Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts
Summary: Darkness seems to seep out of the core of the Earth when multiple earthquakes occur along the west coast of North America infecting people’s minds and hearts with evil, causing them to do horrific things. As a result, the lives of Mason, Clementine, Ariel, and Michael are forever changed, and one by one they decide to make their way to Vancouver to start over. In this new world, electricity is out, the phone lines are down and society as it was previously known has been decimated. Those who give in to the evil inside are known as Baggers, willing to kill or collect anyone they come across, but those who seem able to fight the darkness may only be able to do so for a time. Now, no one can be trusted.
Number of Pages: 328
Age Range: 15-17
Review: Guaranteed to give you chills and keep you up at night, Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts is a sophisticated read as Roberts weaves together a tale of horror that comes from the inside. There is no clear explain for why people become Baggers, only that they seem to be opened to the evilness that already lurks within them. I read on Roberts’ Goodreads website that the series is based on nightmares she used to have as a teenager, noting there is nothing more scary than zombie-type beings who keep their intelligence. She’s right.
With four main characters as well as several secondary characters, it was a bit difficult to keep track of everyone’s individual story. I did confuse Mason with Michael sometimes, and found things a lot easier when everyone came together.
The first time I read Dark Inside, I was carried along by adrenaline and suspense, missing a couple of important details along the way. The second time though, I picked up a couple of key points, such as clues to the identity of Nothing. While I was most intrigued by Nothing’s perspective and internal battle against the evil that overwhelms, Chee, or Chickadee, was my favourite character. Though the earthquakes affected her in serious ways, she seemed able to hold herself about the darkness that affected others. And when she went, I was sad, but also happy that Mason stayed with her.
But most of all I liked the complicatedness of Daniel and Mason. Daniel claims he’s dangerous, yet keeps doing good things by rescuing Ariel more than once. Mason appears good, but loses his nerve when people need him the most. He feels a draw to evil inside him, except he still stays with Chee in her time of need. While a satisfying read in its own right, Dark Inside still leaves unanswered questions for its sequel, such as, what do they do now? And, what is the end game of the Baggers?
There’s no question, I’m hooked, and after reading the sequel, Rage Within, as well I cannot wait to read the finale when it comes out.
Memorable Quotes:
“But he wouldn’t care. Never again would he get close to someone. They’d only leave him, and he was going to so whatever it took to outlive this war. This sickness. Apocalypse? Who cared what it was. Out of sheer defiance he’d beat it.” – Mason from Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts, page 93
“‘There are different types of people in this world. There are people who accept what’s in front of them unquestioningly. They live in the dark. In defeat. Ignoring what the future might bring or how they might help to make things happen. Then there are people like me. Optimists. They too live in the dark, in times like these, but dream of the light. I trust in the possibilities of betterness. I believe there is more to life than this. I have to. There’s no other choice for me.'” – Chickadee from Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts, page 219
“The evil that infects up has always been around. Since the dawn of time, before names could be named, before words were written down – they have always existed. There are no records because they leave behind no trace. How do you chronicle something you cannot see?
Once upon a time an ancient civilization grew. It prospered. The people were happy and intelligent. They created cities and erected great monuments. But something always happened. They grew greedy, perhaps, or maybe they took more than the earth was willing to offer.
And that’s when their downfall began. The darkness that lies beneath started to stir.
It always notices. They always come.” – Nothing from Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts, page 288
Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts, is published by Simon and Schuster Canada, (2011).
Wild Orchid by Beverley Brenna
Summary: Eighteen year-old Taylor is less than impressed when her mother decides to take her to Waskesiu, Saskatchewan for the summer in pursuit of her latest boyfriend. Having just graduated from high school with a unique view of the world thanks to having Asperger’s Syndrome, Taylor is uncertain and scared when it comes to thinking about the future, but the independence she gains while her mother is working proves she only has to be herself for things to work out. With her ability to remember facts about subjects that interest her and her honest insights about life Taylor finds unexpected doors are opened and new friendships are fostered during her stay. Slowly she begins to see a future for herself that is larger than high school.
