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A review by bel017
Guardians by Richard Pritchard, Jordan Gould
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I'm an adult and therefore not the intended audience. I bought it for my kids then read it for a reading challenge.
The book finishes half way through the mission. The story is 100% preparation for a battle, then there's no battle. I know they want to sell the second book, but even in a series each book should be a complete story. I would wait to give this to a child until the second book is published otherwise they'll be very frustrated.
The themes are as subtle as a sledgehammer, for example, the white man (villain) says: "Our powers are far superior to yours, and our knowledge goes beyond what you could possibly imagine ... There are many benefits of what we bring: knowledge, medicine, tools. All we ask for in return is for you to obey our every command."
Nearly everything happen merely to further the plot. For example, a guardian is severely hurt so they're forced to sit out a battle, then a small child makes medicine for them and then they're almost instantly fixed, ready for the next battle.
I assume both lack of nuance and deus ex machina are common to books for this age group, but as an adult I found it tough going.
As an adult I also found it tough going that an adult who is supposed to be an ally forces Wylah to undergo a test that almost kills her. In fact, all the adults send her into danger instead of themselves.
There are some excellent things about the book including having an Aboriginal girl as a protagonist, lots of important information about Aboriginal lives, and lots of references to various Aboriginal dreamtime narratives, such as the seven sisters and Tiddalick the frog. I loved all those references. This is a starting point, I hope to see many more super hero books with Aboriginal children as the protagonists.
The book finishes half way through the mission. The story is 100% preparation for a battle, then there's no battle. I know they want to sell the second book, but even in a series each book should be a complete story. I would wait to give this to a child until the second book is published otherwise they'll be very frustrated.
The themes are as subtle as a sledgehammer, for example, the white man (villain) says: "Our powers are far superior to yours, and our knowledge goes beyond what you could possibly imagine ... There are many benefits of what we bring: knowledge, medicine, tools. All we ask for in return is for you to obey our every command."
Nearly everything happen merely to further the plot. For example, a guardian is severely hurt so they're forced to sit out a battle, then a small child makes medicine for them and then they're almost instantly fixed, ready for the next battle.
I assume both lack of nuance and deus ex machina are common to books for this age group, but as an adult I found it tough going.
As an adult I also found it tough going that an adult who is supposed to be an ally forces Wylah to undergo a test that almost kills her. In fact, all the adults send her into danger instead of themselves.
There are some excellent things about the book including having an Aboriginal girl as a protagonist, lots of important information about Aboriginal lives, and lots of references to various Aboriginal dreamtime narratives, such as the seven sisters and Tiddalick the frog. I loved all those references. This is a starting point, I hope to see many more super hero books with Aboriginal children as the protagonists.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Abandonment
snakes