Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - November/December 2011 - (Page 38)

off the shelf City of Thieves by David Benioff Review by Catherine Babikian During the winter of 1941, Leningrad is cold and hungry and quiet. For months, German forces have laid siege to the city; now, the wind rushes down empty streets. This is the Leningrad of Lev Beniov, a 17-year-old boy who, at the beginning of the story, is arrested for stealing a knife from a dead German paratrooper. Imprisoned and awaiting execution, he shares a cell with Kolya, a Red Army deserter a few years older. But instead of being executed, the two are sent on a bizarre quest: they have less than a week to find a dozen eggs to be used in the wedding cake of a colonel’s daughter. In the thick of wartime Russia, it’s a seemingly impossible task. The novel is framed as the author’s imagining of how his grandfather ended up killing two Germans before he turned 18. We meet David Benioff and his actual grandparents in their Sarasota condo and watch as Benioff tirelessly tries to get the details right for a personal essay he’s asked to write. But after some time, his grandfather stops him and tells him to make the story up himself, and Benioff does exactly that. What follows is a story that takes on more complexity and weight as Lev and Kolya’s search becomes increasingly intense. While the eggs are always on the characters’ (and therefore the reader’s) minds, the story still expands, moving from the devastated city into a dark, insidious countryside deep inside enemy lines. Along the way, they encounter cannibals, assassins, and the eponymous thieves— who take on many forms throughout the story. Lev, like the reader, is consistently shocked at the incredible destitution and brutality unfolding around him. But throughout this novel, comedy and tragedy are intertwined, a delicate balance that Benioff pulls off with skill. Even when Lev and Kolya learn of the most horrific stories, there’s a wry humor lacing their dialogue. In the end, this novel is about much more than the search for eggs, because in order to find the eggs, Lev has to do more than traipse through Russia. He has to learn about himself. It takes the unlikely friendship with Kolya, as well as the shared dangers they face, to show Lev who he can become—and at the end of the book, Lev is in many ways profoundly different. That transition, more than anything, makes this book rewarding. It is a book I remembered long after the last page. spend. If a family goes over the limit, one of their children is taken away to work in a warehouse until the debt is paid off. Matt is sure that his family is safe, until one day he learns that they are over their limit. Right away he is whisked away to a workhouse that seems . . . perfect! But it’s not, and in the end, Matt has to unravel some secrets that can put many lives in danger. This adventure novel has a well-designed plot that makes it a must-read. —Alisha Ukani, 13, MA Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley This book has two seemingly unrelated stories. First is the story of 17-year-old Cullen, whose Arkansas town is overrun by tourists and media when a woodpecker thought to be extinct is sighted—just before his younger brother disappears. And then there is the story of 18-year-old Benton, who has given up his missionary work in Africa to attend college. The way Whaley weaves these stories together is incredible. I think readers will also enjoy the writing style and the dark humor. —Will Rhoden, 16, OH The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen Jessica is a star on her school’s track team and dreams of one day running in the Olympics. When an accident causes her to lose her leg, she has to think about her life in a new way. When she has a chance to get a prosthesis, her team comes together to help pay for it. And when she gets it and can run again, she realizes that in the end she has gained more than she lost. I strongly recommend this inspiring novel. —Julia Forman, 14, CA catherine Babikian is a freshman at the University of iowa, where she is studying history and anthropology. she spends most of her time in the library looking for new things to read. Also recommended The Limit by Kristen Landon Imagine a world exactly like ours, except there is a limit on how much you can 38 imagine Nov/Dec 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - November/December 2011

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - November/December 2011
Big Questions
In My Own Words
Latin Geek
Latin in Rome
Made in Greece ... or Was It?
Classics for All
Pillaging the Past
The Aqueduct Hunters
What’s Old is News
Selected Opportunities & Resources
Girls on Ice
Nurturing a Passion for Science at the National Youth Science Camp
Off the Shelf
Word Wise
Exploring Career Options
One Step Ahead
Planning Ahead for College
Students Review
Mark Your Calendar
Knossos Game

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - November/December 2011

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