Now 2023 Previous Articles Road Essays Road Reviews Author Black Authors Title Source Age Genre Series Format Inclusivity LGBTA Portfolio Artwork WIP

Recent posts

Month in review

10 Best...
10 Best Cats
10 Best Graphic Novels
10 Best Nonfiction
10 Best Odd Balls
10 Best Picture Books
10 Best Scifi/ Fantasy
10 Best Tween Books

Reviews
The Adventures of Tittletom by Ellis Credle
Afternoon on the Amazon by Mary Pope Osborne
Alex and Lulu by Lorena Siminovich
Bad Kitty Gets a Bath by Nick Bruel
Beautiful Yetta by Daniel Pinkwater
Boats: Speeding! Sailing! Cruising! by Patricia Hubbell
Boundaries of Home by Doug Aberley
Brownie and Pearl Get Dolled Up by Cynthia Rylant
The Chick and the Duckling by Mirra Ginsburg
The Fairy's Return by Gail Carson Levine
Forever by Rachel Pollack
Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000 by Eric Wight
Harriet's Halloween Candy by Nancy Carlson
A History of Cadmium by Elizabeth Bourne
Knitty Kitty by David Elliott
The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
The Long Retreat by Robert Reed
Looking for Jake by China Miéville
Maid of Murder by Amanda Flower
Make-Believe by Michael Reaves
The Octonauts and the Frown Fish by Meomi
One to Nine by Andrew Hodges
Raiders' Ransom by Emily Diamand
The Secret of the Old Clock by Caroline Keene
Sector 7 by David Wiesner
The Tarot Cafe #3 by Sang-Sun Park
Ten Little Fish by Audrey Wood
Waiting for the Phone to Ring by Richard Bowes
Waking Up Wendell by April Stevens
What Can You Do With a Rebozo? by Carmen Tafolla
When Pigasso Met Mootisse by Nina Laden



Rating System

5 stars: Completely enjoyable or compelling
4 stars: Good but flawed
3 stars: Average
2 stars: OK
1 star: Did not finish

Reading Challenges

Canadian Book Challenge: 2023-2024

Beat the Backlist 2023

Artwork
Chicken Art



Privacy policy

This blog does not collect personal data. It doesn't set cookies. Email addresses are used to respond to comments or "contact us" messages and then deleted.


Raiders' Ransom: 12/05/10

cover art

The first shelf I always check at the library is the recommended reads shelf in the children's wing. I have yet to be disappointed by what the staff have put there. My latest find this way is Raiders' Ransom by Emily Diamand, a near future young adult dystopian set in what remains of the flooded British isles.

The book begins with the raid on an outlying village and news that the Prime Minister's daughter has been kidnapped. Lilly's village is blamed and she feels like she has to do something to set things right. She sails off with her fishing cat to take a ransom to the raiders and rescue the Prime Minister's daughter.

Raiders' Ransom is set in the 22nd century in a world where the oceans have risen and technology has failed. The ecological disaster and failed technology is fairly typical in dystopian fiction. So often though the characters have no working memory or understanding of how this dystopia came about. Raiders' Ransom is different: Lilly and the others know what happened. They might not know everything but they have a much better sense of what has happened than the average dystopian character.

The only thing that confused me at first about the book was the alternating points of view. Most of the book is told from Lilly's point of view but some of the chapters are told from Zeph's. He a child growing up with the raiders. His chapters help explain what has become of the flooded areas and gives an interesting look at the history of the raiders and the fate of London.

There's a second book out, Flood and Fire. I am hoping to see it on the recommended shelf soon at my library. I'm itching to see what happens next.

Comments (2)


Lab puppy
Name:
Email (won't be posted):
Blog URL:
Comment:


Comment #1: Saturday, December, 11, 2010 at 18:28:53

Carrie K.

I listened to Raiders' Ransom on audio earlier this year and enjoyed it very much. I hope we don't have to wait too long for book two!



Comment #2: Friday, December 17, 2010 at 23:29:28

Pussreboots

I know! I'm so eager to read the next book.



Twitter Tumblr Mastadon Flickr Facebook Facebook Contact me

1997-2023 Sarah Sammis