Number of Pages: 154
Age Range: 13-15
Review: In this rare portrayal of a young woman dealing with Asperger’s Syndrome, Wild Orchid by Beverley Brenna immerses her reader completely in Taylor’s perspective. It’s an apt title, as Taylor truly is as exceptional as the orchids she seeks to find.
At times it isn’t the easiest read. Taylor’s view takes time to adjust to, as she is quite literal and linear in her interpretation of the world. Getting to know Taylor means falling in love with her though, as she is spirited and vulnerable at the same time. But Brenna’s writing makes me realise this vulnerability is not the result of a character flaw on Taylor’s part; instead it comes from others’ inability to give her the time and space to process stimulus and express herself.
People that do are rewarded. Though I too was tempted to write off Paul as a bad man (for different reasons than Taylor’s), I came to the conclusion that the connection he and Taylor had was real. Yes, he was married, but he was a sensitive and gentle man who sincerely saw and listened to Taylor. And because he did, he too couldn’t help but fall in love.
I love how just by being herself, Taylor’s persistent nature and pursuit of knowledge gets her a job in a bookstore and is the basis of her new friendships. I also love the essays in her journal, chronicling her experiences and reactions. The one entitled, “My Mother is a Pathological Liar” was my favourite, because I had figured out her mother’s intentions before Taylor had and was interested to read how she would react.
The relationship between Taylor and her mother is complicated. as sometimes Taylor’s mother seems like a child herself. With her revolving door of relationships and her intermittent frustration with Taylor, I still knew at the heart of everything she had an overwhelming desire to protect Taylor from being hurt by others. Wild Orchid is also about how Taylor’s mother learns that not everyone will reject Taylor as others have.
I think because of Taylor’s views and reactions, she comes off as younger than eighteen and thus her book is suitable for younger teen readers. But Wild Orchid and the books that follow are a must read for anyone looking for insight into a life with Asperger’s. It is an honest and insightful series.
Memorable Quotes:
“That person, I can’t remember who it was right now, who said the pen was mightier than the sword – I think they were wrong. I think the eraser is actually the most powerful tool. I wish there was an eraser that could erase the things a person did. And erase other people. Writing things down doesn’t erase anything. What’s done is done, and that really sucks.” – Taylor from Wild Orchid by Beverley Brenna, page 80
“It’s useless when people tell you not to worry, though – there’s plenty to worry about in this world.
I started thinking that maybe the secret is that you can worry all you like, but you just have to go ahead without letting on that you’re afraid. That’s what I want to tell Stanley. Just to go on.” – Taylor from Wild Orchid by Beverley Brenna, page 87
“‘Asperger’s Syndrome,’ I said. ‘It’s a kind of autism that people get if parts of their brains are too small and other parts are extra large. I have it. The amygdala, which is part of the brain, is smaller than in most people’s brains. You get born with Asperger’s Syndrome if there’s the right balance of heredity and environment.’
‘Like orchids,’ said Paul, softly.” – Taylor from Wild Orchid by Beverley Brenna, page 90
“‘But how do you stop being afraid?’ he asked, and his hands made little jerks up and down.
‘I guess you don’t really ever stop,’ I said, after thinking about it for a few minutes. ‘But you just have to go on. Like Stanley. You just have to get up in the morning and see what happens. Even though it’s hard.'” – Conversation between Paul and Taylor from Wild Orchid by Beverley Brenna, page 99
Wild Orchid by Beverley Brenna, is published by Red Deer Press, (2005).
Strange Places by Jefferson Smith
Summary: Living in an orphanage since she was just three years old, thirteen year-old Tayna is considered unlovable. But when a mysterious couple comes to the orphanage with the desire to adopt the girl who has been there the longest, Tayna sees her chance to get out. The nuns have other plans though, and a man named Lord Angiron is out to kill her. In her escape from the orphanage to save her own life, Tayna meets up with a watcher from another world who crosses over with her to what he claims is the place she came from. It’s suddenly possible that Tayna isn’t an orphan after all, and as she grows accustomed to her new surroundings, she makes friends and begins the search for her parents, encountering many surprises along the way.
