Scott
Westerfeld
ISBN:
978-1416971733
Simon
Pulse, 2009
Plot
Summary: World
War II is about to begin. The Austro-Hungarians and the Germans are the
Clankers—relying on their steam-driven machines loaded with guns and
ammunition. The opposing side—the Europeans—are the Darwinists who employ
fabricated animals as their weapons. War is about to be declared between the
empires because Aleksander Ferdinand’s father has just been killed and his own
people have turned against him. He is now on the run with only four trusted men
at his side. Deryn, aka Dylan, Sharp is also hiding her true self—disguised as
a boy she enlists in the British Air Service intent on following her dream of
piloting the fabricated animal ships and she plans on becoming a better airman
than most men. When Deryn’s ship—the large whale called Leviathan—is shot out
of the sky by Clanker ships and lands in the deserted Swiss Alps, Alek, hiding
in the last stronghold of his family’s (and abandoned castle), risks everything
to see if he can aid survivors and gets caught in the process. Knowing who the
boy must be, they agree to take him and his men with them and work together as
allies to get the Leviathan back up in the air. The only problem—the Clankers
know where they are and are coming to stop them.
Critical
Evaluation:
Leviathan is a great introduction for
teens into the interesting mash-up genre of steampunk. It has all the right
elements—an alternative history, mechanical gadgets and technical marvels that
would not have existed in the story’s (real) timelines, and two
protagonists—one boy, one girl—who share the spotlight of the narrative equally
making the story appeal to both genders. I have to say that I was more
attracted to the Darwinists and their scientific means of advancement—modifying
animals to turn them into living ships, bugs that eat and poop out weapons,
hydrogen sniffing dogs, giant elephants, etc. They also show compassion for the
creatures they create. The descriptions of the Clankers’ means of war dragged
on with too many mechanical descriptions which seemed to slow the story down.
Some readers might agree that nuts and bolts aren’t as exciting as living
creatures that are modified but some readers might be more attracted to the
mecha aspects of the story as mechanical things are a prime fixture of
steampunk stories.
Reader's
Annotation:
Giant mechanical warriors? Large airships made out of living animals? In this
alternate WWII history we see a great war between the Clankers and their
mechanical contraptions and the Darwinists and their evolved scientific animal
creations.
Author
Information:
Scott Westerfeld is the author of 18 novels for adults and young adults. He has
also been an occasional ghost writer. He is best known for my four sets of
books for young adults. The most recent is the Leviathan trilogy. His most famous works are those of the Uglies series. He was born in Texas, and splits his time between New
York City and Sydney,
Australia,
where is wife, fellow YA author Justine Larbalestier, was born (Westerfeld, 2012).
Genre: Steampunk, Science Fiction
Curriculum
Ties: Tie
together with an alternative WWII history, great for what if discussions.
Booktalking
Ideas: Read
about the insects that poop out weapons!
Reading
Level/Interest Age:
14+
Challenge
Issues: N/A
Challenge
Defense: N/A
Reason
for Inclusion:
A must have introduction for the steampunk genre. Also purchase for collection
the rest of the series: Behemoth and Goliath.
References:
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