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Wondla Trilogy – Book I
Tony DiTerlizzi
Simon and Schuster UK
1 September 2011 / ISBN: 9780857073006
Juvenile / SF / Future
Amazon
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Reviewed
by Rachel A Hyde
All twelve-year-old
Eva Nine knows is the dull but comforting safety of The Sanctuary,
and underground home that she shares with a robot called Muthr.
Although she yearns to explore the world above she keeps failing
the survival tests set by the computer. She has to be ready however
when one day a huntsman comes crashing into their world, forcing
Eva to leave. When she sees the outside for the first time she realizes
that it is nothing like the place she has been schooled about all
her life, and she is actually prepared for nothing at all…
This is a fun and thought-provoking coming-of-age story, set in
a strange and imaginative future world. Eva has to grow up fast
when everything changes for her, and we see her transform from rebellious
adolescent to experienced young woman. Mr DiTerlizzi has wisely
eschewed the cute for the outlandish, and the creatures Eva meets
are bizarre and rather clever inventions; to say more would be a
plot spoiler. The book is illustrated in black and white, the illustrations
printed in a way that evokes books from the period the author (who
also created The Spiderwick Chronicles) finds most inspiring. This
gives the book a slightly steampunk feel, although for a better
comparison think Frank L Baum. What matters is that it is easy to
care about these characters and be sucked into their world.
I certainly
enjoyed reading this tale that manages to be for children yet contains
much that adults will find entertaining too. For once this is not
a dystopian world to rebel against in the name of freedom but a
place to explore and enjoy, dangers notwithstanding, which is a
rarity these days. There is also an accompanying website which requires
a webcam to be properly appreciated; I don’t have one so you
will have to discover this for yourself. This story is uplifting
and gently enjoyable in all the right ways.
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