Number of Pages: 279
Age Range: 13-15
Review: Strange Places by Jefferson Smith starts strong, detailing the lives of Tayna and Lies in an orphanage where they are considered unlovable. Having been there the longest, Tayna and Lies are used to the nuns’ evil ways, but things take a turn when the possibility of adoption comes up at the same time a man who wants to kill Tayna appears. Escape for Tayna turns out to be escape from life as she knows it as she travels to another world and learns her parents may still be alive. Tayna’s journey to find them immerses her in the new world, introducing her to peoples and customs she must learn to adapt to. Through it all, she carries with her a sharp wit.
I wanted to know more about Lies though. She’s developed so well in the beginning of the story and had lots of spunk, but then throughout the rest of the novel I only got to read about her in tiny spurts. I suppose more of her story is included in the sequel, but I already had my suspicions about her new adoptive parents and whether they were actually specifically there for Tayna. I anticipate Lies will end up in the other world with Tayna at some point.
Even after reading 279 pages, I’m still left with a whole bunch of questions. Did the nuns know Lord Angiron was from another world? Or did they just think he was a benefactor? I know they were slightly evil, but in the beginning they seemed more Miss Minchin evil than the type that would allow someone to kill one of their charges kind of evil.
Once I got to the other world in the story, my questions multiplied exponentially. There were so many characters and plot lines that I had trouble keeping track. I just wanted to know what happened to Tayna and Lies, but they seemed to get lost a bit in the shuffle of gnomes and Ajin, traditions and magic that existed in the other world.
It’s odd, but my favourite part was the story about a gnome who steals a body to sell. (The gnomes’ economy is fuelled by the sale and disposal of dead bodies.) Smith details his conflict over seeing such a beautiful body but resisting the urge to take it because he’s a bit of a religious leader in his community. The history of his church built from bones was fascinating, and when the corpse turns out to be alive it was a fantastic surprise for both me as the reader and the gnome. Unfortunately once it’s established she is actually alive, that story is dropped without further explanation. Again, I’m assuming it’s in the sequel.
At the end though, I was completely baffled. I understood Tayna’s revelation about who her betrothed was, but I couldn’t figure out why she was calling Abeni daddy. Did she actually mean it or was she just thinking about the last time she was held like Abeni held her in that moment? Very confusing with little detail to back up the leap.
It’s one of those books that leaves you hanging, but at this point I’m wondering if the sequel would answer my questions or just leave me with more.
Memorable Quotes:
“‘Death is different here,’ Tayna said, as soon as they were far enough from the rapids to make talking feasible. ‘Sadder.’
Zimu’s whip flicked out and coiled around a length of driftwood lying across their path, which he jerked aside with a casual motion. ‘No. Death is always the same,’ the big Djin said. ‘It is grief that changes.’
Tayna nodded thoughtfully at this, but said nothing. It was not a time for chatter.” – Conversation between Tayna and Zimu from Strange Places by Jefferson Smith, pages 168-169
Strange Places by Jefferson Smith, is published by Indie Ink Publishing, (2011).
Hello, Groin by Beth Goobie
Summary: Harbouring a secret she’s afraid to even admit to herself, Dylan is struggling to push down the growing truth inside her. But when the opportunity arises in a creative display for the library to use books to define the body parts of male and female cut outs, her choices are revealing and land her in some trouble. Pressure builds as Dylan tries to hang on what she has, a kind and gentle boyfriend and a best friend she’s had since grade three, until a drunken kiss with a stranger makes her realise she can’t pretend anymore. Bit by bit, Dylan begins to live more authentically, acknowledging at last that she is attracted to girls, and finding the courage to be honest about her feelings with the important people in her life.
Number of Pages: 271
Age Range: 15-17
Review: I had more memorable quotes, but at some point it just becomes ridiculous. The ones I didn’t include were pretty much whole pages of text because I love the concepts in Goobie’s book. As a book enthusiast how could I not love the whole theme of picking books to depict body parts and ideas of gender?
