02/10/2014
In her first book for children, Unsworth takes readers inside the sinister and secretive world of the Gabriel H. Penn Home for Childhood—a refuge for specially chosen orphans in a bleak, scorching, and none-too-distant future. Devin has spent his young life on a secluded farm, “a pocket of richness” in an otherwise dry wasteland, with his grandfather. After his grandfather dies, Devin leaves for the city in order to survive. There he meets Kit—a girl with a dark past and quick, thieving hands—and Roman, who lures them both to the Home. With a photographic mind and heightened senses, Devin immediately suspects foul play at the Home, despite its extravagance and the too-good-to-be-true amenities it has to offer. Unsworth unravels the story with skilled deliberation, creating a page-turning mix of suspense, intrigue, and anxiety. The kids are genuine and quirky, just the right kind of mismatched misfits to snag readers’ hearts. This is a wholly enjoyable journey, and a dystopian vision with some great new twists. Ages 10–up. Agent: Rebecca Carter, Janklow & Nesbit. (Apr.)
“This frightening and mysterious book surprised me again and again. Unsworth has created a world where nothing is as it seems and horrors lurk around every corner. When you read it, you will quickly discover one terrifying fact--there IS no safe place!” —R. L. Stine “A standout in the genre’s crowded landscape.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review “Here’s a literary post-apocalyptic thriller with something new and interesting to say about friendship, home, love, and community . . . This is a timeless story that deserves to become a children’s classic for decades to come.” —The Christian Science Monitor “[A] marvelous dystopian thriller . . . The novel is beautifully paced, the setting vivid, the plot disturbing, the finale thrilling.” —The Buffalo News “Reminiscent of Clive Barker’s The Thief of Always . . . Fast-paced and gripping. An original dystopian story for middle-grade readers.” —School Library Journal “Unsworth unravels the story with skilled deliberation, creating a page-turning mix of suspense, intrigue, and anxiety. The kids are genuine and quirky, just the right kind of mismatched misfits to snag readers’ hearts. This is a wholly enjoyable journey, and a dystopian vision with some great new twists.” —Publishers Weekly “Tania Unsworth has written a lightning-fast and spine-chilling novel . . . Readers will root for Devin with white knuckles and pounding hearts.” —Michael Grant, New York Times best selling author of Gone, BZRK, and The Magnificent 12
“This frightening and mysterious book surprised me again and again. Unsworth has created a world where nothing is as it seems and horrors lurk around every corner. When you read it, you will quickly discover one terrifying fact--there IS no safe place!” —R. L. Stine“Tania Unsworth has written a lightning-fast and spine-chilling novel . . . Readers will root for Devin with white knuckles and pounding hearts.” —Michael Grant, New York Times best selling author of Gone, BZRK, and The Magnificent 12
“[A] chilling and engrossing tale filled with detailed, sharply drawn characters . . . A standout.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“[A] marvelous dystopian thriller . . . The novel is beautifully paced, the setting vivid, the plot disturbing, the finale thrilling.” —The Buffalo News
“Reminiscent of Clive Barker’s The Thief of Always . . . Fast-paced and gripping. An original dystopian story for middle-grade readers.” —School Library Journal
“Unsworth unravels the story with skilled deliberation, creating a page-turning mix of suspense, intrigue, and anxiety. The kids are genuine and quirky, just the right kind of mismatched misfits to snag readers’ hearts. This is a wholly enjoyable journey, and a dystopian vision with some great new twists.” —Publishers Weekly
“This book has echoes of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and in many ways, although clearly aimed at the teenage market, is as compelling as an adult read. Written in a simple, almost matter-of-fact style which fits the subject matter very well and with a satisfying ending, it’s a very believable story and an excellent debut for Tania Unsworth.” —We Love This Book magazine
★ 03/01/2014
Gr 5–8—Twelve-year-old Devin's loss of his grandfather leaves him unprepared to take care of their formerly self-sufficient farm—one of the precious few left on the face of the earth. He leaves this oasis hoping to find some willing hands to help him keep the farm going. Instead, the people he meets in the city are so devoid of morals or compassion that when Devin and his new friend, Kit, have a chance to go to the Gabriel H. Penn Home for Childhood, they seize the opportunity. It isn't long before Devin senses that this home is a little too good to be true. Though surrounded by amusements, beautiful grounds, and plenty of food, the other children are morose, nervous, and listless. Occasionally Devin runs across a child acting in a bizarre, disoriented fashion, yet he is advised by the other children to completely ignore these episodes and never mention them again. The Administrator of this institution interviews Devin and informs him that he is gifted in ways he never understood. His five senses overlap—for instance, visually perceived objects have accompanying sounds only Devin can hear. The Administrator closes the interview with the sinister words, "I'm saving you for something special". This book is reminiscent of Clive Barker's The Thief of Always(HarperCollins, 1992). The suspense and dread build as the mystery gradually unfolds, but it stops short of becoming truly horrific. The conclusion is fast-paced and gripping. An original dystopian story for middle-grade readers.—Kathy Cherniavsky, Ridgefield Library, CT
Mark Turetsky's intense voice propels listeners through this futuristic mystery, in which a young man discovers a sanctuary for children where things may not be as they seem. A vivid grasp of imagery is essential to the success of Turetsky's delivery as the protagonist of this tale has synesthesia, and his unique view of the world shapes the listener's perception of the unusual Home for Childhood, its disturbingly cheerful guardians, and the bewildered, uneasy children who roam the grounds. Listeners will appreciate Turetsky's ability to keep the suspense alive by dropping hints lightly and keeping the subtext at bay until the moment is right for dark secrets to be revealed. K.S.B. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
★ 2014-01-22
A group of orphans uncovers a sinister plot in this chilling and engrossing tale filled with detailed, sharply drawn characters. Sometime in a future rife with climate crisis and brutal polarization of wealth, Devin buries his beloved grandfather and sets out to find someone to help him maintain the farm on which he's grown up. In the city, he struggles to find enough food to live on until he meets a clever, street-wise girl named Kit. When Devin is invited by another boy to the Gabriel H. Penn Home for Childhood and insists that Kit be included too, the pair is initially delighted at the abundance of food and other comforts, but they rapidly begin to see that something terrible underpins the home. There are many familiar tropes here, the dystopian setting and the uncanny perfection of the orphanage among them. Yet Unsworth's use of unadorned but vivid language—such as her description of Devin's mind in a moment of panic being "battered by fear and confusion like a bird beating its wings against the bars of a cage"—is incredibly effective. Likewise, the straightforward third-person narration and the gradual resistance that builds among the children to the unique horrors at the home are convincingly well-paced. A standout in the genre's crowded landscape. (Dystopian thriller. 10-16)