(Gr 7+)
Out TOMORROW! 20 September 2011
Simon Pulse. Review copy provided by publisher.
"Alek and Deryn are on the last leg of their round-the-world quest to end World War I, reclaim Alek’s throne as prince of Austria, and finally fall in love. The first two objectives are complicated by the fact that their ship, the Leviathan, continues to detour farther away from the heart of the war (and crown). And the love thing would be a lot easier if Alek knew Deryn was a girl. (She has to pose as a boy in order to serve in the British Air Service.) And if they weren’t technically enemies."
The war between the Clankers and the Darwinists is well under way, but Prince Alek still believes it's his destiny to end it and he'll do anything to make that happen. His best friend, Deryn, who he knows as Dylan, the midshipman aboard the airship Leviathan, is a little less certain that destiny exists or that the war can be stopped. We first met Alek and Deryn in Leviathan and followed their adventures into Istanbul in Behemoth, now, in the end of this amazing trilogy, the stakes are higher and all their secrets are bubbling to the surface.
I have loved this trilogy from the start. It's imaginative, exciting, and full of amazing illustrations (some of which I'd very much like to frame on my wall!). Goliath needed to bring everything together for me, no loose ends and no disappointments - and it actually did pretty well. When we first meet back up with Alek and Deryn they are still aboard the Leviathan and not entirely sure where the ship is headed next. Alek hopes it's to Europe, to the center of the fighting, so he can step up and end the war, but they seem to be heading farther and farther away. Deryn is just following orders, she doesn't mind where the Leviathan takes them next, but she does want Alek to stay aboard and for her secret to stay hidden. At least until she's ready to tell Alek herself, but just Alek.
Fans of this series will be happy to see all their favorite characters back in action and history buffs will be pleased to meet a few new famous faces. Deryn is just as strong and tough as always, but she's started to find a little bit of a softer side. Don't worry, she's still fiercely independent and the bravest midshipman serving on Leviathan (male or female). Alek grew a lot as a character in this book. He started to make his own choices and be less of a reactionary character. I wasn't sure how I felt about him after Behemoth, but he made up for all his prior character flaws in Goliath. Oh yeah, in case you were wondering. It's not all character growth and relationships, this book (like the previous two) is chock full of action, adventure, and suspense!
The one big hurdle in this series is for the teen readers. I'm not sure how much they know about World War I to begin with, so the re-imagined history might not resonate as much for them. I have book talked Leviathan a lot lately, since it's nominated for the state book award, and many parents have said some variation of, "He has no idea what happened during World War I" or "She has never heard of Darwin and won't understand genetic engineering." I try to explain that the series can be enjoyed without a full understanding of either science or history and that it might prompt further study, but both parents and kids have been put off by parts of this trilogy. Does anyone have a solution to this problem? Although, the kids who have picked it up have all loved it and come back for more! I'm excited to get Goliath on the library shelves and start passing it out to teens who aren't afraid of a different kind of story!
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