Wordless

June 2, 2014
Strickland’s fast-paced debut follows illiterate 17-year-old garbage man Tavin Barnes as he escapes from Eden City, a tiny state nestled between France and Switzerland, accompanied by one of the nine magical Living Words who supposedly rule the city. In fact, the Words are prisoners, disposable tools to Eden City’s ruthless elite, and Khaya, the Word of Life, risks everything to get away before she can be used to animate automatons who will serve the rulers without question. As Tavin and Khaya try to save the world, their initially frosty mutual tolerance soon turns into passion. Strickland raises questions of identity and belonging through the Words, whose parents are selected from different countries and who have wildly varying degrees of attachment to those nations, and through Tavin, who tries to unravel his adoptive father’s secrets. The cast faces betrayal after betrayal, but the treasons spring from very human, forgivable motives; even the least ethical characters prove emotionally vulnerable. Many plot threads are left unresolved at the end of this series opener. Ages 12–up. Agent: Sandy Lu, L. Perkins Agency.

June 1, 2014
An illiterate garbage man is also the 17-year-old hero who'll save the Earth from megalomaniac overlords.In an alternate near future, the kingmakers of the world are in Eden City, where the Words Made Flesh wield the powers of gods and the common people are "wordless," forbidden to learn to read. Tavin was a foundling, rescued and raised by a trash collector. Though he's more muscular and attractive than the rest of the city's rabble, Tavin plays the role of a modern Everyman, rising from below to save the princess and the world. The princess, in this case, is Khaya, the Word of Life, a godlike being who manipulates Tavin into...rescuing her? As Khaya explains in their pell-mell flight from Eden City, the Words aren't actually in charge. Instead, they're a manipulated crew of immensely powerful, politically bred, multiethnic teenagers, mere tools for the superrich Godspeakers. Khaya's uncovered a Godspeaker plot to rule the world through military power, and only Tavin-who, as a foundling, of course has his own secrets to discover-can help her do it. Tavin's story follows the comfortable, familiar beats of so many narratives from Star Wars to Harry Potter, with just the right amount of pizzazz in the form of cinematic action and naked, sexy fun.Sure, it's the start of a trilogy about a foundling who is a destined savior with a prickly love interest from the other side of the tracks-but with a nonetheless intriguing, original science-fantasy setting sure to attract fans. (Science fiction. 14-17)

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October 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Trash collector Tavin Barnes always seems to get the short end of the stick-until the beautiful Khaya demands he smuggle her out of confinement. Khaya is a godlike Word, a near-perfect being with the power of life at her fingertips. Tavin risks everything he has, which isn't much, to free Khaya from the evil government's plots and experiments. Together they'll discover a secret world behind the one they knew: a world rife with hidden lies, money, and a lust for power. This dystopian adventure is sure to entertain fans of James Dashner's "The Maze Runner" series (Delacorte) and Paolo Bacigalupi's Ship Breaker (Little, Brown, 2010). Wordless draws readers in to a complex and fascinating future, where magic is real, science is failing, and everyone must fight for their own survival. Tavin's often humorous and matter-of-fact point of view is particularly appealing, while the privileged and powerful Khaya provides a unique contrast to his unfortunate upbringing and poor lifestyle. While the action is exciting, the setting interesting, and the characters somewhat compelling, the novel suffers from a plodding writing style that may deter readers. Recommended for collections with a strong fanbase in political and environmental dystopias.-Eden Rassette, Kenton County Public Library, KY

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2014
Grades 9-12 In the beginning, there were the two nameless gods, and, just by speaking, they created the world and the Words Made Flesh, physical embodiments of the 12 words they spoke during creation. Now, the Words live in Eden City, protected by the Athenaeum, a great glass pyramid, and they're influential figures to the rest of the world. Outside the Athenaeum, the city is dark, dank, and dirty, and Tavin, like the rest of the illiterate masses, can only dream about the high-class life of the Words. That is, until Tavin is assigned to duty at the Athenaeum and he meets Khaya, the beautiful Word of Life, who begs for his help getting away from her captors. Soon, Tavin learns about the gritty underbelly to life as a Word, and as he helps Khaya escape, he discovers deep truths about his relationship with her, his relationship to words and language, and his very identity. With impressive mythology and fast-paced adventure, Strickland's debut will likely please fans of dystopian fiction.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)