If We Were Giants

December 1, 2019
Matthews, of the Dave Matthews Band, and co-author Smith offer a fantasy that explores the damage done by violence inflicted by one people against another. Ten-year-old Kirra lives in an idyllic community hidden for generations inside a dormant volcano. When she and her little brother make unwise choices that help bring the violent, spindly, gray-skinned Takers to her community--with devastating results--Kirra feels responsible and leaves the volcano. Four years later, Kirra's been adopted into a family of Tree Folk that live in the forest canopy. Though there are many Tree Folk, individual families care for their own and are politely distant from others. Kirra, suffering from (unnamed) PTSD, evades her traumatic memories by avoiding what she calls "Memory Traps," but when the Takers arrive in the forest, she must face her trauma and attempt to make a community of the Tree Folk if they're to survive. Although Kirra's struggles through trauma are presented with sympathy and realistically rendered, some characters' choices are so patently foolish they baldly read like the plot devices they are. Additionally, much preparation goes into one line of defense while other obvious factors are completely ignored, further pushing the story's credibility. Kirra is brown skinned, as is her first family; Tree Folk appear not to be racially homogenous; and the Takers are all gray skinned. Uneven pacing and clunky writing undermine this examination of trauma and PTSD. (Fantasy. 10-14)

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January 27, 2020
The importance of community and collaboration underlies this didactic, fast-paced adventure, by musician Matthews and children’s author Smith (Mr. 60%), about a 14-year-old girl with repressed trauma. Part one finds 10-year-old Kirra living with her family in bustling Zedu, hidden within a dormant volcano. As Helper to the Storyteller, Kirra is allowed to go Outside, where her father protects Zedu by spreading tales of volcanic danger to other villages. A well-intentioned decision by Kirra, however, leads to the village’s violent destruction by ruthless invaders called Takers. Four years later, Kirra, the only survivor, quietly lives among the peacefully coexisting but solitary Tree Folk. When the Takers return and threaten her new home, Kirra must find the strength to face her past and rally the treetop dwellers to collective action, working with friends to design and deploy fearsome, cleverly engineered wooden giants. An ambiguous ending with loose ends perhaps hints at a sequel, but readers will appreciate the triumphant growth of Kirra and her adoptive community, who choose to embrace the potential and pain of connection. Ages 8–12.

February 21, 2020

Gr 4-6-Kirra is a proud member of an idyllic secret community inside a dormant volcano. Only she and her father, the community's official storytellers, can leave-and even then, they must disguise themselves to keep their home safe. Everything changes when Kirra accidentally leads a group of enemies, known as Takers, to her community's hideout, where they destroy everything she's ever known. The girl flees, hiding in the trees with a new adoptive family-but a few years later, when the Takers return, she must find her bravery and voice to save her new home. The purpose of Kirra's first family's secrecy is never completely clear, while the Takers are cartoonish in their desire to destroy every community that they come across. The Takers, impossibly tall, thin outsiders with white hair and grey skin, are an uncomplicated if unrealistic enemy-while they seek to destroy everything around them, they do not seem interested in monetary or resource gain. VERDICT The book's eco-conscious message is strong, but the delivery is heavy-handed and often confusing; it is obvious that Kirra has gone through major trauma, but her feelings and recovery get lost in a meandering plot involving complicated large-scale puppetry and predictable pitfalls. Not recommended.-Kelsey Socha, Springfield City Library, MA

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2020
Grades 5-7 Rock musician Matthews collaborates on an alt-world tale featuring a storyteller's child who wrestles with PTSD to save a settlement of tree dwellers from the brutish invaders who destroyed her own village. Having inadvertently led armored, rapacious (distinctly conquistador-like) Takers to her peaceful hidden community and seen it ravaged, Kirra half-willingly falls into a rain-swollen river. Four years later, she lives among her arboreal rescuers downstream, still nursing her guilt, until the sight of a Taker hunting party throws her into crisis: Should she flee or stay to convince the Tree Folk of their danger by revealing her own story? The authors highlight the profound importance of storytelling throughout, and by telling hers, Kirra is not only able to rally the Tree Folk in time but also transforms their standoffish culture to a nurturing, cooperative one. Stripped of all reference to death, wounds, or even blood, the climactic battle has a sketchy feel, but overall, both the underlying themes and Kirra's sharply felt recovery from emotional devastation add sturdy props to this thought-provoking outing.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)