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A review by brittney_tyler
Outcast by Michelle Paver
3.0
Star Rating: 3.5 stars
Note: This is the 4th book in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series so this will not be an in-depth review.
In an effort to read all of my personally owned books in order to make Goodreads an active representation of my reading, I recently finished Outcast by Michelle Paver and I have to say that although it was a quick and exciting read, I did not enjoy it near as much as I have enjoyed some of the others in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series. This book is set 6,000 years ago and tells the coming-of-age story of Torak; a young Native boy who is struggling to survive on his own in a world torn apart by an unknown menace, and Torak is the only one with the powers to stop it.
The best part about this book is the glimpse we get of the world 6,000 years ago. In each consecutive book, we get to see a different area of this world and the people that live in it- book 1 was the Forest, book 2 was the Sea, book 3 was the Far North, and book 4 was the Lake, and I believe that book 5 is the Deep Forest and book 6 is the Mountains (I am not for sure because I haven’t read those volumes yet.). As a history lover, especially an ancient history lover, I really enjoy learning about these peoples and the world that they lived in. I think it is really cool that Paver is bringing this knowledge to middle graders (This is a middle-grade series☺.) as it brings what they learn in history class to light in a way that no teacher can. I wish that this series and others like it had existed when I was actually in the age bracket for them, although I believe that there shouldn’t be an age bracket on reading at all, especially since everyone reads at a different speed and level and they shouldn’t be ashamed of that.
Although I do enjoy these books and the knowledge that they let kids access, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as some of the others. Throughout this series, we learn about a conspiracy to usurp the power of the World Spirit being perpetuated by a group of Mages/clan shamans called the Soul Eaters. We also learn that Torak is connected to the Soul Eaters and that because of the circumstances of his birth; he is the only one who can stop them. Throughout the entire series, characters have been alluding to events that happened at or around the time of Torak’s birth, but those events are never explained, although it is obvious that they are very important to the overarching plot. Also, towards the end of the book, there were jumps in the plot like things had been omitted that shouldn’t have been. For instance, at one point, the main characters are talking on the beach and the next, Torak is in a boat trying to warn the clans at the clan meet of an impending flood. There was no smooth transition and the jump was incredibly jarring and noticeable. It is because of the plot holes and jarring transitions that I have to rate this book only 3.5 stars.
All in all, this book was enjoyable, although the plot was not as concise and as tight as I wanted it to be. It is worth the read if you are interested to learn how people survived 6,000 years ago.
Note: This is the 4th book in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series so this will not be an in-depth review.
In an effort to read all of my personally owned books in order to make Goodreads an active representation of my reading, I recently finished Outcast by Michelle Paver and I have to say that although it was a quick and exciting read, I did not enjoy it near as much as I have enjoyed some of the others in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series. This book is set 6,000 years ago and tells the coming-of-age story of Torak; a young Native boy who is struggling to survive on his own in a world torn apart by an unknown menace, and Torak is the only one with the powers to stop it.
The best part about this book is the glimpse we get of the world 6,000 years ago. In each consecutive book, we get to see a different area of this world and the people that live in it- book 1 was the Forest, book 2 was the Sea, book 3 was the Far North, and book 4 was the Lake, and I believe that book 5 is the Deep Forest and book 6 is the Mountains (I am not for sure because I haven’t read those volumes yet.). As a history lover, especially an ancient history lover, I really enjoy learning about these peoples and the world that they lived in. I think it is really cool that Paver is bringing this knowledge to middle graders (This is a middle-grade series☺.) as it brings what they learn in history class to light in a way that no teacher can. I wish that this series and others like it had existed when I was actually in the age bracket for them, although I believe that there shouldn’t be an age bracket on reading at all, especially since everyone reads at a different speed and level and they shouldn’t be ashamed of that.
Although I do enjoy these books and the knowledge that they let kids access, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as some of the others. Throughout this series, we learn about a conspiracy to usurp the power of the World Spirit being perpetuated by a group of Mages/clan shamans called the Soul Eaters. We also learn that Torak is connected to the Soul Eaters and that because of the circumstances of his birth; he is the only one who can stop them. Throughout the entire series, characters have been alluding to events that happened at or around the time of Torak’s birth, but those events are never explained, although it is obvious that they are very important to the overarching plot. Also, towards the end of the book, there were jumps in the plot like things had been omitted that shouldn’t have been. For instance, at one point, the main characters are talking on the beach and the next, Torak is in a boat trying to warn the clans at the clan meet of an impending flood. There was no smooth transition and the jump was incredibly jarring and noticeable. It is because of the plot holes and jarring transitions that I have to rate this book only 3.5 stars.
All in all, this book was enjoyable, although the plot was not as concise and as tight as I wanted it to be. It is worth the read if you are interested to learn how people survived 6,000 years ago.