On the run, fourteen-year-old Claire Dunn has a problem.
Her mother is…gone. Claire doesn’t know where. Her sailor father is at sea. And now, just by accident, she’s killed her only other living relative, her abusive Aunt Jane, in a fight. Murderers are hanged in Fortress City. Until Claire’s own injuries have healed enough to allow her to slip away to sea to find her father, she needs to hide. A secret room in the town library seems to provide an ideal refuge—until the day someone slides a key into the lock and walks in.
Claire’s visitor is the rich and well-connected Sarah Farmer. Seeing in the girl a kindred spirit to her late husband River’s, she offers Claire a chance at a better life. But first there is a disturbing mystery for Claire to solve, lessons to learn, a troubled child to nurture, and smugglers and pirates to defeat before she can accept the gift.
The third book in the Antlands series, Farlands is an adventure novel that explores themes of trust, self-awareness and coming of age in a post-apocalyptic setting.
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Fourteen-year-old Claire Dunn is on the run from a rough home life until she meets a woman who immediately takes her in. Claire’s cryptic dreams soon interfere, driving her to leave again and board a ship headed for Johns Island, where she hopes to find her father. But that plan, too, goes awry, leaving Claire virtually stranded. From there, the plot sends Claire on a rollercoaster adventure of self-discovery, where she must learn who to trust and uncover secrets about herself that even she doesn’t know exist.
Prose: Polished dialogue and smooth prose make this novel sparkle, and the story’s settings come to vivid life through the author’s skilled descriptions.
Originality: Claire’s quirky character is what makes this novel unique, and her determination to achieve her goals is endearing—and admirable.
Character/Execution: Claire is extremely likable, beset by external problems as much as she is troubled by her own bravado. Her encounters bring those characteristics to life, and readers will find her an entertaining lead.
Date Submitted: May 27, 2023
