The Reader (Sea of Ink and Gold #1)
Published September 13th 2016 by Putnam
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, through the Children's and Young Adult Book Review Board of Missouri (http://brb.missouristate.edu/), in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The story takes place in a make-believe world of Kelanna in a time of sailing ships, pirates, and magic. A land where only the privileged few can read and the secret of reading is a heavily guarded secret. The main character, Sofia finds herself in trouble from the beginning of the book. She is an orphan being raised by her aunt, Nin. The only clue she has to her past is an unfamiliar object that is left to her by her murdered father. Nin and Sofia are always on the lamb, hiding from the authorities, having to steal for food, and sleeping wherever they find themselves at night fall. Why they are constantly running and Sofia’s past are mysteries “explained” throughout the book. The story is filled with lies, secrets, action, deception, and blooming love. It is the first book in the Sea of Ink and Gold series.
I loved this book. On the first pages, Chee’s advice to the reader: read everything, read it closely, and discover the magic, had me hooked, and I HAD to read more. The Reader is a book within a book with several stories masterly woven together to create a seamless story. The use of flashbacks and character’s points of view help the reader understand the plot. The characters are the hidden gems of this book. They are very colorful and unique. I love the way Chee describes each character and weaves them flawlessly into the story. One of my favorite descriptions is “...a small ferrety man in a ratty green coat.” The descriptive language shows the reader different ways to view things and then leaves them in awe that they never thought of looking at it that way before.
I am I will definitely be reading the Book #2, The Speaker, when it is available on November 7, 2017.
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I think The Reader could be used in a classroom setting. I love the idea of discussing what life would be like without written language. I also think it could be used in an ELA classroom focusing on creative writing and the use of descriptive words and similes. As always there is prediction since it is the first book in a series.
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