Review by Jessica Day George, Middle Grade and Young Adult Author, and Bookshop Talk Host
Oh, wow. I’m not a total steampunk junky. I don’t belong to the Jules Verne Society, or anything that extreme. But boy HOWDY is this book cool.
Imagine if the forces of World War I were divided into Darwinists and Clankers, depending on if your army made use of mutated animals or steam-powered machinery. No tanks or zeppelins are to be found here, but instead giant iron walking machines, and whales that float through the sky, filled with hydrogen.
I loved the illustrations in this book, showing us what the walkers and airships looked like. Westerfeld paid for the illustrations himself, because he wanted the book to really look like it had been written in the early 1900’s, when the illustrators of novels were often better known than the authors.
It’s a beautifully written, beautifully illustrated book that gives us a wondrous look at a World War I that never was . . . but is so cool that you’ll wish it had been. (If we must have a world war, at the very least we could have giant lion wolf hybrids pulling our carts!) Nor did Westerfeld stint on characterization or plot, relying on the illustrations to make up for any lack. On the contrary, the characters are well done, and the plot is airtight.
MARKET: Young Adult
SENSUALITY: none
LANGUAGE: mild/none
VIOLENCE: mild
Book formats:
Paperback
Hardcover
To learn more about the author, visit: Scott Westerfeld
To learn more about the reviewer and her fantasy novels, visit: Jessica Day George
Book formats:
Paperback
Hardcover
To learn more about the author, visit: Scott Westerfeld
To learn more about the reviewer and her fantasy novels, visit: Jessica Day George
4 comments:
Thanks for this great review, Jessica! I'm totally intrigued by this book. I've read Westerfeld's "Uglies" series, but not LEVIATHAN. I got it from the library a few months ago, but didn't get around to reading it (I feel like I say that in every comment, and it's always true!). Now I'm kicking myself. But the sun is shining today and I can sense a walk to the library with my girls in the very near future! I hope LEVIATHAN is available!
This really is a great book! It's good for both children and adults, and feels SO unique. And this alternate universe is just totally cool :)
I really like the book and adore the Leviathan itself. I want one for a pet. Along with several of those talking lizards.
I love this series and can't wait for "Goliath". So original. I also enjoyed Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines and Ken Oppel's Airborn series which are similar in their steam-punkishness. Good review.
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