The Continent

Gr 9 Up—Sixteen-year-old apprentice cartographer Vaela Sun is going on a tour of the Continent for her birthday. The trip is a highly coveted one among her peers, and Vaela is excited to be going despite the ongoing war ravaging the country. The Aven'ei and Xoe have been fighting for centuries with no signs of peace. Vaela and her family live in the Spire. The Spire is an affluent nation that has abolished warfare and vowed to remain neutral no matter what. Unfortunately, Vaela will witness the Continent's fighting firsthand. When a tragic accident leaves her stranded in the desolate wasteland, Vaela finds herself at the mercy of the warring local tribes. This fast-paced story attempts to address the stark disparity between prosperous civilizations and war-torn nations as well as the moral implications of remaining neutral in a violent conflict but fails and instead includes racist undertones. While some may find the setting unique, the plot is simple and lacks nuance. The problematic "white savior" trope is employed throughout, making this difficult to recommend.