A Dramatic Coming of Age Novel for YA Fans
Ã?Æ'Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¡Ã?¬Ã?â?¦"Song of the DarkÃ?Æ'Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¡Ã?¬Ã?â??Ã?Â? by Bryn Suddarth is an immersive, imaginative YA novel about self-acceptance. The main character Thomas has anything you could want. He attends a top boarding school, stands to inherit a shipping dynasty, and seems to have his life all mapped out. But there is one thing missing, and that is himself. Rather, his true self. He isnÃ?Æ'Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¡Ã?¬Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¾Ã?¢t what you would call comfortable in his own skin. Charles is his rival, but also his friend, and itÃ?Æ'Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¡Ã?¬Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¾Ã?¢s when they cross paths that his quest for self-discovery and true happiness begins. His life and the world itself may never be the same again. As he encounters gods, sirens, and the magi, he realizes that love can either paralyze him or set him free.
SuddarthÃ?Æ'Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¡Ã?¬Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¾Ã?¢s character-driven coming-of-age fantasy is hard to put down. From the opening scene on the ship when Thomas is alone with his dark thoughts of whether he wants to live or die, all the way through to the end, you get a palpable sense of realness about the storyline and charactersÃ?Æ'Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¡Ã?¬Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¾Ã?¢ journeys. ItÃ?Æ'Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¡Ã?¬Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¾Ã?¢s always great when a character goes in search of the inner self, and this author carries this out in a dramatic and believable way.
The drama is not overwrought, and the author doesnÃ?Æ'Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¡Ã?¬Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¾Ã?¢t play it for attention. You are instantly drawn into the plot, and the detailed, vivid descriptions make you feel as if you are there with the characters, experiencing their lives. The different points of view work well here, and the conflict is well-conceived. You have inner conflict and outer conflict, so the two make for compelling reading.
ItÃ?Æ'Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¡Ã?¬Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¾Ã?¢s a personal story for the characters, and some of the characters you may not like or agree with, but thatÃ?Æ'Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¡Ã?¬Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¾Ã?¢s what makes it interesting. Everyone is not always on their best behavior. The fantasy aspect just adds another irresistible layer, and so do the multiple timelines. ThomasÃ?Æ'Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¡Ã?¬Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¾Ã?¢ character arc is especially well-conceived and executed. We first see him as a humble sailor at rock bottom on a ship, but heÃ?Æ'Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¡Ã?¬Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¾Ã?¢s from a rich and powerful family. What happened? ThatÃ?Æ'Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¡Ã?¬Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¾Ã?¢s whatÃ?Æ'Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¡Ã?¬Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¾Ã?¢s so entertaining about this book. It isnÃ?Æ'Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¡Ã?¬Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¾Ã?¢t just about one thing. ItÃ?Æ'Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¡Ã?¬Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¾Ã?¢s about different themes that are eventually tied together and understood.
I like that the ending leaves room for future stories, and doesnÃ?Æ'Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¡Ã?¬Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¾Ã?¢t explain everything away. When it comes to a YA fantasy novel with grit and heart, your first choice should be Ã?Æ'Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¡Ã?¬Ã?â?¦"Song of the Dark,Ã?Æ'Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¡Ã?¬Ã?â??Ã?Â? by Bryn Suddarth.
