Midwinterblood is a
young adult novel written by Marcus Sedgwick.
The book was awarded the Michael L. Printz Award 2014.
Summary
Eric Seven finds himself on
an assignment to the island of Blessed.
It is 2073 and he is soon distracted from his original assignment as he is
swept up in forgetting… and ultimately remembering. This novel spans seven periods in time. It follows Eric, and his love, Merle, as they
connect again and again, in various relationships on the haunted island. Each time period has its own story and
characters, some of which are also destined to live out this curse. Eric finds himself as a man, disabled boy,
twin, and even a woman throughout his encounters. In each chapter Eric not only reunites with,
and loves Merle, but also experiences a horrifying, often sacrificial
death.
The curse begins when King
Eirikr is sacrificed for his people while Queen Melle watches in horror and
despair. The sacrifice goes awry and the
King vows to live seven times, inviting Melle to follow. She does.
And “so it is.”
Impression
You know the sign of a good
book? It stays with you. Right there at the edge of your consciousness
for days. A little haunting, wishing it wasn't over. You feel that once you
reach the end and learn the secrets, you must go back and read it again to
truly understand how the pieces fit together.
Even if it gives you nightmares. That’s
this book. It is almost as if you have
also drunk the dragon flower tea and cannot leave the island. Freaky!
Marcus Sedgwick says that his
inspiration came from the painting described in the book. The painting is called Midvinterblot --midwinter sacrifice and is housed in the National
Museet, Stockholm (Sedgwick, 2013). It
was many years later that he wrote Midwinterblood,
since he wanted to present the literal and metaphorical story of sacrifice in
an original and captivating way. After
viewing the painting online I am dumbfounded that he unearthed so much depth in
it.
This book is a horror story,
mystery, and love story, all in one. It is
a bit confusing at first, venturing through time, but as Sedgwick leaves clues
to what is happening you can’t help but be bewitched. Readers are rewarded for persevering. What I admire most about this book is that it
is not a traditional love story. Love is
demonstrated in its many forms.
Although Midwinterblood is classified
as young adult literature, it can also be enjoyed by adults. The book may not have a “happy” ending, but it
is satisfying nonetheless. I can’t help
but think of the movie this book would make.
Library Uses
This book would be a
wonderful read for a high school book club.
The seven sections of the book could be assigned over each week. Predictions can be made based on the title of
the section and the time period. It
would be interesting to look up and view the artwork described in the book, as
well as do a little research on each time period to provide some background
information.
Professional Reviews
The Time Traveler’s Wife
meets Lost in this chilling exploration of love and memory.
A dystopian start to the
novel finds journalist Eric on remote Blessed Island in the extreme north in
the year 2073. Tasked with gathering information on a rare orchid that is
rumored to stop the aging process, he feels instant attraction to native islander
Merle. As Eric drinks a strange tea brewed from the orchid, he begins to forget
his life on the mainland yet remembers feelings for Merle. But how and when did
he know her? Seven linked stories progress backward across centuries, following
Eric and Merle’s relationship as it takes on many forms, such as
father/daughter or brother/sister, throughout time. Presented as different
cycles of the moon, the stories feature various genres, from realistic and war
stories to stories about ghosts and Viking vampires, ending with a hint of
mystery to be revealed in subsequent chapters. This form, as well as the
novel’s reliance on adult protagonists, is a rarity in literature for teens.
Inspired by Swedish artist Carl Larsson’s controversial painting, Midvinterblot
(translated as midwinter sacrifice), Sedgwick crafts these seven treats with
spare, exact prose in which no word is unnecessary. Together, their reoccurring
motifs of orchids, moons, blood and language—to name a few—reinforce Eric and
Merle’s enduring love.
Haunting, sophisticated and
ultimately exquisite. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 13 & up)
--Kirkus Review, 2012
“I always prefer a walk that
goes in a circle.... Don’t you?” a woman named Bridget says to her daughter,
Merle, at one point in this heady mystery that joins the remote northern
setting of Sedgwick’s Revolver with the multigenerational scope of his White
Crow. Sedgwick appears to share Bridget’s sentiment: as he moves backward
through time in seven interconnected stories—from the late 21st century to an
unspecified ancient era—character names, spoken phrases, and references to
hares, dragons, and sacrifice reverberate, mutate, and reappear. Set on a
mysterious and isolated Nordic island, the stories all include characters with
variations on the names of Eric and Merle. In a present-day story about an
archeological dig, Eric is a oddly strong, brain-damaged teenager and Merle his
mother; in the 10th century, when the island was inhabited by Vikings, Eirek
and Melle are young twins, whose story answers questions raised by what the
archeologists discover. Teenage characters are few and far between, but a story
that’s simultaneously romantic, tragic, horrifying, and transcendental is more
than enough to hold readers’ attention, no matter their age. Ages 12–up. (Feb.)
--Publishers Weekly
References
Children's Book Review:
Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2015, from
http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-59643-800-2
Midwinterblood by Marcus
Sedgwick | Kirkus. (2012). Retrieved February 26, 2015, from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/marcus-sedgwick/midwinterblood/
Sedgwick, M. (2013). Midwinterblood.
New York: Roaring Brook Press.
No comments:
Post a Comment