Nation
by Terry Pratchett

    NATION by Terry Pratchett
    Category:  Historical
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 6+
    Release Date:  9/22/09
    Publisher:  HarperCollins
    Reviewed by:  Lynn Crow
    Rating:  5 Stars


    Mau is away from his small island when a giant wave destroys his village, leaving him alone - and unable to
    complete the ceremony that would have given him his man's soul.  It takes all his strength just to carry on, with the
    voices of his ancestors haunting him.

    Daphne finds herself the lone survivor when the ship she was traveling on crashes into Mau's island on the same
    wave.  With little to guide her but her grandmother's training for high society, she isn't sure whether to approach
    Mau as a potential friend or foe.

    As other survivors gather on the island, Mau and Daphne form a bond and work to create a society that's all their
    own.  Mau begins to believe in himself despite his fear that he lacks a soul.  Daphne realizes there are far more
    important things than propriety.  

    But when all they've gained is threatened by an outside enemy, will their makeshift community be able to hold
    steady?

    NATION has everything you could ask for in a novel.  Its dramatic scenes are both poignant and moving, with
    Pratchettt's customary humor keeping the proceedings from straying into melodrama.  Both main characters are
    distinctive, and it's a pleasure watching them come into their own throughout the story.  The villains are suitably
    creepy and brutal.  Little details of the setting and cultures make it all feel so real.  

    Highly recommended to both teens and adults.