Just fourteen, Rick Walder is alone, on the run, and desperate. Stowing away in the back of a truck, he suddenly finds himself at a dead end, out in the middle of nowhere. The Maze. In this surreal landscape of stark red-rock spires and deep sandstone canyons, Rick stumbles into the remote camp of Lon Perigrino, a bird biologist who is releasing fledgling California condors back into the wild. Intrigued by the endangered condors and the strange bearded man dedicated to saving them, Rick decides to stay on. When two men with a vicious dog drive up in a battered old Humvee, Rick discovers that Lon and his birds are in grave danger. Will he be able to save them? In a heart-stopping adventure infused with the spirit of the Icarus myth and a boy's dreams of flight, Will Hobbs brings readers a unique tale of identity, personal growth, and friendship.
Stichley's Rating:
I read this book a long time ago, but it has always been a favorite. It was the book that got me interested in paragliding, an interest that still persists today. While I have yet to own my own glider or have the opportunity to go paragliding myself I have had an interest in it for years and studied it from a far. This book is filled with adventure and is perfect for those who are looking for a light read that are beyond the age group suggested, or for teen boys and adventurous girls in the suggested age group.
Instances of Swearing:
- I don't recall any swearing in this book, just action and adventurous fun.
This unique and compelling fantasy/adventure is set in northern New Mexico. The mood is created immediately as Tepary Jones, 13, sets out to view a total eclipse of the full moon from the ruins of a cliff dwelling near his family's farm, but the quiet mystery of the Ancient Ones is shattered by illegal pot-hunters. Tep finds an eagle-bone flute they leave behind, and his adventures become complicated by a magic older than the ruins. He finds himself changing into a bushy-tailed wood rat each night, which both hinders and helps him to find the pot-hunters; develop drought-resistant seeds with his father; and save his mother from the hantavirus, a disease thought to be contracted from rodent droppings. Both parents are scientists and have encouraged their son to enjoy and respect nature, and to help preserve the variety of life on earth as well as the beauties of the past. They are both fully developed individuals who capture and hold readers' interest. Even Dusty, the dog, has a rare personality. Hobbs vividly evokes the Four Corners region and blends fantasy with fact so smoothly that the resulting mix can be consumed without question. Subplots flow together naturally, and ancient stories and sensibilities become one with modern lives. Outstanding characters, plot, mood, and setting combine in this satisfying and memorable book.
Stichley's Rating:
This book was not one of my first exposures to this area of the country since I come from here. It was a book I enjoyed since it had a lot of my local area around. It was a book that, as with other Will Hobbs books, quickly grabbed my interest as a teen and was filled with adventure and excitement. This book also had a lot of history and science from the Anasazi area of our country. It was interesting to read about the problems that currently affect the area and the magic of the past that was interwoven into it.
Instances of Swearing:
- I don't recall any swearing in this book, just action and adventurous fun.
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