Book Review: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Summary:

Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.

 

Review:

I guess you could call Leviathan part historical fiction, part fantasy.  It's another fast, simple read by Westerfeld.  As is common with all of his books, Westerfeld writes all action, all the time.  The characters are young and immature but sweet nonetheless.  The actual ship, Leviathan, is pretty neat.  I just can't comprehend how these authors can dream these ideas up in their heads.  I wish I could be that creative.  This book would probably be a favorite for young boys; however, for me it was not.

 

Just One Gripe:

Reading about the ship's membranes made me feel icky, like I'd been swimming around jellyfish.

 

The Best Thing About This Book:

I didn't spend too much time reading it, so I wasn't mad when it wasn't very good.

Appropriate for a younger audience:

Yes

 

As this is more of a children's book, I am scoring it against other children's books. A five star children's book is not equivalent to a five star adult book, in my opinion.

Score:
Characters:  4/5
Plot:  4/5

Setting/Imagery:  4/5

Originality:  4/5

Ending:  3/5

Total Score:  19/25

 

Leviathan was a 2.5 star book for me personally, but I am rating it against other children's lit and it deserves 4 stars for that genre.


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