Sunday, February 27, 2022

The Legend of the Dream Giants by Dustin Hansen - OPTIONAL

The Legend of the Dream Giants by Dustin Hansen, 235 pages. Shadow Mountain, 2022. $19.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Berg the giant wanders alone, trading for the food he needs, but Berg really wants to be friends with the people who chase him away. They hurt Berg when they call him “Ünhold,” the name of a terrible giant. If only Berg could show them that he isn’t like Ünhold, then maybe they would be kind to Berg and let him stay.

The young giant, Berg, is simple in language and desire, and the simplicity is what makes his story relatable. His is a tale of belonging, of struggling to understand why what he thinks of as kindness is rejected by people, of wondering if he can be true to himself as well as the demands of those that are willing to call themselves his friend. Hansen writes beautifully in the descriptive way of Berg’s simpler language to illustrate this fantasy world from Berg’s point of view, but there are pieces of the story that don't make sense to me. The violence rating is for repeated attacks and death.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

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