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The Owl Keeper (2010)

by Christine Brodien-Jones(Favorite Author)

3.75 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0385738145 (ISBN13: 9780385738149)

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

Delacorte Press

review 1: The Owl Keeper is written for a juvenile (grades 5-8) audience. The plot is interesting - good vs evil, life in a culture where science is worshiped and the High Echelon governs all. Max is a sickly, fragile child who must stay away from sunlight but his new found friend, Rose, and a wounded silver owl help him discover his real purpose. Kids like to see the underdog succeed and with this book they will not be disappointed. My problem with it was with the writing - more telling than showing, more plodding than smooth flowing. (sorry - I didn't mean to rhyme...)
review 2: Spoiler alert of sorts, though so very predictable: Add this children's book to the collection of books in which a humble child is destined to save humans from the rise of dark forces. I... more have been looking for books that will be enjoyable for young readers (8-year-olds), but still have enough literary tension to challenge their thinking and engage them with the story. This book fits the bill. There is no nuance here--the characters are all written with a large stereotypical swipe of the pen. The outcome, and much of the intervening action, is very predictable. The end is steeped in a ridiculous degree of meaningless mysticism. Nevertheless, the book is enjoyable, and I think it will appeal to young readers as a bridge between Magic Tree House and books that are more challenging, such as The Giver or The Dark Is Rising series. For some reason, the book reminded me of a book I read and loved many years ago, The Last Unicorn, by Peter Beagle (a work of adult fantasy). I do not even know if that comparison is accurate, but the book came to mind as I read this one. less

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