Until then, we offer you our usual Interesting Summer Pick for young adult fiction: Finnikin of the Rock, by Melina Marchetta.
When the king and queen of Lumatere are assassinated (and the fate of the royal children are unknown), a curse descends on the land that leaves thousands of Lumaterans in exile. Ten years later, 19-year-old Finnikin travels the land with the king's First Man, trying to find a new home for the suffering exiles. But when a dream-like message send them to a cloister at the end of the world, they discover a young woman who claims that the lost prince is alive. They must find him and return to Lumatere.This is Printz winner Melina Marchetta's first fantasy novel, and she doesn't attempt to rehash the familiar fantasy tropes in this story (like dragons, elves, etc.). The story explores issues of exile, homeland, identity, gender roles, and self-determination in a well-developed world. The characters express themselves uniquely and with passion, regardless of their social standing. Common problems around the purpose of truth and faith are surprisingly complex. It is these issues and the characters that propel the reader eagerly foward, rather than a gimmicky use of magic and curses!
Recommended for the high school age.
