Vanhee, Jason Engines of the Broken World, 262 pgs.
Henry Holt and Company, 2013. $16.99. Language: PG-13 (34 swears 0 “F”); Mature
Content: PG; Violence: PG-13
Merciful Truth and
her brother Gospel’s mother is dead. They want to give her the proper burial
she deserves, but the snow and cold won’t allow them to break the ground and
dig a grave. The Minister who guides them through animal form disapproves of their
actions and makes them feel guilty for their choice. The siblings vow to lay
their mother to rest as soon as the storm ceases, but in the meantime, put her under
the table in the cold of the kitchen. Merciful does her best to justify her
actions to the Minister and even begins to feel less guilty until she hears the
lullaby begin. How is it possible that she is hearing her mother singing when
Merciful knows her mother is dead?
What begins
promisingly as a creepy story of the dead rising again quickly devolves into a
confused plot about parallel universes, the end of the world, God and his plan,
and a hazy battle between good and evil. As the supernatural genre of young
adult literature persists, many authors attempt a new take on a tired idea. This
story makes such an attempt and is ambitious in its scope, but fails to create
a book that feels complete or comprehensible. The ending is abrupt and
unsatisfying as the reader is left with many unanswered questions.
MS,HS—OPTIONAL. AEB
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