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Above

by Leah Bobet

Toronto writer Leah Bobet, best known for her sci-fi and fantasy short stories, makes the move to longer fiction with her first novel for young readers.

Matthew has always lived in Safe, a hidden underground haven for those who can’t pass as “normal” on the streets of the city, Above. His lion-pawed father and fish-gilled mother were among the founding members of Safe, but Matthew has no apparent abnormalities. He can easily “pass” on the surface but remains in Safe as the Teller, collecting and recounting the community’s history.

When Matthew brings Ariel, with her fragile gossamer bee’s wings, to Safe, he becomes her guide and protector. Their roles are reversed, however, after invaders overrun Safe and he escapes with Ariel and a handful of others to Above. Suddenly Matthew finds himself struggling to cope in a world he’s never known, and to find a way of driving out the invaders.

In his quest to reclaim Safe, Matthew comes across information that challenges the histories he has always known and, as Teller, passed on. The very foundation of what he believes is shaken, and Matthew must face the upheaval not just of his home but of all he holds true.

Bobet fearlessly takes the reader to ­uncomfortable places, where, as Matthew discovers, there is always more than one side to a story. Though Safe and Above initially feel fantastical, the issues presented in the book – how we perceive one another; how labels are formed and applied; how tales are told, remembered, and changed; and how those tales influence the actions and decisions of others – are boldly questioned, to great effect.

Though ostensibly geared to the YA market, Above is a book with themes that will resonate equally with adult readers. There should be no surprise if it has great crossover appeal.

 

Reviewer: Cori Dusmann

Publisher: Scholastic Canada

DETAILS

Price: $19.99

Page Count: 368 pp

Format: Cloth

ISBN: 978-0-54529-670-0

Released: March

Issue Date: 2012-3

Categories:

Age Range: 12+

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