Reading Response:
Keeper of the Lost Cities
The central conflict that the main character (Sophie Foster) and her friends were fighting against was
the fear of losing to the Neverseen after Sophie and Fitz almost died to shadowflux created by
Umber, a member of the Neverseen.
Throughout the book, the characters have to heal from the damage at the beginning of the book
(the fight with the Neverseen), and the central characters in this book (Sophie and Fitz), are shown
to be put through both mental and physical challenges regarding the long aftermath. Sophie has to
confront her echo (a “memory” of shadowflux that occurred from when Sophie was attacked), which
constantly tells her things, one of them being where her human sister cries out to her saying,
“Sophie, please stop!”. Such phrase is connected to an unknown memory that has haunts her.
Sophie feels useless and weak during her time in the healing center, however that motivates her into
making a change about that.
After Sophie is able to heal, she trained physically to prepare herself for when she next met her
enemies, as she reflected from her last battle how her abilities weren’t able to suffice (Enhancing,
Inflicting, Telepath). Her new bodyguards, Tarina (troll), Flori (gnome), Bo (ogre), Nubiti (dwarf) &
Sandor (goblin) help train her using their techniques in fighting, allowing her to gain more
confidence in the physical side of multispecies combat.
From this, Sophie’s conflict with her inner fears allow her to undergo character development by
building up patience and become more strategic & tactful in regard to trying to understanding her
enemies. In the end, they are able to defeat Umber and another member of the Neverseen, and
there is hoped to someday beat all her enemies.
Reading Response:
Wings of Fire: Flames of Hope
In this novel, the setting is mostly set in the Pantala continent (second introduced part of the Wings
of Fire world). When considering the story’s place in the timeline, it is important to know that while
the story is set in present time for the series’ lore, it is set 5000 years before the event known as the
Scorching, as well as the creation of the Othermind. The Othermind’s consciousness is formed from
a dragonet with leafspeak named Freedom (formerly Lizard), a human named Cottonmouth, and the
plant called ‘Breath of Evil’ that allows mind control.
The setting of this is relevant to the themes and ideas of the book, as they help build context as to
why the plot is the way it is. In this book, there are themes of “villains can be changed” and “work
with what you have” regarding Luna’s journey to returning to Pantala and saving the world.
Having the story set 5000 years after first off builds an understanding of how the Othermind’s
control is strong enough to control nearly all dragons on Pantala. Freedom (which plays a relevant
role in the part) has a personality and perspective that is greatly affected by how she has existed for
5000 years without living or really knowing about dragon life. With her long time existing only with
Cottonmouth as company, she has seen dragons mostly from a human perspective. She sees dragons
as vicious and violent, although they can care for each other, and have peaceful lives as well. Luna is
able to change Freedom’s entire view because of this. "What's really not fair is the biggest difference
between me and those dragons, [...] They all had someone who loved them. No one ever loved me!
Not that I care; I don't care, I don't care. But that's the unfair part, actually.", a quote from Freedom
on page 288. This shows Freedom’s reaction to this new revelation, which is big enough for Freedom
to decide on telling Luna how to destroy the Othermind, even though it will “kill” her too.
Reading Response:
Ghost Bird (Challenge Classic)
Stacey Thompson starts out not believing in her family’s beliefs, like her Nan’s, which she’s still
suffering trauma over her loss. Stacey would rather believe in statistics, science, “white man’s logic”.
However, when Stacey’s mirror twin Laney goes missing, she starts having dreams about Laney, and
through this ends up questioning her beliefs and who she should listen to.
Stacey Thompson’s life is made difficult because of her family dynamic, the loss of her Nan and Dad,
the racism in her town, and feeling like she has to be the perfect kid in her family (this is brought up
several times in the book). Because of this, she has an underlying pessimistic attitude things even
though she never really talks about these feelings to others. At the beginning, a clear focus is on
being able to leave her town. Racism in Ghost Bird is shown in Stacey’s life throughout the book,
how the museum only shows records about English people’s discoveries in the town, while little to
nothing about the indigenous people there.
Through Stacey’s journey to find out how to save how to save her twin, she reconnects with the
beliefs of her elders, and through guidance from characters like Aunty May, Pop, and memories of
her Nan, she breaks from her reliance on science and logic, instead acting on instinct and gut. A
quote from early on in the book, “Remember, daughter, the world is a lot bigger than anyone knows.
There are things that science may never explain. Maybe some things that shouldn’t be explained.” is
from Stacey’s mother. Stacey brushes it off, thinking not much about it, however this theme of the
unexplained truths and events gets more significant in her thinking, until it shapes Stacey’s character
to be more open to both sides of her life.
Reading Response:
‘I Can See the Ending’ (from A#LoveOzYA Anthology Challenge Classic)
In I Can See the Ending, there are clear themes of both “Accepting the future” and “Living the
Future”, which both link together to show the reader the importance of embracing every good
moment of life, instead of being weary and paranoid of what is to come. The author might’ve
wanted to show this theme in his story because even though most teens & young adults reading
these short stories may not have psychic powers, this story can teach them to live in the present.
These themes are shown throughout the story’s plot. Although there was not much journey or
events in this story, Adam’s attitude towards life changed and grew significantly. At the beginning,
Adam tried hard at seeing the future and remembering the bad things to come, “My life as I know it
is scrawled on yellow notes and stuck in vague chronological order to the timber floor under my
bed.”. This obsession stopped him from valuing the present more. As soon as Adam saw a future of
his crush Nina divorcing him, he immediately decided to call it quits. ‘“I’m not going to date her.
How can I?” I’m asking myself as much as I’m asking her. “I can see the ending.”’. Through passing
more and more thoughts of confliction, he confides with his mum who tells him that he shouldn’t
avoid the future nor obsess over it, but instead to appreciate knowing the good and the bad. With
this journey through self-reflection, Adam tries to make it up with Nina, and at the end they have a
nice romantic dance.
