Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: G (some fighting and peril).
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
12yo Sai is an assistant to a mapmaker. She doesn't have the lineage of the other girls her age, and worries about her 13th birthday when they will know she doesn't come from a prestigious family line. In fact, she's a skilled forger, and she is currently hiding from her father, who continues to get her involved in his criminal schemes. So, when her employer offers to let her come along on a ship voyage as the mapmaker's assistant, she jumps at the chance, maybe this is a chance for a new life somewhere else.
The Last Mapmaker was an engaging adventure. Similar to Soontornvat's other titles, this is a "kid pulls themself out of their bad situation" story. I really loved the idea of a lineal - a bracelet or pin which shows your family heritage, and that connection to your ancestors somehow designates your value in society. Sai is a resourceful girl and she's really smart, but she makes a bunch of questionable decisions, and while I think her heart is in the right place, it made me worry for when everything was going to fall apart. There's a little bit of magic, too. A fun read. Names and descriptions indicate that Sai is probably Asian.
Lisa Librarian
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