I can’t even pick a favourite character because I like them all for different reasons. I enjoyed watching Dylan blossom into herself and taking ownership of her body. I loved Cam’s gentle, patient and thoughtful ways. Keelie’s spirit and energy and good-nature makes her scenes fun to read because she ends up being quite insightful for one so young. Ms. Fowler is intriguing, and I wanted to know more about her story to put her book choices in context. But I was not a huge fan of Joc. Even though she broke up with Dikker, I still think she’s a bit of a wild card and has the potential to really hurt Dylan in the future.
It’s a tricky book to write about because Beth Goobie’s writing is in your face for a lot of reasons. Her language choices with words like groin, dyke and fag. Depictions of female masturbation which is a rarer feature of teen fiction than girls getting their periods, and the fact that Goobie deals with bullying of others based on sexual preference or even speculation of perceived sexual preference. For those reasons, it’s an uncomfortable read.
But if you are able to sit with your discomfort, it’s a worthwhile read about claiming your whole body as an important part of who you are. Through Dylan’s experiences, Goobie explores the confusion of being a teen, lashing out at others to gain power, and trying to sort through all the subtle messages coming your way without being overwhelmed by them. Dylan thinks outside the box, and finds the strength to live authentically.
Goobie also provides a happy ending with a positive lesbian relationship. This is also a somewhat rare feature of teen fiction. I love it.
Interspersed throughout the story is a solid base of literary references. I haven’t read all of the books Goobie mentions, but after reading Hello, Groin, I definitely want to.
Memorable Quotes:
“One day last year, while I was shelving books in the fiction section, I stopped for a moment and stood, just looking at the shelf in front of me. The weirdest sensation came over me then – almost as if each book had a voice and they were all calling to me. I means, extremely bizarro, I know, but it happened. And as I was standing there, listening to that shelf of books call out to me, Ms. Fowler walked over and asked what I was doing.
‘One shelf of books has so many completely different ideas sitting right next to each other,’ I said slowly. I wouldn’t normally say something like that to a Dief teacher, but talking to Ms. Fowler was sort of like talking inside your own head. ‘It’s like looking at a row of minds,’ I continued, just letting the thoughts come out. ‘A story from Moose Jaw could be sitting next to one from Johannesburg. Every shelf in this library is like that. It’s fantastic.'” – Dylan talking to her high school librarian, Ms. Fowler from Hello, Groin by Beth Goobie
“So, someone besides Joc had finally noticed. It didn’t really surprise me that it was Keelie. She had a way of watching you so intensely that you felt as if her eyes were stuck to your soul. And like most little kids, she could spot a lie a long way off. When it comes to lying, little kids are different than adults. I mean, they haven’t lived long enough to learn the art of lying continually the way adults have. Sure, they come up with incredible whoppers sometimes, but only in a crisis, to save themselves from a time-out or an early bedtime. They don’t live a lit all the time like some grown-ups, plodding through each day resigned and defeated, all the while smiling tiredly and saying, ‘Oh, I’m good, great, fine. Everything’s okay.’ Happiness, there’s no happiness in them anywhere.” – Dylan from Hello, Groin by Beth Goobie
“‘We’re all like that, don’t you think?’ he said, rushing on. ‘Like Lancelot – stuff wrong inside us but still wanting to do miracles. That’s why I think you should put “The Once and Future King” over the guy’s dick. Because that’s where a guy lives, in his dick. It’s his kingdom. If he’s right or wrong in his heart and head, that’s where it’ll show up – in his dick. He’ll be a bad king or a servant-king there. Or a Lancelot, performing miracles.'” – Cam discussing the appropriateness of using The Once and Future King in Dylan’s book body display from Hello, Groin by Beth Goobie
“‘It’s like everyone thinks that what goes on between a teenager’s legs is dirty,’ I said, letting the words out in a rush. ‘I mean, whether you’re having sex with someone or not. That part of your body is automatically indecent because you’re a teenager, and everyone just assumes teenagers are wild and on the edge of losing control at every moment. You’re never allowed to just live in that part of your body. It’s a forbidden zone, a place you’re never supposed to think about, and adults are always lecturing you about saving sex for marriage, or STDs and how they can shrivel your brain to a peanut. And the whole time you know half of them were having unsafe sex in the back of a car when they were teenagers. Anyway, why does that part of your body have to be treated like a wild animal that should be caged and controlled? Why can’t it be about decency and honor and what’s true and good?
