Above

Starred review from March 12, 2012
In her debut novel, Bobet, the author of several short stories and poems, weaves a dark, dazzling tale about society’s outcasts and the secret world they’ve created for themselves. Safe is an underground refuge for the sick, the broken, and the freaks, far from the prying eyes of Above. Narrator Matthew is the Teller, responsible for remembering and guarding the stories of his friends and surrogate family, and life in subterranean Safe is all he’s ever known. When the only person ever to be exiled from Safe returns at the head of an army of shadows, Matthew escapes, along with several others, including the electricity-generating Jack Flash and emotionally fragile Ariel, who becomes a bee when under stress. The group navigates the treacherous world of Above as they seek to reclaim Safe and come to terms with long-hidden truths. Bobet effortlessly blends reality and fantasy, her characters are both gifted and broken—hers is a world that is simultaneously fantastic and painfully real. Heartbreaking, romantic, complex, and magical, this fantasy lingers on the senses. Ages 14–up. Agent: Caitlin Blasdell, Liza Dawson Associates.

March 15, 2012
In a world where "Sick's the same as Freak Above," only below is Safe. Safe is both adjective and noun in Matthew's world, both the feeling and the subterranean haven built by claw-handed Atticus. Matthew is the Teller of Safe, the person who keeps everyone's stories and retells them. Its denizens are those unwanted Above: the mentally ill, the marginal--and the Cursed. He loves the fragile, honey-haired Ariel, whom he found on patrol in the sewers around Safe and who turns into a honeybee when under stress. Bobet starts her surreal fable/adventure explosively, with a catastrophic raid by the terrifying shadows that kills leader Atticus and scatters Safe's residents. Matthew, Ariel and two others make their way alone to a sympathetic doctor Above to regroup and, they hope, retake Safe. Above, Matthew finds his received history continually under challenge. Having been the first child born in Safe, Matthew sees it as the only reality. Occasionally interspersing Matthew's tightly filtered, present-tense account with the Tales of Safe, the author rarely gives readers an opportunity to see what may be objectively "real," making for a slightly claustrophobic, normality-inverting experience. While readers who long for concrete answers may be frustrated, those willing to go along with this captivating exploration of both individual and collective identity will find themselves pondering its implications long after the last page. (Fiction. 14 & up)

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May 1, 2012

Gr 10 Up-In this imaginative and complex novel, Matthew is the "Teller," a keeper of tales, in Safe, an underground haven for a group of beasts wishing to escape the dangers of Above. Matthew, who has clawed feet and scales on his back but otherwise can pass as human, was born in Safe and is most comfortable in its enveloping darkness. Ariel, a girl who can turn into a bee, lived most of her tormented life Above and frequently runs away, risking both her life and the secret way to Safe each time she does. Matthew swore to protect her, but his task becomes even more difficult after a banished beast comes back to Safe and kills their leader. They are forced to go Above, where Whitecoats threaten to imprison them, and the truth behind the founding of Safe could either ruin or revive their community of outcasts. This novel's greatest strength is its effective use of fantasy elements to explore important themes about acceptance, gender identity, mental illness, abuse, self harm, and medical ethics. However, the sheer volume of morals may be its greatest weakness. In addition, the unique dialect used by the characters from Safe, combined with a halting narration style, makes this book at times difficult to follow. Recommended only for the most perceptive teen readers-those who persevere will be rewarded with an enriching reading experience.-Sunnie Sette, New Haven Public Library, CT

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