The Sacrifice
by Diane Matcheck
Farrar Straus Giroux, 1998, Sunburst edition 2005. ISBN: 0374464405
My rating:
"You know only hunters are permitted on buffalo hunts." The wrinkles carved into his brown face made his scowl seem even more severe. "You might have stampeded the herd. Then the tribal guard would have your hide!"
She tensed at the mention of a whipping from the guard--one man had never recovered from it. But she was a hunter, a good hunter, and would never have startled the herd. Her father knew this, too: that was not his real fear.
--The Sacrifice, by Diane Matcheck, p. 7.
Weak-one-who-does-not-last is a 15-year-old girl whose father once held great respect in her Apsaalooka tribe. Because her father had a vision before she and her twin brother were born that one twin would die young and one twin would become a great leader, everyone in the tribe believes that it was her twin brother, Born-great, who was destined to become "the Great One." But Born-great died when they were both four—a death that Weak-one is still wracked with guilt over—and it is Weak-one who trains herself to become a great warrior, even though women warriors are rare and frowned upon. Weak-one is sure that she was the one her father saw in his vision—but no one else believes her. Soon after she gains her father's acceptance, he die—and she sets off to prove herself.
During her journey, she is attacked by a bear, yet she fights the bear and kills it, something warriors are rarely able to do. She takes its hide and teeth as trophies to prove her triumph—and then, still weakened by the fight, she is captured by some men from a rivalling tribe—Pawnee. In this new setting, Weak-one renames herself to fit her true spirit. She fears what will happen to her, but the Pawnees treat her with kindness—especially Wolfstar, the boy who acts as her keeper. Over time, Weak-One comes to love Wolfstar, and he her—and then she discovers that they are planning to sacrifice her in a ritual. Now she has to escape. But who can she trust? And will she manage to escape, and become the Great One she has always believed she was?
This is a riveting story of survival, of coming into one's own strength, and of rising above others' attempts at supression. Weak-One is a compelling character. She is treated badly, shunned, treated as a scapegoat, and not believed in, but she has strength, courage, and a fierce determination to follow her dreams, and this helps the reader fiercely root for her, and want her to succeed. It's also encouraging to read a story of a strong girl fighting against sexism.
The story is fast-paced, gripping, and full of details that bring the story alive. There is a good use of language and character, fresh analogies, and vivid emotion. Weak-one, especially, is very believable as a character, as are many of the others. Weak-one changes and grows throughout the story, moving from lack of respect for the life of the animals she kills to respect, from great guilt to resolution, and from arrogance to humility, pride, and compassion for others, and as a result becomes a more likeable character. This is a very enjoyable read that will make you want to rush right through to the ending. Highly recommended.
A warning for those who are sensitive to violence—there is some very descriptive and graphic violence in this book, that, while it fits the setting and plot, and has appropriate emotional responses, some readers may find disturbing.
-Added June 7, 2005
FreeFall
by Joyce Sweeney
Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1996. ISBN: 0440219752
My rating:
12:30 P.M., Saturday
Ten minutes later, they came to a tunnel where someone had written RICK on the wall with something soft and black, like charcoal. All four boys came to a complete stop. Their collective breathing echoed.
"If we'd gone past that before, somebody would have seen it," David said. He adjusted the visor of his cap and turned to Neil.
"Right," Neil said. His body felt like a stone falling through water....
"How long does it take before people starve to death?" Terry asked Neil.
--FreeFall, Joyce Sweeney. p. 45.
Four teens—two brothers with a secret past, and their friends—become trapped in a cave in Florida—and noone knows where they are or where to look for them. They're trapped together, with only some food and supplies—and one boy is claustiphobic, one boy has asthma, one boy has a chip on his shoulder, and one boy thinks he has something to prove.
Secrets and hidden emotions come to the surface while the four boys are trapped—and some healing actually occurs. A compelling book that will draw you in. This book feels very real, and is taut with emotion.
Island of the Blue Dolphins
by Scott O'Dell
Random House, (reissue), 1987. ISBN: 0440439884
My rating:
I was overcome with fear. "Where is my brother?" I cried.
...The sails had filled and the ship was now moving slowly away. Everyone was looking toward the cliff, even the white men. I ran to one of them and pointed, but he shook his head and turned from me. The ship began to move faster. Against my will, I screamed.
Chief Matasaip grasped my arm.
"We cannot wait for Ramo," he said. "If we do, the ship will be driven on the rocks."
"We must!" I shouted. "We must!"
--Island of the Blue Dolphins, Scott O'Dell, p. 45.
Karana, a young Indian girl, jumped from a ship that was evacuating the island, to be with her abandoned brother. But her brother died soon after, and Karana was left on the island, alone, to survive. Karana had to struggle with her grief and loneliness alone, and with finding a way to get enough food to live, make shelter to keep warm, and defend herself from wolves and the weather.
Karana is a strong, courageous hero, and you root for her throughout the book, always hoping things will get a little easier for her. At times this book is a little slow; the book has been around for a long time, and isn't an on-the-edge-of-your-seat book like much of our current fiction—but it's still a good read. Based on a real-life story, this is an incredible story of survival.
Hatchet
by Gary Paulson
Aladdin/Simon & Schuster, 1996 (reprint). ISBN: 0027701301
My rating:
His eyes snapped open, hammered open, and there were these things about himself that he knew, instantly.
He was unbelievable, viciously thirsty. His mouth was dry and tasted foul and sticky. His lips were cracked and felt as if they were bleeding and if he did not drink some water soon he felt that he would wither up and die. Lots of water. All the waret he could find.
--Hatchet, Gary Paulson, p. 43.
On the way to visit his divorced father, the small plane that Brian was travelling in crashed when the pilot had a heart attack. Brian was the only other passenger. Left with only the clothes on his back, the hatchet clipped to his belt, and a bruised and battered body, Brian had to try to figure out how to survive—alone—in the wilderness.
Brian goes through terror, pain, and loneliness as he struggles to survive, and he comes to some tough realizations—self-pity and despair will not help him survive, and he must use courage and inner strength, intelligence and will, if he is to survive. A well-written, gripping story that will stay with you for a long time.
Blind Flight
by Hilary Milton
Scholastic Paperbacks, (reprint) 1982. ISBN: 0590321145
My rating:
"Now, we'll just follow our noses straight ahead and see if we can—oh no! No!"
Before she had time to react to his sudden yell, Debbie heard the splintering crash of something hard against the windshield and felt shattered slivers of plexiglass strike her arms, her shoulders, and her face. The aircraft wobbled, fell off to its side sharply, shook all over, nosed down for a fleeting moment before it vibrated once more, then righted itself.
--Blind Flight, Hilary Milton, p. 13.
Debbie went flying with her uncle in a small plane, when suddenly her uncle cried out, something broke the windshield, and her uncle stopped responding. Debbie couldn't see what had happened—she was blind—but she felt around until she realized that a goose had broken through and knocked her uncle unconscious.
Now Debbie was left to try to land the plane by herself—but she couldn't see anything, and she didn't know how to fly a plane. She used the radio to call for help, and finally managed to find someone to help her. Only she had to do all the hard work herself—she had to land the plane with only a voice to guide her.
One of my favorite books, this is a gripping, moving, edge-of-your-seat book that is suspenseful and well written. Highly recommended.
This book is out of print, but you can still find used copies online, through the search engine on your left, or you may be able to find a copy at your local library.