‘And wise,’ I added defiantly, crossing my arms over my chest.” – Dylan from Hello, Groin by Beth Goobie
“I shrugged again. ‘You have to read the book,’ I said. ‘It’s awesome, it made me feel like I could do things, be someone important. I mean, those girls thought for themselves and did what they thought was right. What does it matter if they were dykes or straights? Why does that matter?'” – Dylan talking about Foxfire by Joyce Carol Oates from Hello, Groin by Beth Goobie
“‘Our whole body is our heart and mind, maybe even our soul. So I think our heart and soul and mind live in our groin, just like anywhere else. And we need to make that part of us be about truth and respect and love, just like our heart.'” – Dylan from Hello, Groin by Beth Goobie
“Again his eyes flicked across mine and I saw the pain in them, but more than that – a kind of giving. In the middle of how incredibly difficult this was for him, I could feel him sitting there and telling himself that he could do this – he could reach into the strength of this moment and give in to himself and to me.” – Dylan observing Cam from Hello, Groin by Beth Goobie
Hello, Groin by Beth Goobie, is published by Orca Book Publishers, (2006).
The Lottery by Beth Goobie
Summary: Every year at Saskatoon Collegiate, a lottery takes place to choose a victim and servant for Shadow. Whoever is chosen is treated as a pariah at school even by their friends and forced to run errands distributing the Shadow’s orders to the rest of the student body. When Sal’s name comes up, she’s already got her own problems. Her father killed himself by running his car into a tree when Sal was with him, and her mom is a detached parent who is having trouble connecting with her children through her grief. As Sal is immersed in Shadow and loses her friends, she must decide if she is willing to play by the rules or if she can change things with the love and support of her brother Dusty. Turns out they have more in common than she realised.
Number of Pages: 264
Age Range: 15-17
Review: What I love about Beth Goobie’s writing is that there is so much packed into it. My summary only captures a piece of what’s in The Lottery.
I love reading about the strong female characters Goobie presents. Sal is faced with a horrible proposition: be the victim of Shadow, the secret society of the school, giving up her friends and integrity all to keep the system going for a year, or refuse to obey and risk social suicide. On top of what she’s already dealing with, it is too much, and thankfully her brother Dusty helps her rediscover herself before she completely looses any sense of who she is.
Goobie explores the dynamics of power and entitlement in a high school setting, thoughtfully pointing out through Sal’s astute observations that everyone plays a role in choosing a victim and letting Shadow stay in power. At first it is easy to see members of Shadow as the villains, yet the way other students acquiesce without a fight proves the situation is more complicated than it appears. There is a dark side in this book, but it’s in everyone and doesn’t belong to just one group.
Tension-filled with the element of an accident you just can’t look away from, The Lottery also has wonderful, quirky characters Sal only meets because she suddenly finds herself on the outside just like them. Her new social position gives her a different view, and she is able to make new friends who are honest and real. I especially liked Diane and Tauni and the way they connected in the end.
The aspect of Sal’s blue music and how it captured her true self and talent was excellent. Goobie’s writing is expressive and even though I couldn’t hear the music, I did feel how freeing it was for her. Music serves to distract Sal, but also to guide her and help her claim herself. I also loved the piece called Inside the Question.
So much of this book is about having the courage to stand up for your convictions; to do what you know is right. Though Sal takes some time to figure it out and in the meantime people she cares about are hurt, she still does her best to turn things around when she knows things have gone too far. Too far proves to be a bit of a relative term as several terrible things happen first, but her realisation about her father helps turn things around, as does the continual support of her brother Dusty.
