Leviathan (by Scott Westerfeld)

This was really great. Parents who scanned the book and are worried about the later books being more violent should know that Leviathan is more violent than its sequel, Behemoth, at this point the only other out. The book is educational, being set in an alternate reality during WWI. The characters have to worry about being shot at or dyeing in battle. Deryn, the girl masquerades as a boy and at one point, right after Alek, the boy, saves her life turns him over to the captain of the ship Leviathan as a necessary service to her country. Throughout the story the two face many dangers and are constantly in peril of some sort or another. Alek, who is the heir to Austria-Hungry, but on the run for his life, his parents just having been killed, is hunted by Germans and has to keep this birthright secret from the crew of the Leviathan which has rescued him. Deryn is going through the whole story trying to conceal that she is a girl, and t also to young to have joined this men-only army! She doesn't trust anyone with her secret, not even Alek, who becomes a good friend of her, countering the message of loyalty, trust, and friendship. The story is aimed at both boys and girls at eleven on up, even though the main character are in their later teens.

This might not be the best written thing, but Scott keeps the pages flying by, and the drawings done by Keith Thompson are beautiful, and really tie together this package. The cover is amazing, and the plot is very exciting. What makes this very good, is the cool storyline, because WW1 is the war that people really started using cars, and they still used animals, so really it was a mix of animals and technology, and Scott does a very good job by designing is own kind of war. It almost feels real, and like you're reading a textbook without the boring feel to it. The characters are developed well, and you began to feel for the characters. You can feel the ache when Alek has his killer fencing lessons, and you can feel the wind blowing on your face aboard the Leviathan, also Leviathan is pronounced Le-vi- a- thun. The book isn't too long, beside the heavy feel to it, I think it's the glossy feel to the pages. The book isn't inappropriate, it's just a little confusing. You will have to have the time to read it, and the violence does include be stabbed at, being shot at, explosions, and all of that weird war stuff, but I wouldn't be too worried. There isn't sex, but Deryn has to be worried about her secret being discovered, as in the fact she's dressing up as a boy. She worries about people noticing her chest, and it is replaced by the word "diddies." Wow, this is amazing! I loved every second of it, except the part when I finished it. Read the book, and love it, and if you don't, that's too bad, because you'll be missing out on a real charm. Enjoy!