The Search for Wondla (MG)

The Search for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi. 2010. Simon & Schuster. 477 pages. 

Eva Nine was dying. The tiny scarlet dots on her hand mirrored the glowering eyes of the snake that had just bitten her.

I didn't love The Search for Wondla. I'm not even sure I liked it. One of the reasons it didn't quite work for me was that the ending left me unsatisfied. I wanted to shout at the book, "That's not an ending!" Then again, maybe it's not fair to judge a first book in a series by the ending.

Eva Nine, our heroine, may just be the last human on the planet. She has spent her whole life underground in Sanctuary. She was raised by a robot--albeit a robot with a mothering program built right in. (Muthr is always, always nagging Eva Nine to do this or that. Little things like picking up her room, etc.) When the novel opens, Eva Nine is in the middle of a test to determine if she's ready to live Sanctuary and venture into the real world above ground. Her muthr isn't convinced that she is ready. But she's going to give her one more chance, if Eva Nine doesn't improve, well, they may just have to go back to the basics.

Six Basic Survival Skills for Humans
1. Trust technology
2. Signal others
3. Find shelter
4. Create fire
5. Procure food and water
6. Know first aid

But ready or not, Eva Nine may be forced into the cruel, ugly world of unknowns. When someone breaks into sanctuary--destroying it in the process--Eva Nine is forced to flee the only home she's ever known. She is taking a few technological items with her, like her Omnipod, but what she soon discovers is that NO technology can protect her now, keep her safe, or guide her. The whole world--the whole planet--is unknown.

But Eva Nine won't be on her own for long, though her companions are not human--not even close.

The Search for Wondla is a blending of so many genres and subgenres. It's both science fiction and fantasy, in my opinion. It's an adventure story--a survival story. And of course it's one big mystery. Where is Eva Nine? What planet is she on? How did she get there? Is she really, truly the last human? Where did all these species come from?

The world Tony DiTerlizzi created is interesting. At times I found it confusing, I had to keep telling myself to keep reading and that it would start making sense eventually if I just read long enough. And that worked, for the most part. It helped when I decided the confusion might just be intentional. Eva Nine, our heroine, is thrust into a world that is completely foreign to her. She doesn't recognize any of the trees or plants. She doesn't recognize any of the life forms. These creatures--animals--speak in their own languages. She doesn't know what's dangerous and what's safe. She's completely out of her element.

Have you read this one? What did you think?

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2010 , J Adventure , J Fantasy , J Fiction , J Science Fiction , library book , Quest , Simon and Schuster , Survival

The Ropemaker (MG/YA)

The Ropemaker. Peter Dickinson. 2001. Random House. 384 pages.

It had snowed in the night. Tilja knew this before she woke, and waking she remembered how she knew. Somewhere between dream and dream a hand had shaken her shoulder and she'd heard Ma's whisper.

The Ropemaker reminded me of all the reasons I love reading fantasy. Did I love it? I didn't want it to end! I wanted to savor every moment of it. Why? Well, because I loved not only the characters, not only the story, but the world Peter Dickinson created! My favorite character happens to be our heroine, Tilja.

Tilja's valley has almost always--twenty generations--been protected by magic. Protected from its neighbors--those who would love to tax, tax, tax in the name of "providing protection" and those who would invade and plunder and conquer. There is a story passed down through the generations--a story some scarcely believe these days--about how the valley came to be protected. A story about two people on a quest for a magician named Asarta. We learn this story in chapter two. Here is how it starts:

There was time in the Valley, of course--how could there not be? But there was no history. In all the rich farmland between the northern mountains and the forest there were no wars, or reports of wars, only days, seasons, generations. No kings or other rulers, only parents, grandparents, ancestors. For eighteen generations nothing had happened in the Valley that anyone would have thought worth putting in a book, or setting up a memorial stone to record. So, no history. Only time. And the story of Asarta. (17)

Did I mention I love the writing?! Well, I did!!! Anyway, Tilja, our unlikely heroine, joins three others on a quest to "save" the magic that protects them. For they know the magic is fading, that soon unwelcome guests might invade--when they realize the truth. So Tilja and her grandmother, Meena, and Tahl, and his grandfather, Alnor, set out on a dangerous and uncertain journey. Their quest is to find the magician, Faheel, the magician who first helped the Valley all those generations ago. Is he still alive? Can he be found? Does he want to be found? Will he help them? Can he help them? Has his powers grown stronger or weaker through the years?

The Ropemaker is about their journey, their quest, as they face countless dangers, as they meet many, many people along the way. This journey will require them to be wise and courageous and diligent. To protect the Valley, to protect their families, their homes, their villages, they may have to risk it all.

I enjoyed this one very much! I'd definitely recommend it.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2001 , J Fantasy , library book , Quest , Random House , YA Adventure , YA Fantasy