over heels for Arjun. But otherworldly circumstances intensify alongside their romance: Followers of the demon Hooniyam aim to conspire against the power of local Tamils. While Arjun is out investigating the weak progress of a government road project, the conspirators target him and others because of their Tamil background. Asoka, the penitent second protagonist, flees the violence that Hooniyam and his minions perpetrate. From here, a wealth of stories emerge: Arjun’s brief affair with Leela, the foreman’s wife; Asoka’s secret relationship with Sriya, which causes her betrothed, Tissa, to vengefully join Hooniyam’s forces; the election of Bandaranaike, with his strong religious ties; and the slow-burning desire that fires up between Arjun and Neleni, which raises tension in the Chelvam household. Thurai’s lengthy novel is more realistic than magical, as she evokes mythos without letting magic overwhelm the humanity of the narrative. Hooniyam, the horrific demon, is one of only a few nonhumans that pop up, and the bulk of the intersecting stories develop out of human emotion and real cultural rifts in historical Ceylon. Thurai’s work may divide readers with deep connections to Sri Lankan politics, but her empathy helps bridge the fissure between the Sinhalese and Tamil people. Amid powerful insight into post-colonial politics and the beginnings of Sri Lanka’s violent war, the author only condemns the violence that erupts out of the cultural and political conflict, not the nonpartisan life decisions the citizens on either side of the conflict must make.
Sultry romance, tense politicking and colorful mythmaking combine for a broad, engaging novel.Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2011
ISBN: 978-0956970305
Page Count: 824
Publisher: Hot Monkey Publishing
Review Posted Online: Aug. 10, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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