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A review by leovaliquette
Above by Leah Bobet
5.0
Leah Bobet's Above is a modern fairy tale, an allegory about the destructive consequences of letting our judgment be ruled by hate, bias, fear and guilt. It's also a fast-paced and exciting urban fantasy, with achingly sincere and true romantic elements, and a taste of horror that made me think of Clive Barker.
The story is told from the point of view of Matthew, a teenager who serves as the Teller, the oral historian and lore keeper for the residents of Safe -- a haven deep under the city of Toronto for the Freaks and Beasts of humanity who fear the Monsters who live Above (that would be the rest of us, with a few exceptions).
Bobet does an outstanding job of getting inside the head, and finding the voice, of Matthew, as he struggles to rescue and restore his community after a dark secret from Safe's past comes back to haunt it, with devastating consequences. Though he was raised in a world foreign to our own, it's easy to see our reality through his eyes, sympathize with him, and root for him.
I always hesitate to label a book as teen, young adult or adult. I think Above has broad appeal to any fan of urban fantasy, dark fantasy, or anyone just looking for a something fresh and new that doesn't fit into a convenient pigeonhole. I give it two thumbs up.
The story is told from the point of view of Matthew, a teenager who serves as the Teller, the oral historian and lore keeper for the residents of Safe -- a haven deep under the city of Toronto for the Freaks and Beasts of humanity who fear the Monsters who live Above (that would be the rest of us, with a few exceptions).
Bobet does an outstanding job of getting inside the head, and finding the voice, of Matthew, as he struggles to rescue and restore his community after a dark secret from Safe's past comes back to haunt it, with devastating consequences. Though he was raised in a world foreign to our own, it's easy to see our reality through his eyes, sympathize with him, and root for him.
I always hesitate to label a book as teen, young adult or adult. I think Above has broad appeal to any fan of urban fantasy, dark fantasy, or anyone just looking for a something fresh and new that doesn't fit into a convenient pigeonhole. I give it two thumbs up.