Skip to main content

Gullstruck Island/The Lost Conspiracy

By curlyq
Gullstruck Island/The Lost Conspiracy (alternate title)
By Frances Hardinge
Macmillan Children's Books: 2009. 502 pgs. Juvenile fiction.

In this mysterious, tense tangle of a story, nothing is quite what it seems to be. In an ancient, superstition-ridden colony known as the Lace, young Hathin acts as an interpreter for her sister, Arilou, the village's sole Lost. The Lost are rare, sought-after individuals with the power to set their minds free from their bodies to fly with the winds, aiding communication between communities and providing news and necessary warnings. When tragedy strikes the village unexpectedly in a focused attack on all Lost, Hathin and Arilou are forced to run for their lives, fleeing from more danger than they could ever imagine.

This book will make you breathless and cause your heart to both still in fear and swell with inspiration. The characters are so vivid and real that you can't help but be caught up in the terror and beauty of this book. Hathin is the most marvelous character; she is both timidity and courage, and determined and faltering together. She is what we all feel--the struggle between our natural tendency and the need to rise above it and be better. Hathin, however, succeeds. This book is packed with intricate, complicated characters and is truly an incredible read. Although the first few chapters are slow and take some patience--you are submerged quickly into a foreign culture and all its facets--you will be well rewarded with an amazing, involving, completely unique adventure. Highly recommended for older readers.

CW
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

If You Like...KPop Demon Hunters

By
KPop Demon Hunters has been one of the most talked-about movies of the summer. If you loved this movie as much as I did, you don't want the magic (or the music) to stop. Try reading these books that touch on some of the same topics and themes as the animated hit! Brick Dust and Bones By M. R. Fournet New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Fiction. 247 pages. Orphaned Marius works in the family business--as their cemetery's ghost caretaker. However, Marius also moonlights as a monster hunter in order to earn the costly Mystic currency he needs to bring his mother back from the dead. As the window to bring his mother back begins to close, Marius's exploits get more and more dangerous, and he may have set his sights on a monster too big to handle on his own. Like Mira, Marius longs for familial connection, and his work as a monster hunter will satisfy the thrill of demon hunting for fans the movie. Where's Halmoni? By Julie J. Kim Seattle, WA: Little Bigfoot, 2017. Comics. W...
Post a Comment
Read more

Display: Golden

By
The Bakery Dragon By Devin Elle Kurtz New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2024. Picture book. Ember, a small dragon with an unimpressive roar, fears he will never be as good at stealing gold as other dragons, but discovers a different path to joy after a chance encounter with a baker.--Editor Sona and the Golden Beasts By Raani LaRocca New York: Quill Tree Books, 2024. Fiction. 385 pgs. Discovering an orphaned wolf pup she believes is related to the five sacred beasts of Devia, which a Hunter has been killing one by one, Sona embarks on an epic adventure during which she realizes that the fate of the sacred beasts, and the future of Devia, is in her hands. --Publisher Gold and Silver, Silver and Gold By Alvin Schwartz New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009. Informational. 128 pgs. Presents legends, true stories, and tall tales about the hunting, finding, and losing of treasure, including pirate treasure and treasure not yet uncovered.--Editor Golden Girl By Reem Faruqi New York: Harper, 202...
Post a Comment
Read more

If You Like... Folktales

By Suzanne
Folktales have long carried the wisdom, imagination, and traditions of cultures around the world by passing stories from one generation to the next. They often weave together important life lessons with magical creatures or daring adventures. Books, like the ones on this list, bring these age-old tales to life for today’s readers. Each story is rooted in its own cultural heritage and offers a glimpse into the values of the people who first told them. They remind us that storytelling is a powerful way to connect us across time and place. The Three-Year Tumble By Dayeon Auh New York: NorthSouth Books, 2025. Picture Book. Based on a beloved Korean folktale, a superstitious grandfather and his thoughtful granddaughter turn the legend of Misfortune Mountain on its head. According to the myth, anyone who falls down the mountain has only 3 years left to live! Together, this family learns how changing your mindset can make a positive impact on your life. The Salt Princess By Anoosha Syed New Y...
1 comment
Read more