by N.A. Nelson
ages: 11+

Seven years ago, Tirio was put in a canoe and set afloat on the Amazon river; he’d been cast out by his tribe, the Takunami, because he was born deformed. He was rescued by an American anthropologist, Sara, and brought to Miami for treatment, and a good home. Now, nearing his thirteenth birthday, Tirio feels a pull back to the Amazon, to his tribe, and a desire to complete his soche seche tente, the test boys in his tribe have to complete in order to pass into manhood. The question is, will he be able to do it?

I was surprised at how much I liked this book. The cover does absolutely nothing for me, and I was expecting to sludge through it as per my duty. But, enjoy it I did. There’s a parallel story with Luka, another thirteen-year-old boy. I wondered about that story until about 2/3 of the way through I figured out the connection between Luka and Tirio. It seemed obvious, but once I figured it out , it worked for me, and it gave the story that much more power. Nelson is really quite good at balancing the natural and supernatural, Tirio believes in the Good Gods and they guide him on his quest. It could have been hokey, but it came off as believable and natural, if a bit eerie. I l iked Tirio as a character, too (more than Luka, though he was interesting). He had a disability, and he was able not only to work with it, but to overcome it. And he was more than willing to stand on his own two feet, and do what needed to be done.

My only quibble would be that it feels more factual than it really is; in the afterward, Nelson admits that little is known about indiginous tribes in the Amazon, and she pretty much made everything up. But, knowing that, it works as an adventure story. And it works really well.

(Just for the record: because this is a Cybils nominee, I’ve been asked to make sure y’all know this is my opinion only, and not that of the panel.)