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A review by lyraswanson
Blue Mountain by Martine Leavitt
3.0
Tuk is a Bighorn Sheep, and when he is born it is foretold that he will save the heard from scarcity of food and the threat of predators. As Tuk leads the heard of Bighorn Sheep to the Blue Mountain, he and the heard must weigh the consequences of taking an unknown journey and decide if this will lead them to safety or to their undoing. This novel, by Martine Leavitt, touches on the environmental impact of urban sprawl, and offers a picture of what life is like for Bighorn Sheep.
This novel had many successful elements. Leavitt is a masterful wordsmith, and she was able to describe events and locations in the book quite vividly. The book included trickster tale elements, and I also picked up on traces of Native American folklore.
The characters in this story were thoughtfully planned out, which helped the reader get a glimpse of each character’s personality. The need to get to a safe place with food is what motivates and propels the characters, and each character has their place in the heard. Although the main character, Tuk, does not change much in the story, the reader is able to see him as a natural leader who can make quick decisions in stressful situations. The other characters are also well developed. Rim and Ovis are other strong leaders and Dall is the wise woman of the heard. Mouf is the weakest of the herd, and she needs constant motivation. The interactions between these characters shed light on decisions made in the story.
Conflict is successfully interwoven throughout this story. The heard deals with scarcity of food and fear of predators and humans. The conflict helps propel the story, because each difficult situation forces the heard to make a decision.
Although this book was beautifully written and had a number of positive aspects, I do think that it works as a book for children. It was very philosophical, and read more like adult fiction. I don’t see children connecting to it, and throughout the book I kept thinking, “Who is this book for?” I understand that the author was trying to share her passion for preserving the habitat of the Bighorn Sheep, but I think a nonfiction narrative would have been a more successful way to reach a youth audience.
This novel had many successful elements. Leavitt is a masterful wordsmith, and she was able to describe events and locations in the book quite vividly. The book included trickster tale elements, and I also picked up on traces of Native American folklore.
The characters in this story were thoughtfully planned out, which helped the reader get a glimpse of each character’s personality. The need to get to a safe place with food is what motivates and propels the characters, and each character has their place in the heard. Although the main character, Tuk, does not change much in the story, the reader is able to see him as a natural leader who can make quick decisions in stressful situations. The other characters are also well developed. Rim and Ovis are other strong leaders and Dall is the wise woman of the heard. Mouf is the weakest of the herd, and she needs constant motivation. The interactions between these characters shed light on decisions made in the story.
Conflict is successfully interwoven throughout this story. The heard deals with scarcity of food and fear of predators and humans. The conflict helps propel the story, because each difficult situation forces the heard to make a decision.
Although this book was beautifully written and had a number of positive aspects, I do think that it works as a book for children. It was very philosophical, and read more like adult fiction. I don’t see children connecting to it, and throughout the book I kept thinking, “Who is this book for?” I understand that the author was trying to share her passion for preserving the habitat of the Bighorn Sheep, but I think a nonfiction narrative would have been a more successful way to reach a youth audience.