Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - September/October 2015 - (Page 36)

off the shelf Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo by Obert Skye Review by Tucker Wilson The genre of young adult fiction is a truly magical place. What teenager doesn't want to hear the story of someone who deals with the same problems they do, but with the addition of magic, monsters, and world-threatening peril? Who doesn't want to be offered a fantastical and adventurous escape from the real world? YA fiction has served as a gateway drug to a love of reading for countless adolescents the world over. But there is trouble in the kingdom: too many story elements are rehashed in the realm of teen literature. Instead of another girl-dates-magic-creature or girl-saves-dystopian-America story, why don't we have a story about the land of dreams, characters with odd superpowers, giant lizards made of dirt, talking toothpicks, and the same sense of both confusion and wonder that we felt when first reading Tolkien? Well, that's where Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo comes in. The first in the five-part Leven Thumps series stars the eponymous Leven, a 14-year-old boy who has a unique physical marking and was raised by his abusive aunt and uncle before discovering he is destined to save a magical new world. Sound familiar? It should: the series contains many of the standard YA rhythms. But the first book goes beyond these to introduce us to a unique new world. Leven one day discovers Clover, a small furry creature that has been watching over him in secret since the day Leven was born. The plot from there is fairly typical for the hero cycle: Leven discovers he is an "offing," a being who can manipulate the future. He then meets a 13-year-old girl named Winter, who has the power to freeze things at will, and Geth, a prince who was turned into a talking toothpick. Leven's call to action is learning that his grandfather built the first gateway to Foo, the magical world from which all mankind's dreams originate, and that he is the only one who can save it from destruction at the hands of a madman. The world Skye creates feels surreal and absurdist, like a modern Alice in Wonderland. Instead of relying on ingredients we're used to seeing in fantasy worlds, such as magic, elves, swords, and dragons, Leven Thumps introduces elements, rules, and creatures we've 36 imagine never seen before. Foo and its inhabitants are strange, whimsical, and vaguely defined, much like the elements of an actual dream. There are no characters with such incredible powers as the ability to summon a hurricane as in Percy Jackson or to down dozens of soldiers with a word as in Eragon. Instead, the beings endowed with special powers can do things like see through soil (yes, soil) and burrow rapidly. Despite the elitist hate directed at the young adult fiction genre, I remain a loyal fan of it. The Leven Thumps series is one of my favorite fantasy series, and I think it's criminal that it's not better known. You will laugh and sometimes scratch your head, but these books will take you on an adventure worthy of your expectations for this genre. If you're looking for something to quench your thirst for an original story in the middle of a desert of wizards and oppressive, brainwashing governments, Leven Thumps is well worth picking up. n Tyler Wilson is a senior at Griswold High School in Oregon, where he plays basketball and is active in student government, FBLA, and Key Club. Tucker loves reading and doing stand-up comedy whenever he gets the chance. Also recommended The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy What is death? What is there to fear about it? These eternal questions from the dawn of humanity are explored in The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Leo Tolstoy's masterpiece in short fiction. In this novella, Tolstoy tells the story of Ivan Ilyich, an ordinary man who is forced to confront death after receiving a fatal injury. Gripping, suspenseful, and perfectly paced, The Death of Ivan Ilyich attempts to answer some of mankind's oldest concerns while exploring the true value of a life. -zelin Liu, 15, MD Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews Greg Gaines is a high school misfit who fits in after three years of becoming friends with every clique but not belonging to any of them. His only friend is his "coworker," Earl, with whom he makes parody films. Senior year is great until his mom forces him to spend time with Rachel, who has cancer. But the book is not about cancer. It's a hilarious story about flawed characters, told in an unusual way. -Mackenzie Denofio, 15, NY Sept/Oct 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - September/October 2015

Circuit Training Electrical Engineering at CTY
Turning Brainwaves into Action Meet ARTIE, the robot activated by thoughts
Robotics in the Real World How robots are helping us explore space, overcome disability, and so much more
My First FIRST The climbing robot that taught me to aim high
Adventures in Botball
So Much Fun, It’s Inhuman Destroying the competition in combat robotics
Born to Build The making of an engineer
The Engineering Summer Academy at Penn Three weeks that launched my future
Music in the Woods Six weeks at Tanglewood
Big Picture
In My Own Words Daniel H. Wilson, author of Robopocalypse and Robogenesis
Selected Opportunities and Resources
Off the Shelf Review of Obert Sky’s Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo
Word Wise
Exploring Career Options Interview with NASA robotics engineer Jaakko Karras
One Step Ahead Be fearless
Planning Ahead for College Express lessons in financial aid
Students Review Dartmouth College
Creative Minds Imagine Poetry contest winners
Mark Your Calendar
Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - September/October 2015