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Narrated by Shaun Taylor-Corbett
Brian YoungUnabridged — 10 hours, 13 minutes
Narrated by Shaun Taylor-Corbett
Brian YoungUnabridged — 10 hours, 13 minutes
An unmissable companion to Healer of the Water Monster, which won the American Indian Library Association Youth Literature Award, this novel by Navajo author Brian Young tells the story of two contemporary young Navajo heroes-and one water monster-who must learn to work together to save their present world from the lasting hurts of their people's past.
Edward feels ready to move in with his dad's girlfriend and her son, Nathan. He might miss having his dad all to himself, but even if things in their new home are a little awkward, living with Nathan isn't so bad. And Nathan is glad to have found a new guardian for Dew, the young water monster who has been Nathan's responsibility for two years. Now that Nathan is starting to lose his childhood connection to the Holy Beings, Edward will be the one to take over as Dew's next guardian.
But Edward has a lot to learn about taking care of a water monster. And fast. Because Dew's big sister, the powerful Yitoo Bii'aanii, is coming up to Fourth World to instruct Dew after recovering in the Third World for one hundred and sixty years. She*suspects a monstrous and enormous Enemy from the Hero Twins stories has returned and is stealing water from all of the Navajo Nation.
In their search for the Modern Enemy, Nathan, Edward, Dew, and Yitoo must confront their past and their inner selves if they are to save the Fourth World from a devastating disaster.
A riveting, emotionally affecting adventure!
Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.
"Thought-provoking and full of heart; a genuinely pleasurable read." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Navajo author Young interweaves the atrocities of the Long Walk, Navajo traditional beliefs, and modern issues of climate change and water consumption in an action-filled adventure featuring two appealing Indigenous protagonists. Young readers are faced with big questions about identity, justice, and inherited trauma." — Horn Book Magazine
09/15/2023
Gr 5–7—The second installment in the "Healer of the Water Monster" series is a fantastical blend of action, Navajo lore, and familial relationships. As Nathan is getting older, he understands he needs to pass the care of Dew the water monster off to Edward, his (sort of) stepbrother. But that doesn't make it any easier, coupled with the fact that Dew needs to learn more about her water monster siblings. So when Yitoo arrives to teach Dew, it seems like the perfect fit! However, Yitoo has quite the grudge against the Pale People and sets out on a path of revenge. Readers will be engaged in the fascinating Navajo legends and characters that Young has populated throughout the novel. Young deftly touches on a number of tough topics like climate change, generational trauma, and divorce in a manner that is insightful and age appropriate. The evolving relationship between Edward and Nathan is realistic and heartwarming and highlights the dynamics of blending families. Yitoo, while being downright mean at times, is still easy to empathize with. VERDICT An immersive and heartfelt story that tackles tough topics with grace.—Tara Peace
Shaun Taylor-Corbett movingly narrates this sequel to HEALER OF THE WATER MONSTER. Brian Young's use of his own family history and Navajo spiritual figures brings added dimension to this story. First, listeners meet Nathan, the new guardian of Dew, a young water monster who is learning traditional songs to create water for parched Phoenix. Taylor-Corbett perfectly contrasts the voices and personalities of damaged, elderly Yitoo and sweet, young Dew, who also loves to sing forbidden rock songs in English. Navajo words and chapter numbers add authenticity as Nathan and a companion seek help from ancient water monsters to learn who is stealing Phoenix's precious water. Listeners will appreciate the story's lyrical descriptions, legends, and surprising conclusion. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
★ 2023-04-12
Before he ages out of seeing Holy Beings, Nathan must find water monster Dew a mentor.
A couple of years after the events of Healer of the Water Monster (2021), Nathan’s life in Phoenix, Arizona, is changing—he and his mother, Janet, are moving in with Janet’s boyfriend and his son, the book’s co-protagonist, Edward. More than that, Nathan’s going through puberty and knows his time with Dew is limited—her new guardian will be Edward. But to ensure that Dew learns the water monster songs, she needs a mentor. Nathan wants it to be powerful water monster Yitoo Bi’aanii, who eagerly returns to the Fourth World. Upon seeing how her river has dwindled, Yitoo declares that an Enemy is stealing the water. The quest to thwart the Enemy is quickly complicated as the stakes rise and the heroes face conflicting loyalties. The environmentalist narrative embraces nuance and complications, avoiding easy answers without undermining the possibility of a hopeful future. Edward, newly informed of his Diné family’s brutal relocation era story, also struggles with inherited trauma, while Yitoo, who was witness to the violence, carries the atrocities with her. Additionally, Edward grapples with the fact that his late mother was White and with being the only household member who is not fully Diné. The bittersweet ending is as beautiful as the prose describing the fantastical journey to get there.
Thought-provoking and full of heart; a genuinely pleasurable read. (author’s note, glossary, note from Cynthia Leitich Smith) (Fiction. 10-14)
| BN ID: | 2940175093323 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | HarperCollins |
| Publication date: | 05/23/2023 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Age Range: | 8 - 11 Years |
