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Thief Eyes

by Janni Lee Simner
263p. 978-0-37586-670-8.
COPY ISBN
Gr 7-10 Sixteen-year-old Haley has traveled to Iceland with her geologist father to see where her mother disappeared a year before. Hoping to retrace her mother's steps in order to find her, she is drawn into the magical legend and life of her Nordic ancestors, beginning with Hallgerd, a young woman skilled in sorcery who was determined not to be forced into a loveless marriage. The repercussions of Hallgerd's actions affect all of her female descendants from her own daughter to Haley. Simner has done her homework. This appealing novel centers around and embellishes Icelandic legendspecifically "Njal's Saga". Simner takes the old stories and brings them into the 21st century in this cyclical novel about the powerful relationship between mothers and daughters. It would be great to pair it with Jonathan Stroud's "Heroes of the Valley" (Hyperion, 2009) for an examination of Norse mythology."Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO" Copyright 2010 Media Source Inc.
Desperately searching for her missing mother, sixteen-year-old Haley visits Iceland and becomes entangled in an ancient spell that could destroy the world. Each of the disparate characters struggles to accept the circumstances of his or her own life, grounding the fantastical plot. Icelandic sagas and mythologies build a rich framework; the sincerity of the characters' flaws and longings resonates most strongly.

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