Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by A. F. Steadman - ADVISABLE

Skandar and the Unicorn Thief (Skandar #1) by A. F. Steadman, 448 pages. Simon & Schuster, 2022. $19.

Language: PG (2 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Skandar is 13yo this year, which means he can take the Hatchery exam to see if he gets to be a rider – a unicorn rider. Only those who pass the exam can go to the Island and see if they are destined to bond with a unicorn. Skandar has been looking forward to this opportunity his whole life, and then, on exam day, he’s blocked from the room with no explanation.

With a new spin on our mental image of unicorns, secrets that no one wants to talk about, and people going missing, readers will hold on to every page. There were more flatulence jokes than I found amusing, but the comic relief was necessary as readers experience Skandar’s emotional turmoil – nothing is working out like Skandar wanted it to, he fears for his life and the lives of his family members, and somehow Skandar has to convince those from the Island that their prejudices are unproductive. While Steadman doesn’t leave readers with a cliffhanger, she does leave readers wanting to see what will come next.

Skandar has “pasty white” skin, Bobby has “deep olive” skin, Mitchell has “brown” skin, and Flo is implied White. The mature content rating is for mention of alcohol. The violence rating is for fantastical battle scenes, blood, mentions of characters being killed, and mention of suicide.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen