Teen Fiction

Once Upon a Time in the North by Philip Pullman

Fans of the His Dark Materials trilogy will get a kick from this wisp of a novel, which immediately introduces a lean young man with a large hat, a laconic disposition, and a thin mustache: Pullman offers up the backstory about that legendary Texan, the aeronaut Lee Scoresby, his jackrabbit daemon, Hester, and their first encounter with that other series favorite, the armored bear Iorek Byrnison. But this story reads as a stand alone, too, accessible to those unfamiliar with The Golden Compass and the rest. Bringing in his signature talents for rich scenic description and dramatic action, the story begins as Lee arrives on the island of Novy Odense, looking for work, and instead finds adventure. Notably, Pullman tells the story from Lee's perspective, trading in trilogy heroine Lyra's point of view for that of an adult man. Lee and Iorek team up to help a sea captain save his ship's cargo unfairly embargoed by a corrupt local politician (he harbors a deep prejudice against armored bears) and square off against the politician's bodyguard, a hired killer. Readers will appreciate this story's larger-than-life tenor, so fitting for the heroic Lee Scoresby. Kids will enjoy the extras, such as the pull-out board game Peril of the Pole (for four to six players and their daemons) and newspaper clippings. Illustrated throughout with small engravings; final art not seen by PW. Ages 12-up. (Apr.) Copyright � Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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The Great Good Thing: A Novel by Rod Townley

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Claire: A Clique Novel by Lisi Harrison

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Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

It ought to seem redundant to dismiss the fourth and final Twilight novel as escapist fantasy-but how else could anyone look at a romance about an ordinary, even clumsy teenager torn between a vampire and a werewolf, both of whom are willing to sacrifice their happiness for hers? Flaws and all, however, Meyer's first three novels touched on something powerful in their weird refraction of our culture's paradoxical messages about sex and sexuality. The conclusion is much thinner, despite its interminable length. Everygirl Bella achieves her wishes quickly (marriage and sex, in that order, are two, and becoming an immortal is another), and once she becomes a vampire it's almost impossible to identify with her. But that's not the main problem. Essentially, everyone gets everything they want, even if their desires necessitate an about-face in characterization or the messy introduction of some back story. Nobody has to renounce anything or suffer more than temporarily-in other words, grandeur is out. This isn't about happy endings; it's about gratification. A sign of the times? Ages 12-up. Copyright � Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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