I feel like my review has just scratched the surface though. The Lottery is a worthwhile, enticing read with a lot between the book covers.
Memorable Quotes:
“What had come to her, alone in that darkness, had been a voice, a deep blue voice that sang without words. It had come to her as if it knew her, as if it had always known her, as if it knew exactly the way her heart had once sung and the melodies it needed to hear again. For months after her father died, Sal had gone into her room, curled up alone, and waited for the blue voice to find her. Then, for some reason, she’d stopped – stopped so completely that for seven years she’d forgotten about the voice and its aching beauty until now.” – Sal from The Lottery by Beth Goobie, page 32
“Just this afternoon on her way to English, Sal had passed the former lottery winner in the hall with two of her friends. Jenny had been talking a mile a minute, her eyes darting like a dragonfly, here, there, landing nowhere, as if everything she saw an illusion, a shifting hologram of smiles and laughter, and beyond this stretched the long ache of a truth she’d carry alone for the rest of her life.” – Sal from The Lottery by Beth Goobie, page 50
“The air peeled back on itself then, tearing away the surface reality Sal had always known and leaving her with something entirely different. Everything still looked the same, the surface appeared intact, but she knew it was gone, completely gone. What she was left with was a world of strangers who looked like friends – friends she used to believe in, friends with whom she’d tossed small jokes and confidences back and forth, not realizing these carefree disclosures had been small parts of her body, and the joke had always been on her.” – Sal’s observation of Jenny, last year’s victim from The Lottery by Beth Goobie, pages 68-69
“The jeers began, the crowd fencing her in, Diane staring without expression at their vicious yapping mouths. She couldn’t hear them, Sal realized suddenly. Somewhere inside herself, Diane had found the switch that cut off the torment of sound entering her brain. The world had been disconnected, and the faces that surrounded her sneered and leered without meaning.” – Sal’s observations of Diane from The Lottery by Beth Goobie, page 146
“‘Then why is he on Shadow?’ exploded Dusty. ‘Believe me, if you’re on Shadow, you are Shadow. No exceptions.’
‘I don’t know,’ Sal repeated. ‘Nothing fits the way it used to, there is no black and white. The way I see it, everyone at S.C. is living both sides of the same coin. We all support Shadow, run off and stomp on some victim whenever they tell us to. At the same time, we’re all victims-in-waiting, and any one of us could become the next target. The victim and the assassin are living inside each one of us, we all play both parts. We keep the whole thing going, we’re doing this to ourselves. Every year, the entire student body holds its breath until one kid gets chosen to be the symbol for what’s happening inside everyone else.'” – Conversation between Dusty and Sal about Shadow from The Lottery by Beth Goobie, page 184
“A gladness leapt through Sal, a sighing ache, and then sound began to unfold like a dream coming awake. Slow notes flowed from the clarinet, a kind of conversation, a speaking that came from a deep wounded part of herself. This part had no words, only sound and the song that came out that sound. Swimming deeper and deeper into the song of herself, Sal rose and fell on an ocean of notes until she forgot she was holding a clarinet, forgot she was anything but a long singing wave of blue. Sound lifted directly from her body – it was blue, it was honey and blush pink, it was a vivid scintillating flash of orange. Then it was black as Tauni Morrison found the mouth in her face and began to sing, voice pulsing from her in wave after wave of endless, wordless, merciful blue.” – Sal from The Lottery by Beth Goobie, page 192
Sal giggled uncertainly and Bryden tilted his head back, dragging intently on his cigarette. ‘Then she came up with something that really blew me away. “Remember this, kiddo,” she said, getting out her claws and poking me again. “You’re not a burden, you’re a privilege. There’s some that know this truth about themselves, and the rest ache their whole lives long trying to find it. Now you get working on yourself until you believe what I just told you, and then you go out there and grab everything life has to offer you.” Then she got up and toddled off to poke and harass everyone else in the ward into crawling back into some self-respect. That was one cool old lady.'” – Bryden from The Lottery by Beth Goobie, page 207
“‘You believe in the victim and the lottery, you believe in Shadow, don’t you? And you know why you believe in them? Because you need them. You need Shadow to keep you in your place.’
