Hostilities - Softcover

Macdonald, Caroline

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1862910758 ISBN 13: 9781862910751

Publisher: Omnibus Books, 1991

Synopsis

Assumed identities, time lapses, thieves who steal souls, memories which return to haunt the present - all these subjects are explored in the collection of nine stories contained in this book.

About this title

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up-The intent of this collection from Down Under is to highlight the everyday happenings that often escape notice and put a different spin on them. Two of the best stories ("I Say My Name in a Book" and "The Message in the Dust") are futuristic, and they present some interesting questions for discussion. They are also the only two to have been previously published. "The Message in the Dust" tells of a space-exploring junior archaeologist who connects over space and time with a Mayan girl. The result is an interesting connection between strange spaceships and her culture. It is thought-provoking and plays nicely on all those unanswered questions about the amazing achievements of that ancient civilization. The rest of the stories don't have the same punch, but they are well written. The voices are clear and solid, though in terms of plot, these selections don't really go anywhere. Buy where the demand for short stories is great.
Patricia A. Dollisch, DeKalb County Public Library, Decatur, GA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly

Macdonald ( The Lake at the End of the World ) uses her native New Zealand and current homeland of Australia as the backdrops for nine Twilight Zone -ish stories that range from spooky to only slightly offbeat. Young heroes and heroines--usually placed in remote locations (campsites, farm houses, etc.)--find themselves on the edge of danger as their notions of reality are challenged. While some of the selections include traditional horrors in the form of seances, soul-switchings and skeletons, other, more subtle stories explore how perceptions are colored by deep emotions. The title story, for example, examines the way a girl's growing resentment of her new half-brother affects her reasoning. "At the Old Roxy" traces an adolescent shoplifter's quest for beauty in her crumbling, chaotic world. This book may not leave readers quaking in their boots, but it does offer a number of promising situations and a smattering of surprising conclusions. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Omnibus Books
• Publication date: 1991
• ISBN 10: 1862910758
• ISBN 13: 9781862910751
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 121