Behemoth Book Review

Behemoth Book Review - Reviewed by Kidzworld on Dec 05, 2010

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Kidzworld reviews book 2 in Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan Trilogy, Behemoth.

Title: Behemoth
Authors: Scott Westerfeld
Ages: 12+
Rating:

In the first book of Scott Westerfield’s Leviathan Trilogy, Alek—an Austrian prince—and his small team of Clankers used their broken down stormwalker to rebuild the engines of the Darwinists’ airship, the Leviathan. Now Alek and his men are riding to Constantinople (Istanbul) with the Darwinists, who are on opposing sides of the war. But Alek doesn’t want to take down the Darwinists. His parents died because they didn’t approve of the war. Alek wants what the soldiers aboard the Leviathan want—to keep peace.

Courtesy of Simon Pulse

In Disguise

Alek’s new Darwinist friend, Dylan, isn’t what he seems. In fact, he isn’t even a “he.” But Alek doesn’t know that. Dylan, or Deryn Sharp, is posing as a boy to keep her place on the ship. But it’s getting harder to keep her secret, especially now that Alek’s right hand man is suspicious. Not to mention the fact that she has feelings for Alek. What would happen if he knew the truth?

Prisioners

Soon Alek and his men realize that even though their technology saved the Leviathan, the Darwinists consider them prisoners. Their stop in Constantinople will be their only chance to escape. But where are they supposed to go once they jump ship?

The Bottom Line

Scott Westerfeld, author of Uglies, abandoned the traditional war story, and instead created an alternate world’s version of World War I. You’ll find airships, huge mechanical walkers shaped like any number of creatures from insects to goddesses, and two very different views on the world: people known as Clankers or Darwinists. Clankers, who are mainly Germans, work with and understand machines. Darwinists, who are mostly British, have created and work with beasties, or machine-made animals. Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan Trilogy is the most creative teen sci-fi world since The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Gone by Michael Grant.