‘And what is my place?’ Willis’s eyes narrowed.
‘Afraid’
‘Afraid of what?’
‘Of yourself,’ Sal said simply. ‘You’re afraid of the possibility of yourself. As long as Shadow keeps you in your place, you don’t have to think about who you would be if you were choosing. That’s what the question is, isn’t it? Who could I be if I wasn’t always so afraid?'” – Conversation between Sal and Willis from The Lottery by Beth Goobie, page 259
The Lottery by Beth Goobie, is published by Orca Book Publishers, (2002).
Tribes by Arthur Slade
Summary: Following the death of his father in a foreign country where he was working as an anthropologist, Percy takes on the eyes of his father and begins to see his fellow high school students from an anthropological perspective. His unique view is shared by his friend Elissa but takes on a maniacal edge as the year anniversary of his best friend’s suicide passes right before they are set to graduate. No longer able to connect with people on a human level, Percy’s disconnection has him frantically writing papers to chronicle his observations and passing up opportunities for friendship and romance along the way. When graduation comes and one of Percy’s truths is revealed as a lie, Percy is faced with having re-evaluate the past three years of his life.
Number of Pages: 134
Age Range: 15-17
Review: The last sentence in Arthur Slade’s Tribes reads: “So much passes through us without our ever noticing.”
But this is not the story of the unobserved. Instead, Percy’s story is about critically observing and documenting the behaviours of the students he attends high school with, as well as the other people in his life. Looking for meaning and purpose behind those behaviours, Percy’s voice is witty at times, as well as incisive and logical. He’s trying so hard to make sense of the world around him, finding it tremendously difficult to step out of his observer role and just be a teenager.
At first Percy seems stuck up and detached, but Slade reveals Percy has had to deal with the death of his father, and also the suicidal death of his best friend Will. Suddenly what started out as an unsympathetic character becomes a bit relatable, with Percy’s actions now being viewed in the hue of grief.
Slade doesn’t leave it there though. There’s one more surprise and it changes the whole book. What is up becomes down with this new revelation, and I was quite dissatisfied as Slade addresses this dramatic turn with a visit to a sweat lodge and a high school counsellor.
I still like the book though. Maybe the ending wasn’t strong, but the motivation for Percy’s character up until that point becomes clear in an instant, requiring a re-examination of the story and the signs along the way. I loved Percy’s observations and comparisons, and battle of the minds he has with the Christian students.
Tribes is a unique story in some ways, but in others it is heartbreakingly familiar. Because when it all comes down to it, Percy is just another person looking to explain the pain in his life and prevent more from happening to him. His solution to solving that problem is what sets him apart.
Memorable Quotes:
“This camp grew especially fecund, attracting sufficient hominids to include one motivated biped who convinced the others to build a high school.
Truly, it was the first backward step in 3.5 million years. The second was the invention of football teams.” – from Tribes by Arthur Slade, pages 5-6
I reached down, patted Fang’s head. He rolled over and I scratched his belly. Thousands of years ago one of our ancestors took a wild wolf pup home and tamed it. Soon all the hunter-gather wanted one. Now here I was stroking a genetic parody of that wolf.” – Percy from Tribes by Arthur Slade, page 59
“I concocted a meal of sprouts and seaweed. While masticating, I pondered Darwin’s life. In 1831, at the age of twenty-two, he embarked on H.M.S Beagle. For the next five years he studied animals, bugs, seeds and stones in South America, concentration on the Galápagos Islands. From his observations he came up with the theory of natural selection. It took him twenty years to complete his first book on the topic.
I didn’t have that kind of time. I wanted to understand now. To see the answer. To have that elusive eureka moment.” – Percy from Tribes by Arthur Slade, pages 66-67
Tribes by Arthur Slade, is published by HarperTrophy Canada, (2002).
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Amy Mathers has been passionate about reading from a very young age, and hopes others will share her enthusiasm for funding a teen book award. Read more Follow Amy
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