Synopsis
Kenneth Oppel meets Andrew Clements in this riveting middle grade novel that will capture fantasy and fiction lovers alike as it thoughtfully explores the power of summoning, other worlds, and consumerism versus necessity.
Arresting, fast-paced, and thought-provoking, this nonstop middle grade adventure turns familiar magic upside down and inside out.
In the world of Elipsom, the ability to Call, or summon objects, is a coveted, crucial skill, revered among its people as both a powerful tool and an essential way to sustain life. But despite an elite family history, a phenom for an older sister, a best friend who is set to join the Council of Callers, and his mother’s steely insistence that he learn to Call, Quin doesn’t have the gift—an embarrassment made worse when his mother gets his sister to cheat for him on his Calling exam. But everything changes in a moment of frustration when Quin, instead of summoning an object, makes something disappear. And what’s more, he quickly discovers that the objects Callers bring into their world aren’t conjured at all but are whisked away from another world and a people who for years have had their lives slowly stolen from them. Now Quin must team up with Allie, a girl who’s determined to stop this unfair practice, and decide whether he should remain loyal to his family or betray them—and save the world.
In a story that explores some of the most crucial topics of our time—our relationship to consumerism, the exploitation of natural resources, colonialism, and the consequences of wanting more than we need—magic is sought, and truth is found.
The Good
+That it is a story about exploitation and oppression & taking of other resources without thought for them that is not heavy handed.
+I appreciate seeing solutions to the conflicts in the story.
+The world and magic are interesting.
The Bad
I did not have as much fun as I thought I would with the story.
Thoughts
I. This felt like young adult for some reason at a certain point.
II. Reminds me of Grimworld in tone, I guess.
III. The story is left open for a sequel.
IV. Oppression
A. Naming/identifying beyond the oppressors.
B. Oppression & stealing and not giving back.
I won this on goodreads from Chronicle Kids
themollyweather 