Flight of the Raven - Softcover

Tolan, Stephanie S.

3.74

132 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1439243794 ISBN 13: 9781439243794

Publisher: BookSurge Publishing, 2009

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Devastated by the dismantling of the group home where the “Ark Kids” discovered their extraordinary mental powers, and overwhelmed by the violence of an eco-terrorist bombing, Elijah has fled into the Adirondack wilderness, intending to leave a world he cannot save. But he is found by the terrorists and taken to their hidden compound, where a raven, like the one he becomes in his dreams, urges him to survive. Sharing a house with Amber and Kenny, the children of the terrorist leader, and their American Indian stepmother, he retreats into what he calls “dreamtime.” But he cannot deny his growing mental connection with Amber. Could she, too, be an Ark Kid? She has been taught that to save the planet from technological development, there must be “necessary losses,” like the deaths in the recent bombing. But faced with the reality of her father’s planned apocalypse, Amber at last begins to question her upbringing. Can the raven’s flight save her, Elijah and the world?

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About the Author:

Stephanie S. Tolan is the author of more than 25 books for children and young adults, including the Newbery Honor winning Surviving the Applewhites and the Christopher Award winning Listen! She is also a co-author of Guiding the Gifted Child. The "Ark Trilogy," of which Flight of the Raven is the second book, was inspired by her work with profoundly gifted children and their families.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 7-10-Amber and her family are forced to flee into the wilderness when her father, the "alpha wolf" of the Free Mountain Militia, orchestrates the largest act of terrorism against the U.S. since the Oklahoma City bombing. Along the way, she is entrusted to care for Elijah, an African-American boy who has run away from a mental institution and been taken hostage by the militia. Elijah, who proved his talents in Tolan's Welcome to the Ark (Morrow, 1996), has the ability to transform his consciousness into objects, animals, and occasionally humans, giving him the talent he needs to be an essential member of the cadre. Amber, while having empathy for him, believes in her father, can rationalize the many "necessary losses" his work creates, and wants to join him in his quest to bring down the system. Ultimately, these plans include the use of a bioweapon to wipe out half the world's population. The world is saved by Elijah's powers, leaving the militia bruised, but not broken. The characters and themes introduced in Welcome to the Ark are so slowly divulged that they're occasionally distracting. Amber and Elijah's actions don't always explain their motivations or understanding of events. The boy's transformation from using his powers to stop violence to assisting in its creation is not fully developed. Characters and ideologies abound and may at once challenge and turn off readers. Some will be disturbed by the remorseless killings that repeatedly occur while others will debate the entire doctrine of the novel, making for a confrontational and thought-provoking read deserving much discussion.
Katie O'Dell, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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