No Turning Back - Hardcover

Peterson, Beth

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0689319142 ISBN 13: 9780689319143

Publisher: Atheneum, 1996

Synopsis

When eleven-year-old Carol is killed in a hunting accident while hiking, a mysterious wolverine, a wounded falcon, and a tiny bat help her timid friend Dillon find his way back to civilization

About this title

From the Author:

No Turning Back is the story of a journey taken by a young boy, Dillon, who has suddenly and unexpectedly been faced with that most difficult of all experiencesthe death of someone close to us. Dillon's journey is a very personal one, a journey of the heart. He must find his way across a nocturnal landscape that is at times eerie and frightening, at times heartbreaking, and at times overwhelmingly and mysteriously beautiful. He is accompanied on his journey by a mute and mysterious guide, an injured falcon (the bird his friend Carol died trying to protect). As he ventures deeper into the star-studded, shadowy territory that he must cross before reaching home, he meets three more animals who are in no way mute but regard him at first with suspicion and assail him with questions. After recognizing his innocence, however, they offer him advice and guidance. With the help of his animal guides, Dillon learns to face his own fear, anger, and heartbreak and finds his way safely home by sunrise.

I chose to tell this story by placing the subject of dying in the context of renewalof rebirth and the cycle of life. Its underlying themes are courage, acceptance, and remembrance. The story was written as a gift, both for my sister, to whom it is dedicated, and for any reader who may find in it something of worth.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 4-6?From its shocking beginning to its pat conclusion, this novel combines a number of genres while developing the character of a lonely, insecure adolescent. Since moving to his father's ancestral home in the mountains, Dillon has made two friends?his uncle's old hunting dog, and Carol, a young naturalist. Suddenly Carol is killed by teenagers hunting a falcon illegally. Dillon, dazed and indecisive, finally leaves the dog with his friend's body and wanders off to look for help, taking the wounded falcon with him. In the darkening woods, with nothing but his grandmother's mysterious stories to keep him awake, he comes upon shapes in the shadows that emerge into talking creatures. While never quite sure if he is dreaming, Dillon accepts their help and works with them to defeat "the Face," a terrifying wind of fear and death. He comes through his ordeal a changed boy, with a deep respect for animals and a new sense of his own courage. Adventurers, environmentalists, and fantasy fans will be attracted by the book's imagery and power and will confront their own fears as they meet the Face. However, the strong writing and rich characters don't make it out of the woods; back home, the story flounders as it is quickly wrapped up with Dillon's parents' cool reassurances about what has become of Carol, the hunters, and the falcon. Despite the flimsy last chapter, this title is still worth booktalking to future fans of Paulsen and Tolkien.?Susan Oliver, Hillsborough County Science Library at MOSI, Tampa, FL
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Atheneum
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0689319142
• ISBN 13: 9780689319143
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 112