Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Gothic Horror, Historical Fiction
Themes: Coming of Age, Family, Sibling Rivalry, Ambition vs Greed, Jealousy, Romance, Death
Author information: Kenneth Oppel is the author of numerous books for young readers. His award-winning Silverwing trilogy has sold over a million copies worldwide, and has been adapted as an animated TV series and state play. Airborn was winner of a Michael L. Printz Honor Book Award, and the Canadian Governor General's Award for Children's Literature; its sequel, Skybreaker, was a New York Times bestseller and was named Children's Novel of the Year by the London Times. His most recent books are this one and Such Wicked Intent, both prequels to the gothic classic Frankenstein. Born on Vancouver Island, he has lived in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, England, Ireland, and now lives in Toronto with his wife and children.
Plot Summary: This book serves as a prequel to the classic, Gothic horror story Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Visitor and his twin brother, Konrad, are inseparable. During one of their adventures into the depths of their massive, palatial him, they discover a dark library that holds tomes on the forbidden art of Alchemy. Discovering them in the library, their father forbids hem to ever enter it again lest they be tempted by its horrible power. When Konrad falls ill, however, Victor and his childhood friends Elizabeth and Henry brave Lord Frankenstein's anger and the temptations of the library to search for a way to save Konrad's life.
The question is, can Victor make the sacrifices required and brave the dangers of finding the ingredients for the Elixir of Life without losing himself in the process?
Booktalk: Unbelievable power rests at my fingertips, and the only thing keeping me from it are old notions about it being wrong. I could be master of life and death, if it weren't for the stupid fears of stodgy old men and frightened grandmothers. I can save my brother's life and finally remove myself from his shadow, and all I have to do is disobey my father, climb the highest tree on the highest mountain, plumb the deepest caverns of the earth and make one sacrifice. Then the name Victor Frankenstein will be remembered forever.
If you loved this, you'll like:
Priest, Cherie. Boneshaker. Tor, 2010.
Sedgewick, Marcus. White Crow. Roaring Brook, 2011.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein.
Trent, Tiffany. The Unnaturalists. S & S, 2012.
Other books by this author:
The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein series
Such Wicked Intent. S & S, 2012.
Half Brother. Scholastic Press, 2010.
The Silverwing Saga
Silverwing. S & S, 1997.
Sunwing. S & S, 2000.
Firewing. S & S, 2003.
Darkwing. HarperCollins, 2007. (known as Dusk in UK)
Airborn series
Airborn. EOS, 2004.
Skybreaker. EOS, 2005.
Starclimber. EOS, 2009.
Themes: Coming of Age, Family, Sibling Rivalry, Ambition vs Greed, Jealousy, Romance, Death
Author information: Kenneth Oppel is the author of numerous books for young readers. His award-winning Silverwing trilogy has sold over a million copies worldwide, and has been adapted as an animated TV series and state play. Airborn was winner of a Michael L. Printz Honor Book Award, and the Canadian Governor General's Award for Children's Literature; its sequel, Skybreaker, was a New York Times bestseller and was named Children's Novel of the Year by the London Times. His most recent books are this one and Such Wicked Intent, both prequels to the gothic classic Frankenstein. Born on Vancouver Island, he has lived in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, England, Ireland, and now lives in Toronto with his wife and children.
Plot Summary: This book serves as a prequel to the classic, Gothic horror story Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Visitor and his twin brother, Konrad, are inseparable. During one of their adventures into the depths of their massive, palatial him, they discover a dark library that holds tomes on the forbidden art of Alchemy. Discovering them in the library, their father forbids hem to ever enter it again lest they be tempted by its horrible power. When Konrad falls ill, however, Victor and his childhood friends Elizabeth and Henry brave Lord Frankenstein's anger and the temptations of the library to search for a way to save Konrad's life.
The question is, can Victor make the sacrifices required and brave the dangers of finding the ingredients for the Elixir of Life without losing himself in the process?
Booktalk: Unbelievable power rests at my fingertips, and the only thing keeping me from it are old notions about it being wrong. I could be master of life and death, if it weren't for the stupid fears of stodgy old men and frightened grandmothers. I can save my brother's life and finally remove myself from his shadow, and all I have to do is disobey my father, climb the highest tree on the highest mountain, plumb the deepest caverns of the earth and make one sacrifice. Then the name Victor Frankenstein will be remembered forever.
If you loved this, you'll like:
Priest, Cherie. Boneshaker. Tor, 2010.
Sedgewick, Marcus. White Crow. Roaring Brook, 2011.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein.
Trent, Tiffany. The Unnaturalists. S & S, 2012.
Other books by this author:
The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein series
Such Wicked Intent. S & S, 2012.
Half Brother. Scholastic Press, 2010.
The Silverwing Saga
Silverwing. S & S, 1997.
Sunwing. S & S, 2000.
Firewing. S & S, 2003.
Darkwing. HarperCollins, 2007. (known as Dusk in UK)
Airborn series
Airborn. EOS, 2004.
Skybreaker. EOS, 2005.
Starclimber. EOS, 2009.