A long but well-peopled fantasy with a strong environmental message. When Kate, 13, tries to help stop a group of unemployed Oregon loggers from cutting a unique stand of redwoods, she's cast back five centuries and propelled into the struggle against Gashra, a megalomaniac volcano creature with a very real ``scorched earth policy.'' The strongest feature of this novel is not the wandering, predictable plot but the colorful cast, especially the nonhumans- -boulder-like Stonehags, many-eyed underwater Guardians, lizard-folk, owl-folk, and (best of all) the monstrous Gashra, a delicious combination of tyrannosaur, octopus, and two-year-old- -who add a strong dash of humor as well as occasional prophecies and rescues. In the end, Kate recovers a stolen power crystal, sends Gashra back into the earth for a few more centuries (take heed), and returns to her own time to witness one last desperate logger felling the oldest redwood just before a protective injunction takes effect. Barron shows some understanding of the loggers' plight, but pushes concepts like the interconnectedness of nature, our arrogance toward the environment, and the necessity of preservation (both directly and metaphorically). Still, much better wrought than the author's tedious Heartlight (1990). (Fiction. 12-18)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-399-21899-8
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1992
A fun novel of sci-fi adventure, friendship, and courage.
In a sci-fi story for middle-grade readers, an unlikely alliance forms between two adolescent boys and a tiny alien with a chatty computer.
Young Peter has high hopes for a family trip to Toruga Island near South America, where his father, Scott, has taken a job. His parents’ marriage is troubled, and maybe a tropical vacation will improve it. But his mother, Barbara, is unimpressed with the island—and particularly with her son’s claim to have seen a UFO falling to earth there. Peter later finds a small metal disc on the beach which turns out to be an alien ship that sprouts legs and windows. Via the craft’s irascible talking computer, he establishes communication with the diminutive female alien pilot, whom he dubs “Freddy.” She’s inquisitive and plucky, and her ship has amazing abilities, including enabling Peter to fly. The boy reveals his discovery to his new friend, Andreas, who recently lost his father in a terrible boating accident as well as his own ability to walk and talk. But when it turns out that modern-day pirates have awful plans for the parrots of the South American rain forest, the kids and the aliens team up to fight back. This is nonfiction author and visual-effects artist Perisic’s (Special Optical Effects, 1980 etc.) first novel, and it’s a captivating ride. Peter is an engaging protagonist who’s adventurous, curious, and kind as well as heroic when the occasion demands. The plot device of a tiny but personable alien—in a ship small enough to be hidden under Peter’s shirt—adds a new dimension to the familiar storyline of a secret friend from another planet. Perisic keeps the pace moving as the narrative expands in unexpected directions, touching on a number of serious issues, including disability and ecology. Readers may wish that the book were a little longer so that it could have expanded upon some relatively unexplored elements, such as Freddy’s home world, but all in all, it’s a satisfying, compelling read.
A fun novel of sci-fi adventure, friendship, and courage.Pub Date: July 18, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-5405-0947-5
Page Count: 184
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A witty and enthusiastic tale about a powerful tween; a veritable delight.
In this debut YA fantasy, a girl inadvertently reveals her magic ability, precipitating a witch hunt in a kingdom that hates and fears her kind.
Twelve-year-old Aurella is a witch, at least according to the school bullies who relentlessly taunt her. They tend to leave her alone if she’s with her teen guy pal, Mavic, who lives and works at the orphanage in the Dovice kingdom. But when Mavic spots Aurella in disguise (a spell she unknowingly casts), he drops a doozy: she really is a witch. She was adopted as an infant, but she’s surprised that Mavic seems to know about her birthparents. He further relays Dovice’s history: humans once lived in peace with warlocks and witches, but a warlock-sparked war led to a split country (the Dovice and Rashtica kingdoms) and a subsequent witch hunt. Aurella secretly practices her spells, chiefly manipulating others into seeing or hearing things. One day, however, trying to aid Mavic in an unfair fight, Aurella uses her powers in full view of villagers. Certain that people will respond with another witch hunt, Mavic suggests Aurella head for possible refuge in Rashtica. He joins her, with the two soon encountering allies and adversaries, while Aurella learns more about her past—and a few new spells. Sezate’s appealing tale retains a brisk pace (primarily Aurella and Mavic fleeing through a forest) and winsome characters. Aurella, for one, is a believable tween but with a welcome maturity, often calm in confrontations. Her relationship with Mavic is akin to siblings, and their banter never wears thin, complete with teasing and endearing insults. There are several solid plot turns, including the appearance of others capable of magic and tension riled up by deterrents: excessive spells ignite a blinding headache for Aurella. No timeline specification allows for a hefty batch of modern vernacular, though it’s occasionally repetitive, particularly utterances of “crap.” Sezate thoroughly wraps up Book 1 but ends on a cliffhanger, surely leaving readers on the hunt for a sequel.
A witty and enthusiastic tale about a powerful tween; a veritable delight.Pub Date: May 12, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5455-9611-1
Page Count: 368
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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